What should you do first when you're locked out of your house?
Stop pulling on the door. Most house lockouts are simple: the key is on the kitchen counter, the door latched behind you while you carried groceries, or a key went missing somewhere between the car and the porch. The lock is usually fine. The worst thing you can do is force it, because a bent latch or a split door jamb turns a short job into a repair job.
Take a minute to check the easy things, then call (213) 577-1366. Somebody answers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so it makes no difference whether you're standing outside at noon or at three in the morning. Describe what you see and we'll tell you honestly what the job looks like before anyone drives out.
- Check whether a back door, side gate, or sliding door on your own property was left unlocked. Do not climb through windows or break glass; a window costs far more to fix than a lock costs to open.
- Look through your bag, pockets, and car for a spare key before you call.
- Ask whether anyone else in the household, or a landlord or property manager, can reach you with a key.
- Notice what you're dealing with: a knob lock, a deadbolt, both, a keypad, or a smart lock. It helps us bring the right tools.
- Have something ready that shows you live there, such as a license, a piece of mail, or a lease.
How does a mobile locksmith handle a house lockout, step by step?
A house lockout is not complicated work, but it goes better when it's done in a set order. Here is how we run one, from the phone call to the moment your key turns again. If you want to know more about how our vans work in general, our page on mobile locksmith service in Van Nuys covers it.
- You call (213) 577-1366 and tell us the address, the type of door, and what kind of lock you have. We ask whether anyone or any pet is inside, and whether the door is deadbolted or only latched.
- We give you an arrival estimate and talk through what affects the cost, so there are no surprises on the doorstep.
- The technician arrives in a company van from a storefront-based company. You will deal with the same company that answered the phone, not a third party who took the call and passed it along.
- We confirm you live there or are authorized to be there. This protects you. A locksmith who opens any door for anyone who asks is a risk to every homeowner in the neighborhood.
- We look at the door, the lock, and the frame before touching anything, and we choose the least invasive way in.
- We open the door, check that the lock still works properly, and test it with your key if you have one.
- Before we leave, we go over your options for spare keys, rekeying, or repair if something turned up, and you decide what, if anything, to do.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366How do locksmiths open a locked house door without damaging it?
The method depends on the lock, and we pick it after looking at the door. A spring latch on a basic knob or lever set can often be slipped open with a thin bypass tool, as long as the deadbolt isn't thrown. When the deadbolt is locked, we work the lock itself with picking tools, which opens a standard pin-tumbler cylinder with no marks on the door and no need for a new lock.
Some doors are more stubborn. A high-security cylinder, a lock that has been tampered with, or a mechanism that is already broken inside can take more time, and occasionally the honest answer is that the lock has to be drilled. Drilling is a last resort, not a first move, and we will tell you before we do it and explain what it means for replacing the lock. In most cases, opening the lock without damage is also the more economical route, since you keep the hardware you already have.
If the latch is not working because it's worn, misaligned, or damaged, the lockout may point to a bigger problem than a missing key. We can open the door and then look at lock repair so you aren't locked out again next week. And if the real trouble is a key snapped off inside the cylinder, that's a different job, covered under broken key extraction.
What affects the cost of a house lockout in Van Nuys?
We don't quote numbers on a web page because the price depends on the situation, and a number printed here would be wrong for half the people reading it. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the cost, so you can compare any locksmith fairly.
Ask for a clear quote on the phone and again at the door before work begins. A reasonable locksmith will explain the parts of the price instead of dodging the question.
- Time of day. Nights, weekends, and holidays take a technician away from other plans, and that is reflected in the price.
- Distance. Van Nuys is roughly 12 miles from our Westwood storefront, and travel is part of any mobile job.
- The lock. A standard knob or deadbolt is usually quicker than a high-security cylinder or a multi-point lock.
- The door and frame. A swollen, warped, or poorly hung door can make a simple lockout take longer.
- Whether the lock can be opened intact. Opening the lock without damage is usually the more economical route than drilling it out and installing a new one.
- Extras you choose. New keys, rekeying, or replacement hardware are separate from the lockout itself, and you can decline them.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What's different about a house lockout in Van Nuys?
Van Nuys has a mix of housing, and the type of home affects the lockout. Across the flats in 91401, 91405, 91406, and 91411, postwar 1940s and 1950s bungalow and ranch tracts dominate. Many of those homes have had their front door lock replaced at some point, but plenty of older hardware is still around, including the original knob-and-deadbolt pairs. These are generally friendly to non-destructive opening, though age can mean worn parts and sticky latches.
Summer heat matters here more than people expect. The interior San Fernando Valley runs well above Westside temperatures, and heat can swell wood doors and frames until the latch binds against the strike plate. A door that locked fine in March can feel stuck by August. Sometimes what looks like a lockout is a door swollen tight in its frame, and we can tell the difference when we arrive. The good news is that the coastal corrosion that eats locks near the ocean is not much of a problem this far inland.
