Key Duplication in South Pasadena, CA

What does key duplication involve, and when do you need it?

Key duplication is the job of making a working copy of a key you already have. A spare house key, an extra apartment key for a roommate, a set of office keys for a new hire, a mailbox key for a family member: they all start the same way, with an original in decent shape and a blank that fits the lock's keyway. For a plain brass house key it is often a simple job. It gets more involved when the original is worn, when the key carries a restricted keyway, or when someone has copied a copy of a copy and the cuts have drifted a little further each time.

We have been cutting keys since 1987, and the most useful thing we can tell you is that a copy is only as good as the key it came from. A tired original makes a tired copy. So we look at your key first, tell you honestly whether it is a good one to copy from, and go from there. If it isn't, we'll say so and explain the options instead of cutting a key that will fight you every morning.

Why a spare house key matters more in South Pasadena's older homes

South Pasadena is a preservation-minded small city. Many of its Craftsman, Victorian and period-revival homes date from the 1890s to the 1930s, and plenty of them still have original hardware on the doors. That is a good thing for the character of a house. It also means the keys in your pocket may be decades old, worn smooth on the edges, and already a few generations of copies removed from whatever the first key looked like.

A worn key does not fail all at once. It starts to catch, then needs a jiggle, then needs the door lifted or pulled just so. In summer, heat can swell an older wood door in its frame, which adds friction against the latch and makes a marginal key work harder. Weather-driven wear on locks here is modest, but a worn key plus a snug door is a common reason people end up calling about a stuck lock when the real cause is the key.

The practical advice is simple. If you have one good original, make a fresh working copy from it now, while it still reads cleanly, and keep the original somewhere safe as your master. Then make your everyday copies from that master rather than from each other.

How do we duplicate a key, step by step?

The process is not complicated, but the details are where accuracy comes from. Here is how a typical copy goes, whether it happens at our storefront or at your door.

1. We examine the original for wear, bends, cracks and any stamped markings, and we ask which lock it operates.
2. We identify the key type and keyway, including whether it belongs to a restricted or high-security system that needs authorization to copy.
3. We choose a blank that matches the original's profile, length and shoulder or tip stop, because a blank that is close but not right is the usual cause of a copy that sticks.
4. We cut the copy on the machine, following the original's cuts as precisely as the original allows.
5. We deburr the new key so loose metal shavings don't end up inside your lock.
6. We compare the copy against the original and, when the lock is available, test it in the lock itself, adjusting if it drags or catches.
7. We tell you which key is which, and we suggest keeping the original as an unworn master.

Which keys can be copied, and which can't?

Most keys can be copied. Some need extra steps, and a few should not be copied without permission. Here is how the common categories work.

• House keys and duplicate deadbolt keys: Many doors have separate keys for the knob and the deadbolt, and sometimes the two are different keyways. Bring every key that goes to the door so nothing gets missed.
• Apartment key copies: Your lease may restrict copying, and some buildings use restricted keys held by management. We may ask a few questions before cutting.
• Office and commercial key duplication: We ask who is authorized to request copies. If your keys belong to a larger system, a master key system may change what can be copied and by whom.
• Mailbox key duplication: Mailbox keys are small and sometimes stamped with a code. Some are controlled by a property manager. If you have lost yours entirely, that is a different job, covered under mailbox lock replacement.
• High security key duplication and restricted key duplication: These keys use patented or controlled keyways. Copies normally require proof of authorization, and the blanks are not stocked everywhere. If you are weighing an upgrade rather than a copy, see our page on high-security locks.
• Keys stamped Do Not Duplicate: The stamp is a request, not a physical barrier. We will ask about authorization and may decline if we can't be comfortable with it.
• Car keys: A plain cut copy of a chip-equipped car key may open the door but will not necessarily start the engine. Whether a key needs programming depends on the vehicle, and we confirm that by VIN or in person rather than guessing. Some vehicles can be dealer-only, and we'll tell you if yours is. For anything beyond a simple metal key, see transponder key programming.

