Change Locks in South Pasadena, CA

Should you rekey or replace when you change locks?

Most people who call us about changing locks are not really asking for a particular product. They want one outcome: nobody they don't know should be able to open their door. There are two ways to get there, and the right one depends on the hardware you already have, not on which sounds more thorough.

Rekeying keeps the lock body on your door and changes the inside of the cylinder so the old keys no longer work. You get new keys, and anyone holding the old ones is out of luck. Replacing means taking the lock off and putting a different one on. Both stop the old keys. The difference is what you are left with afterward: the same hardware with fresh keying, or new hardware entirely.

We cover each option in detail on our pages for lock rekeying and lock replacement. This page is about the decision in front of you right now: you want your locks changed, and you are not sure which route fits your door. That is a normal place to be, and we would rather talk it through than guess.

Why change locks after buying a house or moving in?

When you buy a house or move into a new place, you cannot know how many keys exist. The previous owner may have handed over two, but they could have cut copies for a relative, a neighbor, a cleaner, a contractor, a dog walker, or a real estate agent. Keys also get lost without anyone noticing. A lock change is the only way to reset that count to the keys in your own hand.

The same reasoning applies if you are a renter taking over a unit, if a roommate moved out on bad terms, after a breakup, or after a break-in attempt. Even when nothing has gone wrong, many of our customers simply prefer to start from a known position. A locksmith for a new house is often one of the first calls after closing, usually right alongside setting up utilities.

• You just bought a home and do not know who holds keys.
• You moved into a rental and want to confirm the lock situation with your landlord first.
• A key was lost or stolen, even if you think it is probably at the bottom of a bag somewhere.
• A former partner, roommate, employee, or house sitter still has a key.
• The existing locks are worn, sticky, or mismatched from door to door, and you would like one key for everything.

How does a lock change visit work?

Because we run mobile service vans as well as a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, we bring the tools and a range of hardware to you. In most cases the whole job is done at your door, with you there to watch and ask questions. The steps below are how a typical visit goes.

1. You call (213) 577-1366. Someone from our company answers, day or night, and asks about your doors, your locks, and what is prompting the change.
2. We talk through the likely route. Often we can say over the phone whether rekeying will do, but we confirm once we see the actual hardware.
3. On arrival, we look at every lock you want changed: front door, back door, side gates, garage entry, and any deadbolts. We check the condition, brand, and how well each one operates.
4. We explain what we recommend for each door and why. You decide. If we think one lock is fine to rekey and another should be replaced, we say so plainly.
5. We do the work, test every lock with the new keys, and check that doors latch smoothly and the deadbolts throw fully.
6. We hand over the new keys and explain how many you have and how to get more cut. We also point out anything about a door or strike plate that looks like a weak point, without pressuring you to fix it that day.

How do we decide between rekeying and replacing?

Our rule is simple: if the lock is in good shape and a decent quality, rekeying usually does the job and is usually the more economical route. If the lock is worn, damaged, or not worth keeping, replacing makes more sense. A few specific situations tip the balance.

• Rekey is a good fit when the lock works smoothly, the finish is intact, and you simply want the old keys retired. It also suits a set of locks you want to match to a single key.
• Replace is a better fit when a lock is loose, corroded, grinding, or hard to turn, or when a cylinder is so worn that rekeying would be putting new keying into a tired part.
• Replace also makes sense when you want something the current lock cannot offer, such as a stronger deadbolt, a higher-security cylinder, or a keypad or app-controlled lock.
• Hardware that is decorative and original to the house sometimes deserves a careful look before anyone removes it. We will tell you honestly whether it can be rekeyed or whether the cylinder is not a standard type.
• If a door has no deadbolt, adding one is a different job from a lock change. We can quote it alongside, and our page on deadbolt installation explains what that involves.

Is a smart lock part of changing locks?

It can be, but it does not have to be. Some homeowners use a lock change as the moment to move to a keypad or app-based lock. That is a fair reason, and we install them. Others want a plain, reliable mechanical lock and nothing with batteries. Both are reasonable choices. If you are curious, our smart lock installation page covers what to consider before switching, including how the lock fits your door and what happens if the power or battery runs low.

What we will not do is steer you toward the most elaborate option because it sounds impressive. A well-fitted, properly keyed standard lock on a solid door is a perfectly good answer for many South Pasadena homes.

What affects the cost of changing locks?

We do not quote prices on a web page, because the honest answer depends on your doors. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the cost up or down, so that the quote you get on the phone or at your door makes sense.