Security screen doors are a common sight on denser blocks near the Van Nuys Civic Center. A locked screen door in front of a locked main door doubles the work, and we handle both without bending the screen frame. Along the Van Nuys Boulevard, Victory Boulevard, and Sherman Way corridors, houses sit between apartment buildings and small businesses, and a lockout call can come from a single-family home on a side street just as easily as from a unit on the main road.
If you live in a multifamily building rather than a house, such as the garden apartments around the Sepulveda Boulevard corridor, your situation has its own details, including shared entries and landlord keys. That's covered on our apartment lockout page for Van Nuys. This page is for single-family homes, bungalows, duplexes with their own entry, and similar houses.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a house lockout?
We have been in business since 1987, working out of a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood with mobile service vans on the road. You can call the number on this page, and the company that answers is the company that shows up. We don't route calls to a dispatch center that sells your job to whoever is nearest.
David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. That matters on lockouts, because the difference between a clean entry and a scratched, gouged door usually comes down to patience and judgment, not the tools themselves. We serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, so we are used to arriving at unfamiliar doors and reading them quickly.
Our line, (213) 577-1366, is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round. If the lockout turns into something broader, for example if you're also locked out of your car, we can talk through car lockout service in the same call.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366How do you know a locksmith is legitimate?
Locksmith scams are real, and a lockout makes people easy targets because they're stressed and standing in the street. California requires locksmith companies to hold a Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) locksmith company license, known as an LCO license. Ask any locksmith you call for that license number, and check it with the state if you want to be sure.
Some other warning signs are worth knowing about before you dial:
- The person on the phone won't give a company name, or answers with a generic phrase like 'locksmith service.'
- The quote on the phone changes dramatically once the technician arrives.
- The technician wants to drill the lock immediately without trying to open it first.
- There's no real business address you can look up.
- They won't ask for any proof that you live at the address.
What should you do after you're back inside?
Getting in is the urgent part. What you do next depends on how you got locked out. If the key is simply on the counter inside, you may need nothing more. If you can't account for where a key went, the safer move is to change who can open the door. Rekeying your locks makes the old keys useless while keeping your existing hardware, and it's usually quicker and more economical than swapping the whole set. If you want different or upgraded hardware, that's a lock change.
Whatever you decide, don't leave with a single key again. Have a spare made and keep it somewhere sensible, with a trusted neighbor or relative, not under the doormat. We can cut copies on site or at the shop; see our key duplication service for how that works. A spare made now is a lot cheaper than another late-night call.
Frequently asked questions
How fast can you get to my house in Van Nuys?
We answer the phone 24 hours a day and give you an arrival estimate when you call. It depends on traffic, the time of day, and where our nearest van is. Van Nuys is about 12 miles from our Westwood storefront, and we won't promise a time we can't keep.
Will you have to break or drill my lock?
Usually not. Most house locks can be opened by slipping the latch or picking the cylinder, which leaves the lock and door intact. Drilling is a last resort for damaged or unusually secure locks, and we tell you first if it comes to that.
Do I need to show ID or proof that I live there?
Yes, and any honest locksmith will ask. A driver's license, a piece of mail, or a lease with the address is usually enough. It protects you and your neighbors from someone talking a technician into opening a door that isn't theirs.
Can you open my door if the deadbolt is locked and the key is inside?
In most cases, yes. A thrown deadbolt means the latch trick won't work, so we pick the lock itself. High-security cylinders can take longer or need a different approach, and we'll be honest about that when we see the lock.
My wood door seems stuck in the frame during a heat wave. Is that a lockout?
It might be something else. Valley heat can swell wood doors and frames until the latch binds, and the door feels locked when the lock isn't actually the problem. We check this on arrival and can open the door and look at any adjustment or repair that's needed.
I rent my house. Should I call my landlord or a locksmith?
Check your lease, since some require you to notify the landlord before changing or rekeying locks. For a plain lockout, you can call us directly. If the landlord has a key and can bring it quickly, that may be the easiest route, but you don't have to wait on them.
What if my child or a pet is locked inside?
If anyone is in danger, such as a young child alone, someone ill, or an animal in extreme heat, call 911 first. Then call us. Tell us the situation right away so we can handle the call as an emergency.
Can you help if my keypad or smart lock stopped working?
Often, yes. A dead battery or a glitch can lock you out even when you know the code. Tell us the brand and model when you call, and we'll say whether we can open it or whether the mechanical backup is the better route.
Will my old keys still work after you open the door?
If we opened the lock without changing it, your keys will still work, and so will any lost ones. If a key is missing and you're worried about who has it, rekeying the lock makes the old keys stop working, and we can do that the same visit if you ask.
More locksmith help in Van Nuys
House Lockout near Van Nuys
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.