Lock Rekey in Sherman Oaks, CA

What does lock rekeying actually do?

Rekeying changes the inside of a lock so that a different key operates it. The lock body, the deadbolt, the handle, and the look of the door all stay the same. What changes is the set of small pins in the cylinder. Once those pins are reset to match a new key, every key that used to work becomes a useless piece of brass. Nobody who held a copy of the old key can get in.

That is the whole point of the service, and it is why a rekey is usually the first thing we suggest when someone says they are worried about who has a key. You are not buying new locks. You are taking the old keys out of circulation, which is the actual security problem in most of these situations.

A rekey works on most standard pin tumbler locks in good mechanical condition. It does not fix a lock that is worn out, loose, bent, or damaged, and it is not the right answer for every lock. We will tell you which category yours falls into when we look at it, and we will not talk you into more work than the door needs.

When should you rekey your locks?

People usually call us because something happened, not because they planned ahead. These are the situations where a rekey makes the most sense:

• Rekey locks after moving in. You have no idea how many copies of the previous occupant's keys exist: family, neighbors, a dog walker, a cleaner, a contractor.
• Rekey locks after buying a house. The seller, the listing agent, and every contractor who did repairs before closing may have had access. Handing you one set of keys at closing does not mean those are the only ones.
• Rekey locks after a tenant moves out. Tenant turnover is the most common reason for a rental rekey, because deposits, deadlines, and the next move-in date leave little room for guessing about copies.
• Rekey locks after losing keys. If the keys went missing along with anything that shows your address, or you simply cannot account for them, changing the lock is cheaper than finding out the hard way.
• After a breakup, a falling-out with a roommate, or an employee leaving. Anyone who had a key and no longer should have one is a reason to rekey.
• When you want one key for every door. We can rekey all house locks, the front door, back door, side-yard door, and garage entry, to a single key so you stop carrying a ring of them.

How does a house or apartment rekey work, step by step?

Here is what happens when we arrive for a typical home or apartment rekey. It is the same basic process whether you call during business hours or in the middle of the night.

1. You call (213) 577-1366 and tell us what you have: how many exterior doors, whether any have deadbolts, and what happened that made you want to rekey. A person answers at any hour.
2. We come to the property in one of our mobile vans. Our storefront is at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, so we travel to you rather than asking you to bring locks in.
3. We look at each lock first. We check that the cylinder turns freely, that the lock is mechanically sound, and that it is the kind of lock that can be rekeyed. If one is damaged or cannot be rekeyed, we say so before any work starts.
4. We remove the cylinder, take out the old pins, and set new ones to match the new key. Then we put it back together and work the lock repeatedly to make sure it operates smoothly.
5. We test the new keys in every lock, and we confirm the old key no longer turns anything. Do not skip this step. A rekey that has not been tested against the old key is not finished.
6. You get the new keys. If you want extra copies, we can cut them on the spot, and you can read more about that under key duplication.

Should you rekey or replace the locks?

Most of the time, a rekey is enough. If your locks work well and you like them, rekeying keeps them in service and still answers the key problem. It is generally the lighter-touch option, because the hardware is not changing.

Replacement makes sense in a different set of cases. If the hardware is badly worn, if the finish has failed, if the deadbolt is flimsy or sticks, or if the lock is simply not the grade you want protecting your front door, new hardware is the better investment. For that, see our pages on lock replacement and changing locks outright.

Some people also want to move to keypad or app-based locks. A rekey does not turn a mechanical lock into a smart lock; that is an installation job, and we handle it under smart lock installation. If you are not sure which way to go, call and describe what you have. We would rather talk you out of the wrong job than do it.

What affects the cost of rekeying in Sherman Oaks?

We do not publish flat numbers for rekeys because the job is not flat. A quote makes sense only after we know a few things. Here is what moves the cost, in plain terms:

• How many cylinders. Every lock that gets rekeyed is its own bit of work, so a one-door apartment is a different job than a house with a front door, back door, side-yard door, and a gate.
• The type and brand of lock. Some locks rekey quickly. Others use unusual keyways, restricted keys, or higher-security designs that take more time and parts.
• Whether you want everything keyed alike. Putting several locks on one key means matching them all, which is slightly more involved than leaving each on its own key.
• How many new keys you need. Extra copies are extra cutting.
• The condition of the locks. A cylinder that is worn, gritty, or sticking may need cleaning or repair on top of the rekey.
• Commercial or residential. A shop with several doors, or a master-key arrangement, is a bigger scope than a home.
• Time of day and distance. A late-night call or a longer drive is a different dispatch than a weekday visit nearby.
• Whether other work is bundled in. If you also want a lock installed or repaired while we are there, that changes the total.

