Why are Van Nuys businesses moving away from metal keys?
A key does one thing: it opens a door for whoever is holding it. It can't tell you who came in, it can't be switched off when an employee leaves, and it can't be limited to weekdays. Most small businesses live with that until something forces the issue. A former employee never returned a key. A supply room keeps losing inventory. A front office wants to let one vendor in early without handing over a master key.
Access control replaces the shared metal key with a credential, which can be a code, a card, a fob, or on some systems a phone-based credential, plus an electric lock that the credential releases. Each person can have their own credential, and removing one person doesn't affect anyone else. That is the whole idea behind credential-based entry. Everything else is choosing the right hardware for each door.
We install keypad access control, card access systems, key fob access control, electric strikes, and magnetic locks for offices, shops, and warehouses. We also repair and upgrade systems that someone else put in. If your real problem today is that you can't get into your own building, that is a different job, and our business lockout service covers it.
Which access control hardware fits which door?
There is no single best system. The right answer depends on the door, the frame, who uses it, and what happens if the power fails. These are the building blocks we work with, and what each one is actually good for.
- Keypad access control: a code entered at the door. It is the simplest form of keyless entry for business use and works well for a back door or a small team. The weakness is that codes get shared, so it tells you less about who used the door than a card does. Many keypads can hold individual codes, which helps.
- Card access system or key fob access control: each person carries a card or fob that a reader at the door recognizes. This is the usual choice when you want to know who came in, when staff turns over, or when you have several doors. A lost card is cancelled in the system without touching anyone else's.
- Electric strike: this replaces the strike plate in the door frame. The latch on the door stays in place, and the strike releases when a valid credential is presented. It is a clean, quiet option on solid wood or metal doors with a sound frame. Strike installation means cutting the frame, so the frame has to be in good shape.
- Magnetic lock: an electromagnet on the frame and a metal plate on the door. It holds while powered and lets go when power is cut. That makes it useful on glass and aluminum storefront doors where a strike can't be mounted, but it also means it needs a proper exit release and careful planning for power loss.
- Electrified exit hardware: on doors that serve as exits, the lock and the exit device often need to work together. We cover the hardware side of that in our panic bar installation work.
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Call (213) 577-1366How does an access control installation work, step by step?
Whether it is one door or a whole suite, the process follows the same order. Skipping the early steps is how systems end up with doors that buzz but don't open, or credentials nobody can manage.
- Walk the doors. We look at every door you want controlled: the door material, the frame, the existing lock, which way it swings, and where power could come from.
- Learn who uses each door. A front entrance used by the public, a back door used by five employees, and a server room used by two people each need something different.
- Choose the lock and the credential for each door. This is where we decide between a strike and a maglock, and between a keypad and a card reader, door by door instead of one solution for everything.
- Check the door and frame. An electric lock can't make up for a door that sags or a latch that doesn't line up. If hardware needs adjusting or replacing first, we tell you before we start.
- Plan the power and the wiring. Electric locks need a power supply, and the readers need a connection back to a controller. We plan where the wire runs and what happens when the power goes out.
- Install and wire the hardware. Frame preparation, lock mounting, reader mounting, controller, power supply, and an exit method so people can always leave.
- Program credentials and schedules. We set up each person's code, card, or fob and any time restrictions, such as staff access only during working hours.
- Test everything, including power loss and exit. We confirm the door locks, releases, and relocks correctly and that leaving the building works the way it should.
- Show you how to manage it. You should be able to add and remove people without calling us every time. We walk you through it before we leave.
What affects the cost of an access control system?
We don't quote prices on a web page because two doors that look alike can be completely different jobs. Here is what actually moves the cost, so you can judge a quote from us or from anyone else.
The usually more economical route is often the simplest one that actually fits your needs. A single keypad on one interior door is a different project from a card system on four doors with schedules, but the second might be exactly what you need. We would rather match the system to your need than sell more than you'll use.
- Number of doors. Each door needs its own lock, reader, and wiring, and multi-door access control also needs a controller to tie them together.
- Door and frame type. Solid wood and hollow metal are straightforward. Glass storefront doors and older frames can take more work.
- Lock type. Strikes, maglocks, and electrified exit hardware differ in hardware cost and in installation effort.
- Credential type. Codes need no cards to buy. Cards and fobs have to be supplied for each person, and the number of people matters.
- Wiring distance and difficulty. A reader a few feet from the controller is very different from one at the far end of a building with finished walls.
- Power and backup. Battery backup and the type of power supply add to the job but matter if the door has to behave a certain way in an outage.
- Software and management. A stand-alone keypad is managed at the door. A networked system that tracks entries is managed on a computer, and the setup takes more time.
- Condition of existing hardware. If the door, closer, or latch needs repair before the electric lock goes in, that work is part of the total.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Can you repair or upgrade the access control I already have?
Yes. A lot of our access control repair work is on systems that were installed years ago, often by someone who is no longer around. Before replacing anything, we try to find out what is actually failing, because the problem is often smaller than it looks.
Common problems include a card reader that stops recognizing credentials, an electric strike that clicks but won't release, a maglock that doesn't hold the door firmly, a power supply that has started to fail, and a door that no longer latches because the closer is out of adjustment. That last one is a door hardware issue rather than an electronics issue, and our door closer repair service handles it. Strike problems are often alignment problems, since a door that has shifted a little can leave the latch unable to move freely in the strike opening.
An access control upgrade usually means one of a few things: moving from a shared keypad code to individual cards, adding a second or third door to a system that started with one, or replacing a system nobody can manage anymore. Some parts of an older system can often stay, and some can't. We tell you plainly which is which, and when a component is too old or too limited to keep, we say so instead of patching it over. If your door hardware overall is tired, our commercial door hardware page covers that side of the work.
