What happens when you're locked out of your house?
A home lockout almost never arrives at a convenient moment. The door swings shut while you're carrying groceries, a key stays on the kitchen counter, a lock stops turning late at night, or you get home and the key simply won't go in. Whatever the cause, the situation is the same: you're outside, the house is locked, and you need a way in that doesn't leave you with a broken door.
Most house lockouts can be solved without drilling or breaking anything. Standard residential locks have well-understood weak points, and a trained technician with the right tools can usually open the door, leave the lock intact, and get you inside. The cases that take longer involve high-security hardware, a lock that's already damaged, or a door with several locks engaged. We'll tell you which one you're dealing with once we've looked at the door.
This page explains how our house lockout service works in West Covina, what changes the cost, and what to expect when a mobile locksmith pulls up to your address. If you'd rather talk to someone now, call (213) 577-1366. The line is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
What should you check before calling a locksmith?
A few quick checks can save you a service call, and they help us prepare if you do need one. None of this means forcing anything.
If a child, a pet, or someone who needs medical attention is inside, tell us immediately when you call. If it's a medical emergency, call 911 first.
- Try every entrance you legitimately have access to, such as a back door, a side gate, or a garage entry door. Don't climb in or break a window; a broken pane is usually a bigger repair than the lockout itself.
- Ask anyone who lives with you or holds a spare whether they can bring a key. A family member or neighbor nearby may be the simplest fix.
- Check whether the door is actually locked or just stuck. A door pressed hard against its frame can feel locked when the latch is simply jammed.
- Note what kind of lock you have: a knob, a lever handle, a deadbolt, a keypad or smart lock. Tell us when you call.
- Have photo ID, plus something that connects you to the address, ready to show. We'll ask for it before opening any door, and that protects you as much as anyone.
How do we get you back into your house without damaging the door?
Drilling a lock is a last resort. We only consider it when the lock is already damaged, jammed, or built to resist other methods. If it comes to that, we tell you before we start and explain what replacement involves, so you're never surprised halfway through.
- Call (213) 577-1366. Give us your West Covina address, the type of door and lock, and what happened. Mention anything unusual, like a key that broke off or a lock that had been acting up.
- We give you an honest arrival expectation. West Covina is a drive from our Westwood storefront, and freeway conditions change from hour to hour, so we tell you what we know rather than a promise we can't control.
- When we arrive, we confirm you live there or are authorized to be there. Photo ID and something tying you to the address is normal.
- We look at the door and lock before touching anything, then choose the least invasive method that suits the hardware, usually non-destructive entry or picking. We explain what we're doing as we go.
- We open the door and test the lock with your key, if you have one, to make sure it operates smoothly. If the lockout exposed a worn or damaged lock, we show you the problem and lay out your options with no pressure.
- If the key is lost rather than just left inside, we talk through whether changing what the lock responds to makes sense. That decision is yours.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What affects the cost of a house lockout?
We don't print numbers on a web page because the honest cost depends on what's happening at your door. What we can do is tell you what moves it up or down, so the quote you hear on the phone makes sense.
Simply opening a door that's locked is usually the more economical route compared with drilling and replacing hardware, which is one reason we try non-destructive methods first. Our practice is to talk through cost before work begins, and if something changes once we're at the door, we tell you before continuing.
- Time of day: nights, weekends, and holidays usually cost more than a weekday daytime call, because they mean pulling someone away from their rest.
- Distance and travel: the farther the drive, the more it factors in.
- Lock type: a basic knob or deadbolt is a different job from a high-security cylinder, a multi-point door lock, or a smart lock.
- Condition of the lock: a worn or corroded lock can resist opening and take longer.
- How many locks are engaged: a door with several deadbolts means more work.
- Anything beyond opening the door: rekeying, repairs, or new hardware are separate from the lockout itself, and you choose whether to add them.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a home lockout?
Wilshire Lock & Key has been in business since 1987. We're a real company with a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, plus mobile service vans, which means the parts, key machines, and tools behind a roadside job are in a shop you can visit.