Apartment and condo rekeys, and tenant turnover

An apartment lock rekey is one of the quickest jobs we do, and it is also one of the most common. When a tenant moves out, the cleanest way to protect the next one is to make sure no copy of the old key opens the door. Landlords and property managers often rekey between every tenancy for exactly that reason. If you manage rentals, our page for landlord locksmith service covers turnover work across multiple units.

Condos add a wrinkle. In buildings run by an HOA, the front door of your unit may be yours to rekey, but common-area doors, lobby entries, and sometimes the deadbolt on the unit itself can fall under the association rules. Before you book, check your HOA documents or ask the manager what is yours to change. If you are not sure, tell us the building and we will work out with you what can be done.

One more point for renters: whether you are allowed to rekey is a question of your lease and local law, not a lock question. If you are a tenant, check with your landlord first. If you are the owner, you are free to make the call.

Commercial rekey and business lock rekey

A business lock rekey follows the same logic as a house, but the stakes in keys are usually higher. A shop that has had a dozen employees over the years has probably had a dozen keys cut. When a manager leaves, a lease turns over, or a key goes missing, rekeying the doors is the fast way to close that gap without tearing out hardware.

For businesses we look at the whole picture: the front door, back-of-house, storage rooms, and any door with a different lock grade. If you want a structure where staff carry different keys with different levels of access, that is a master key system, which is a planned setup rather than a quick rekey. For general commercial work beyond rekeying, see our commercial locksmith page.

Rekeying homes and businesses around Sherman Oaks

Sherman Oaks is not one kind of place, and the rekey work changes depending on where you are. North of Ventura Boulevard, the flats carry 1930s to 1950s ranch and traditional homes. Houses that old have often had several owners and several rounds of locksmith work, so it is common to find a mixed bag at the doors: different brands on the front and back, keys that have been handed around for years. Rekeying every exterior lock to one new key is a straightforward way to start over. That applies in places like Chandler Estates, where many ranch homes have been remodeled and the owners are updating hardware anyway.

South of Ventura, the hillsides mix mid-century homes with newer custom builds, and the Mulholland corridor is a good example of why a thorough rekey matters. Hillside properties frequently have gates, side-yard doors, and multiple entry points. After a sale or a move-in, rekeying the front door and forgetting the side gate or the garage entry leaves a gap. In Longridge Estates and Royal Woods, we walk the property with you and count every lock that takes a key before we start. If a gate latch is worn or sticking, rekeying will not cure it, and that is a gate lock repair conversation. Hillside homes also see more wind and sun, which ages weatherstripping and exterior door finishes faster. That does not change how a rekey works, but it is one more thing we may point out while we have the door open.

Along the Ventura Boulevard corridor and the stretches near Sepulveda and Riverside Drive, condo and apartment buildings from the 1960s to the 1980s, many of them HOA-managed, call for the unit-by-unit approach described above. Further along, businesses near the Sherman Oaks Galleria and Westfield Fashion Square have their own needs: staff turnover, shared keys, and after-hours doors. Whether the address falls in 91403, 91423, 91401, or 91411, the job begins the same way: a phone call at any hour, and a van from our Westwood base about eight miles away.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a rekey?

We have been in business since 1987, and a rekey is one of the oldest jobs in the trade. The reasons to call us are simple ones.

We are one company. There is no dispatch middleman who passes your call to whoever is available. When you phone (213) 577-1366, you are reaching our business, and the people who come out work for us. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. We have a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood plus mobile vans, so we can handle a routine rekey and also bring parts or cut keys when a job is bigger than expected.

The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year. If you are locked out and need to change locks after a lost key, see our mobile locksmith page for how we come to you.

One more practical piece of advice, whoever you hire: California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and you are entitled to ask any locksmith for it before they start work. Ask us too. A company that dodges the question is a company to avoid.

More locksmith help in Sherman Oaks

• Change Locks in Sherman Oaks
• Deadbolt Installation in Sherman Oaks
• Gate Lock Repair in Sherman Oaks
• High Security Locks in Sherman Oaks
• Key Duplication in Sherman Oaks
• Lock Installation in Sherman Oaks
• All services in Sherman Oaks

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