What does access control look like around Van Nuys?
Van Nuys has a wide mix of commercial settings, and the right system looks different in each one.
Along the Van Nuys Boulevard corridor, small businesses often have a street-facing glass or aluminum storefront door and a separate back or office door. The front usually stays on a standard key during business hours, while the back door and any stockroom are better candidates for a keypad or card reader. If a storefront door is the weak point, a storefront lock repair job may come before any electronics. In the Raymer Street industrial district near Van Nuys Airport, the picture changes. Warehouses and shops there tend to have multiple doors, shared access among several employees, and a real need to know who came and went, so card access or key fob access control across more than one door makes sense.
Offices around the Van Nuys Civic Center face a different question. A suite with many staff members and a few restricted rooms, such as records, IT, or a manager's office, is a good fit for credential-based entry with different access levels. Our local scenario there usually starts with keying: an office that has accumulated years of copied keys and cannot say who has what is the classic reason to move to a card system. Our master key system page explains when a well-organized key system is enough, and when access control is the better step.
Many of the buildings in the area are older, and the 1940s-50s construction and 1960s-80s garden apartments and dingbat-style multifamily buildings along Sepulveda, Kester, and Victory often keep original knob-and-deadbolt hardware. Managers of those properties sometimes ask about keyless entry for common doors such as laundry rooms, mailrooms, or gates. We can talk through that, and our locksmith for landlords page covers the rental-property side.
One local detail matters for installation. Interior San Fernando Valley summers run hotter than the Westside, and heat can swell wood doors and frames so latches bind. Electric strikes are sensitive to that, because a latch that is slightly tight in a hot August can fail to release a strike cleanly. We check door fit and alignment with that in mind, and we don't set a strike so tight that a swollen door can't move. Corrosion is a smaller concern this far from the coast, so exterior readers in Van Nuys are not usually a worry on that front.
We serve all of Van Nuys, including ZIP codes 91401, 91405, 91406, and 91411. Our storefront is at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, about 12 miles away, and our mobile vans come to you.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What about fire exits and licensing?
This is the part people overlook, and it is the part that matters most. A door that locks people in is a safety problem, and a magnetic lock on an exit door has to release reliably. Depending on the door and the building, that can mean a request-to-exit device, a release tied to the fire alarm, or exit hardware that works regardless of the electronics. Local fire and building officials set the rules for specific buildings, so for a door in a place of business we plan the exit method as part of the job, not as an afterthought.
We also think you should know how to vet anyone who does this work. California requires locksmith companies to hold a license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS), known as an LCO license. Ask any locksmith for it, including us, and check it with the state. If someone won't give you a license number, that tells you what you need to know.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for access control?
We have been in business since 1987, so we have seen what happens to access control systems five and ten years later: who maintains them, where they fail, and which shortcuts come back as service calls. That is built into how we plan a job.
We have a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd and mobile service vans, so we can bring the right parts and tools to your door instead of guessing from a phone call. It is one company from the first call to the finished install, with no dispatch middleman passing your job to someone you never spoke to. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work.
The phone at (213) 577-1366 is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year. That matters for access control more than most services, because the problems tend to arrive at the worst time: a reader dead on a Friday night, or a door that won't secure the building. Call, tell us what the door is doing, and we will tell you plainly what we think the fix is.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a keypad and a card access system?
A keypad uses a code that anyone who knows it can enter. A card access system uses a physical card or fob assigned to each person. Cards are generally better when you want to know who used a door or need to cancel one person's access without affecting everyone else. Keypads are simpler and suit a small team or a single door.
Should I use an electric strike or a magnetic lock?
It depends on the door. Electric strikes suit solid doors with a sound frame and keep the existing latch. Magnetic locks suit glass and aluminum doors where a strike can't be mounted, but they release when power is lost, so they need a dependable exit method. We look at the actual door and make that call, and we will tell you if we think one is wrong for your situation.
What happens to the door if the power goes out?
That depends on how the lock is set up. A magnetic lock releases when it loses power. A strike can be set up to stay locked or to unlock in an outage. Whichever you choose, people must always be able to leave the building. We decide how each door should behave during an outage as part of planning, and we can discuss battery backup for doors that need to keep working.
Can you add access control to a door I already have?
Usually yes. We check the door, the frame, and the existing hardware first. Many doors can take a strike or a maglock with the right preparation. If the door or frame is damaged or badly out of alignment, we will say so, since repair may come before any electronics.
How do I remove a former employee's access?
With a card or fob system, you cancel that person's credential in the system and everyone else keeps working. With a shared keypad code, you change the code and tell everyone else the new one, which is the main weakness of a shared code. When we hand over the system, we show you how to add and remove credentials.
Do you repair access control systems other companies installed?
Yes. We look at what is failing before recommending anything, because the problem is often a power supply, an alignment issue, or a reader that needs attention instead of a whole new system. If a part is too old or limited to keep, we will tell you honestly and explain your options.
How long does an installation take?
A simple job on one door is often finished in a single visit. Multi-door access control takes more planning and more time, particularly when wiring has to be run through finished walls. We can give you a realistic idea after seeing the doors.
Can you help if my access control stops working after hours?
Call (213) 577-1366. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If it is a door that won't secure your building or won't let people in, describe what it is doing and we will tell you how we would handle it.
How do I know the locksmith is properly licensed?
California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license. Ask any locksmith for the license number and verify it with the state before work begins. That applies to us as well, and you should expect a straight answer from any company you hire.
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Access Control Installation near Van Nuys
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.