Change Locks in Simi Valley, CA: Rekey or Replace, Explained

Should you rekey or replace your locks in Simi Valley?

Most people who call us about changing locks aren't sure which job they need, and that is a perfectly reasonable place to start. "Change locks" is a loose phrase that covers two different jobs. Rekeying keeps your existing hardware and reconfigures the inside of the cylinder, so the old keys stop working and a new key takes over. Replacing means taking the lock off the door and installing a different one. Either way, the result you care about is the same: keys that are floating around out there no longer open your door.

The difference is in what it costs, how long it takes, and what you're left with on the door afterward. If the hardware is sound and you like it, rekeying is usually the more economical route. If the hardware is worn, mismatched, damaged, or you want something better than what the builder installed, replacing makes more sense. We'll tell you which one fits each door, and we'll say so plainly when rekeying is enough, even if a replacement would be the bigger job for us.

This page covers the decision and how a lock change goes in Simi Valley. If you already know you want the cylinders rekeyed, the details are on our lock rekey page. If you know you want new hardware, see lock replacement.

Why change locks after buying a house or moving in?

When you take over a home, you don't actually know how many keys exist. The previous owners had them, and so might their adult kids, a relative who watered the plants, a house cleaner, a contractor, a neighbor, or anyone who was ever handed a copy and never gave it back. Keys don't carry a record of who made copies. Even if everyone involved was trustworthy, the only way to be certain is to make those keys useless.

That's why a locksmith for new homeowners is one of the most common calls we take. The same logic applies to a locksmith after moving into a rental or an apartment, after a roommate or partner leaves, after a lost set of keys, or after someone has tried to force a door. Changing the locks resets who has access, and it's one of the lighter-cost security steps you can take on any home.

Timing matters. The best moment is before your first night in the house, or before the moving truck is unloaded, while the doors are still easy to get to. Don't forget every entry point: the front door, back door, side gate, garage service door, sliding door lock, and any shed or outbuilding. If you're locked out of the new place before anything has been changed, we can help with that too, and you'll find that covered in the FAQs below.

How we change locks, step by step

Here is how a typical lock change goes for a Simi Valley home, from first call to handing you keys. It's the same careful routine whether it's one door or the whole house.

1. You call (213) 577-1366. Tell us how many exterior doors you have, what the locks look like, whether you have working keys, and whether you just closed on the house. A photo of each lock helps.
2. We send a mobile van from our team. Simi Valley is about 35 miles from our Westwood storefront, so we tell you honestly on the phone when we can get there rather than quote you a number we can't back up.
3. We look at every exterior door: the deadbolt, the knob or handle set, the latch, the strike plate, the screws, and how the door sits in its frame.
4. We recommend rekey or replace, door by door, and explain why. You'll hear what drives the cost before any work begins, and you decide.
5. We do the work. For a rekey, we remove the cylinder, change the internal pins to match a new key, and reassemble it. For a replacement, we remove the old hardware, fit the new lock, and make sure the bolt extends fully into the frame.
6. We test everything: each new key several times, with the door open and then closed, plus the latch and strike alignment.
7. We hand over the keys, tell you how many were cut, and explain what to do about extra copies. That's also when you can ask about matching all your doors to one key.

When rekeying is enough, and when replacing is the better move

There's no universal right answer. These are the rules of thumb we use at the door.

• Rekey when the lock is in good working order, the finish is fine, and you simply want old keys to stop working. This is the typical choice for a house changing hands.
• Rekey when you want several doors to share one key. Rekeying lets us put compatible locks on the same key so you aren't carrying a ring of five.
• Replace when a lock is worn, sticky, loose, or visibly damaged, or when someone has tried to force it. Changing the pins in a failing lock just gives you a failing lock with a new key.
• Replace when you want a step up in quality. Builder-grade hardware is common, and if you want something sturdier, a deadbolt installation on a door that only has a knob lock is often the biggest single improvement.
• Replace when you want keypad or app-based entry. If that's the direction you're leaning, our smart lock installation service is the place to start, and we'll be honest about which doors it suits.
• Replace when finishes are mismatched or faded and you want the doors to look consistent.
• Keep in mind a new lock is only as strong as the door and frame around it. Short screws in the strike plate or a cracked frame can undermine good hardware, so we check those while we're there.

What affects the cost of changing locks?

We won't throw numbers at you on a web page, because the honest answer depends on your doors. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the price up or down, so a quote makes sense when you hear it.