What affects the cost of key duplication in South Pasadena?

We don't quote numbers on a web page, because the honest answer depends on the key in your hand. These are the real factors that move the cost, and knowing them helps you compare any locksmith fairly.

The type of key matters most. A standard house key on a common blank is the lighter-cost end of the work. Restricted, high-security, and unusual keyways use specialty blanks and sometimes special machines, and the authorization process takes extra time on our end.

Quantity matters, since a batch of identical keys for an office goes differently than one spare. The condition of the original matters too: a badly worn key may need extra care or a different approach. Finally, where the work happens counts. Cutting at the storefront is usually the more economical route, while mobile key duplication includes bringing the service to you.

When you call (213) 577-1366, describe the key, tell us what lock it goes to, and we will explain what applies to your case before any work starts.

Is mobile key duplication available in South Pasadena?

Yes. Our storefront is at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, about 20 miles from South Pasadena, and we also run mobile service vans. For a lot of people in South Pasadena the mobile route is the practical one, since a 20-mile round trip to copy one key is rarely how anyone wants to spend an afternoon.

Whether a particular key can be cut at your door depends on the key. Many common house and mailbox keys work well for on-site service. Restricted keys or unusual blanks may be better handled at the storefront, and we will tell you which when you call rather than send a van that can't finish the job. Our phone line is answered 24 hours a day, every day of the year, so you can book at a time that suits you. For the wider picture of what we do on-site, see our mobile locksmith service.

Where do duplicate keys come up around South Pasadena?

Keys get copied for different reasons in different parts of town, and the ZIP code here, 91030, covers a real mix of building types.

In the Mission West district, many Craftsman homes still carry vintage locksets. A common situation is an owner who plans to have a vintage lockset repaired or rekeyed and wants a good working copy first, cut from the original while the original still turns cleanly. In the Marengo neighborhood and the Garfield Park area, the same logic applies to older houses with a single worn key shared by the whole household.

Around the Fair Oaks Avenue corridor and on Raymond Hill, apartments and condos are clustered. Here the usual request is a spare for a roommate, a family member, a dog walker or a cleaner. Condo lockouts on Raymond Hill are a familiar scenario, and a spare key kept with someone you trust is the simplest way to avoid one. Check your lease or HOA rules before copying, since some buildings control their keys.

In Altos de Monterey, the southwest hills hold 1960s mid-century homes, and people there often just want a few clean spares for a house that has lived through several owners. Near Mission Street and the Mission Station on the Metro A Line, shop owners come to us for office key duplication and commercial key duplication when they add staff or want a backup set for the opener and closer. If your business needs more than copies, our commercial locksmith service covers the rest.

Why have Wilshire Lock & Key copy your keys?

We are not a call center that passes your request to whoever is nearest. These are the plain differences.

• In business since 1987, and we serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
• A real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd, plus mobile vans, so you have somewhere to bring a key and someone who can come to you.
• One company from the first call to the finished key. There are no dispatch middlemen between you and the person doing the work.
• David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work, so questions about unusual or restricted keys get a straight answer from someone who knows the trade.
• Honest limits. If a key shouldn't be copied, or a copy won't solve your problem, we say so.

When is a copy not the right fix?

Duplication solves one problem: you need more working keys. It does not solve every key problem, and we would rather point you to the right job than cut a key that doesn't help.

If you have lost your keys, or you don't know who has copies after a tenant, contractor or ex-partner moved on, extra copies make things worse. The better fix is lock rekeying, which changes the lock so old keys no longer work. If keys keep sticking, even brand-new ones, the lock itself may be worn or dirty, and lock repair is the real answer. And if you are standing outside right now with no key, you need help getting in, not a copy; see our page on apartment lockouts.

One more point on trust. California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and you should ask any locksmith you hire for it, including us. A reasonable company will not mind the question.

More locksmith help in South Pasadena

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

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