Rekeying is typically the lighter-cost route compared with replacing every lock, because you are keeping the existing hardware and paying mainly for labor and new key cuts. Replacement adds the cost of the new locks themselves, which can range widely depending on grade and finish.

• How many locks and doors are involved, and whether you want them all on one key.
• Rekey versus replace, and the grade of any new hardware you choose.
• The type of lock: standard cylinders are straightforward, while older mortise locks, high-security cylinders, and some specialty locks take more time or specific parts.
• Whether the lock is in good working order or needs repair to be rekeyed properly.
• Whether the door, frame, or strike plate needs adjusting so the new lock actually works well.
• The hour you call. Work in the middle of the night is handled differently from a daytime visit, and we explain that up front.
• Where you are, since we serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties from a Westwood base.

Changing locks in South Pasadena's older homes, condos, and apartments

South Pasadena is a preservation-minded small city, and a lot of its housing reflects that. Many Craftsman, Victorian, and period-revival homes date from the 1890s through the 1930s, and some still carry original hardware. In areas like the Mission West district and the Marengo neighborhood, a lock change often starts with a question we ask first: is the existing lockset worth keeping? A vintage lockset that is still solid can often be rekeyed, which keeps the look of the door intact. If a piece is worn past saving, we talk through replacement options with you, and you decide how far to go in matching the character of the house.

Those older doors bring their own quirks. Summer heat can swell older wood doors in historic homes, which can make a bolt bind or a latch drag. Weather-driven lock wear here is modest, thanks to a mild inland climate moderated slightly by the Arroyo Seco, so the problem is more often age than exposure. If a new lock does not line up well with a swollen or settled door, we adjust the fit as part of the job, because a fresh lock on a binding door is not much of an upgrade.

Altos de Monterey is a different case. It holds 1960s mid-century homes on the southwest hills, and the locks there are more likely to be standard modern-style cylinders. These are usually good candidates for straightforward rekeying when you move in, unless you want to upgrade the deadbolts at the same time.

Apartments and condos cluster near the Fair Oaks Avenue corridor and on Raymond Hill. If you are renting there, your lease may say who is allowed to change locks, so check with your landlord or property manager before we start. If you manage units yourself, we have a page for landlords and property owners that covers turnover rekeying. And if a lock change goes sideways and someone is locked out, our apartment lockout service handles that separately.

We cover all of South Pasadena, ZIP code 91030, including the Garfield Park area and the Arroyo Seco corridor. We are based about 20 miles away, in Westwood, with mobile vans that come to you.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a lock change?

We have been in business since 1987. That is a long time to see what works on real doors, and it shapes how we advise people. When someone asks whether to rekey or replace, we answer based on the lock in front of us, not on what makes the job bigger.

We are one company. When you call (213) 577-1366, you reach us, not a call center that passes your address to whichever contractor picks it up. The person who talks to you is part of the same operation that does the work, and David, our owner and lead technician, oversees how we do things. That matters when the job is as personal as the locks on your own front door.

We also have both a storefront and mobile vans. The storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood means there is a real place behind the phone number. The vans mean most lock changes happen at your door, with the tools and parts to finish the job. If your situation is urgent, our emergency locksmith service runs on the same line, which is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round.

What should you ask any locksmith before they change your locks?

Whoever you call, ask for their California BSIS locksmith company license number. California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and a legitimate company should be willing to give you the number so you can verify it. Also ask for an explanation of the work, a clear quote before they begin, and whether they are sending their own technician. If someone will not answer plainly, that tells you something.

It is also reasonable to ask what happens to the old locks, whether the new keys are cut on site, and what you should do about extra copies. Good answers are short and specific.

What should you do after the locks are changed?

A lock change only works if you manage the keys afterward. Count your new keys when we hand them over and keep them somewhere sensible. If you need extra copies for family members, have them made from the new keys rather than from an old one that may no longer match. Our key duplication page explains how that works.

Also think about the other ways into your home. A garage door remote, a side gate, a shed, and a mailbox can all be overlooked. If you want them changed or keyed alike, mention it during the visit, because it is easier to do everything at once than to circle back later.

More locksmith help in South Pasadena

• Deadbolt Installation in South Pasadena
• Gate Lock Repair in South Pasadena
• High Security Locks in South Pasadena
• Key Duplication in South Pasadena
• Lock Installation in South Pasadena
• Lock Rekey in South Pasadena
• All services in South Pasadena

Change Locks near South Pasadena

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