• Rekey or replace. Rekeying existing hardware is generally the more economical route; new hardware adds the cost of the lock itself.
• How many locks. A single front door and a whole house with deadbolts, handle sets, and a garage service door are very different jobs.
• The hardware you choose. Basic, mid-range, and high-security locks, and smart locks, span a wide range.
• Keyed alike or separate. Matching every door to one key can mean swapping a lock or two that won't cooperate.
• Door and frame condition. A misaligned door, a loose strike, or a damaged frame may need extra work for the new lock to operate properly.
• Extra keys. The number of copies you want affects the total.
• Time of day. An after-hours or emergency visit costs more to staff than a scheduled daytime appointment, and we'll say so up front.
• Travel. Simi Valley is a drive from our storefront, and that is part of how mobile service is quoted.

Changing locks in Simi Valley: tract homes, Wood Ranch, and hillside streets

Simi Valley's valley floor is mostly 1960s and 1970s single-family ranch tracts, in areas like Texas Tract, Indian Hills, and Sinaloa. Rekeying after a sale is the classic job here. Homes that old have usually had their hardware swapped at least once, so expect a mix of brands and ages on one house. We look at each door individually, because a front door with a decent deadbolt and a back door with a tired knob lock call for different answers.

Wood Ranch is a different story. These are master-planned homes from the 1980s through the 2000s, and HOAs are common in the newer west-end communities. A new homeowner lock package there usually means rekeying or replacing everything so all the exterior doors work on one key. If you're replacing visible front-door hardware, check your HOA's rules on exterior finishes first so you don't buy something you'll have to swap out. Condo and townhome stock near the 118 corridor often has the same HOA questions.

Big Sky has newer hillside homes, while Santa Susana Knolls, which is adjacent and unincorporated, holds older custom hillside homes on winding streets. Custom homes sometimes have non-standard doors or hardware, so we look before we promise a simple rekey. If you're locked out of a hillside house while the lock change is still on your to-do list, our house lockout service covers that situation.

In Bridle Path, the equestrian neighborhood with large lots and horse gates, changing locks usually means more than the house. There may be a pedestrian gate, a driveway gate, and a barn or tack room that all carry old keys. We can rekey or replace those padlocks and latches as part of the same visit, and if a gate latch is sagging or failing, gate lock repair is the related service.

Whether your address falls in ZIP code 93063 or 93065, the approach is the same: we come to you, check each door, and walk you through rekey or replace before we touch anything.

How Simi Valley heat and Santa Ana winds affect door locks

Simi Valley is an inland valley with hot, dry summers and strong Santa Ana wind events that funnel through the Santa Susana Pass. The strong sun and repeated heat cycles expand doors and can fade or stiffen exterior hardware, especially on south-facing entries. A routine result is a misaligned latch or a deadbolt that doesn't throw smoothly.

This matters when you're changing locks, because swapping hardware doesn't fix a door that's rubbing. If the deadbolt is hard to turn in summer and easier in cooler months, the problem may be the door's fit, not the lock. We check alignment during every lock change, adjust the strike plate where needed, and tell you honestly if what you have is a fit problem rather than a lock problem. It saves you from paying for new hardware that will bind the same way.

Strong winds are also hard on doors that swing and slam, which puts stress on latches over time. If your front door faces the sun and weather, ask us to look at the finish and the latch condition, because a replacement lock with a finish that holds up better may be worth considering.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a lock change?

We've been in business since 1987. We have a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and mobile service vans that reach 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, Simi Valley among them. When you call (213) 577-1366, you reach us, any hour, any day, and the work is done by our own technicians, not a dispatch middleman who sells your job to whoever's closest. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work.

One more thing worth knowing: California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and you should ask any locksmith for that license number before they start work, including us. Be wary of anyone who insists on drilling out and replacing every lock without looking at it first. A lock change should begin with an inspection and an explanation, not a pitch.

For more on the home side of what we do, see our mobile locksmith service for how our vans work in Simi Valley.

What to do after your locks are changed

The lock change is only part of resetting access to your home. A few follow-ups finish the job.

• Count and label your keys. Know exactly how many exist and who has each one.
• Make copies carefully. If you need spares, our key duplication service can cut them, and it's better to copy from the new keys than from old ones.
• Change codes. Garage door keypads, alarm codes, and Wi-Fi smart-lock codes often carry over from the previous owners.
• Check the other points of entry. Garage service doors, sliding doors, side gates, and sheds are easy to forget.
• Keep a record of which locks are keyed alike so you know what to tell a locksmith next time.

More locksmith help in Simi Valley

• Deadbolt Installation in Simi Valley
• Gate Lock Repair in Simi Valley
• High Security Locks in Simi Valley
• Key Duplication in Simi Valley
• Lock Installation in Simi Valley
• Lock Rekey in Simi Valley
• All services in Simi Valley

Change Locks near Simi Valley

• Chatsworth
• Moorpark
• West Hills
• Porter Ranch
• Thousand Oaks
• Canoga Park