We also aren't a call center that passes your address to whoever's nearest. We're one company from the phone call to the finished job, with David, the owner and lead technician, overseeing the work. We'd rather say plainly that West Covina is not next door to our storefront than promise a fast arrival we can't control.
- In business since 1987, serving 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
- A storefront and mobile vans, so you can reach a real location as well as a phone.
- One company, no dispatch middlemen between you and the technician.
- David's oversight on how jobs are handled.
- Phone answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round.
How can you tell a locksmith is legitimate?
California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, issued through the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. Ask any locksmith for that license information before they begin work. That applies to us too, and it's a fair question for anyone you're about to let into your home.
Other signs are practical. A reputable locksmith gives a company name when answering, asks for proof you belong at the address, explains how they plan to open the door, and discusses cost before starting. Be cautious about anyone who stays vague on cost, won't name the company, or announces right away that your lock has to be drilled out without looking at it first.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What do house lockouts look like in South Hills, Woodside Village, and the rest of West Covina?
West Covina is largely a city of tract ranch homes built in the 1950s through the 1970s, and that shapes lockout work. Houses of that age have often had original hardware swapped, added to, or worn down over several decades. A tired latch or a deadbolt that's been binding for years is frequently the real reason a key suddenly stops working, and it affects both how we open the door and what we suggest afterward.
House lockouts in the South Hills area are one of the situations we plan for. Hillside homes around South Hills Country Club can have more than one way in, such as a front door, a side entry, and a gate, so we start by asking which door you're actually locked out of. Summers in this part of the San Gabriel Valley run warm and dry, with occasional gusty conditions on the South Hills ridgelines, and sun-exposed hillside doors and gates weather faster than they do near the coast. Weathered hardware can leave a latch stiff or dragging, and a gust catching a door behind you is an easy way to end up outside.
Woodside Village, the 1960s-70s planned community in the southeast, is made up of HOA-managed townhomes and condos. A lockout there usually involves a front door or a patio door, and your HOA may have rules about exterior hardware, so check before changing anything visible from outside. We open the door without altering its look, and if a lost key caused the lockout, a lock rekey changes what the lock responds to without changing the hardware. If you rent in one of the condo and apartment complexes near the malls and the I-10 corridor, our apartment lockout page covers the added question of who holds the keys.
Near Galster Wilderness Park, hillside homes can depend on gates and side entries as much as the front door. If the gate lock is what's failing, gate lock repair is a separate job we can look at once you're back inside.
We cover ZIP codes 91790, 91791, and 91792, including the Shadow Oak Park, Galster Park, Cameron Park, Cortez Park, and Eastland areas and the Civic Center / Plaza district. West Covina is roughly 30 miles from our Westwood storefront, so when you call we tell you plainly what arrival is likely to look like, rather than promise something traffic can undo.
Should a lockout lead to a rekey, repair, or new lock?
Getting inside solves the immediate problem, but a lockout sometimes points to something worth fixing while we're already at the door. We mention it only when it applies, and the decision is always yours.
- A lost key, not just a locked door: if a key is missing, someone else may have it. Depending on the lock's age and condition, changing the locks or rekeying them closes that gap.
- A lock that was already failing: if it stuck, resisted the key, or felt loose before the lockout, repair or replacement is usually worth discussing.
- Keys left behind more than once: smart lock installation adds keypad or phone entry, though batteries and a backup way in still matter.
- A key snapped off in the lock: that's a different problem, handled through broken key extraction.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What if the lockout isn't at your house?
Different locks call for different tools and methods. If your keys are locked inside a vehicle, see our car lockout service. For a broader look at how our vans work in the field, see our mobile locksmith service in West Covina.
Frequently asked questions
How long until a locksmith can reach my West Covina home?
It depends on where our vans are, the time of day, and traffic. West Covina is roughly 30 miles from our Westwood storefront, so we won't promise a figure we can't control. Call (213) 577-1366 and we'll tell you what we know about arrival at that moment.
Will you damage my door or lock to get me in?
Our aim is to open the door without damage, and most standard house locks allow for that. Drilling is a last resort for damaged, jammed, or high-security locks, and we'd explain it to you before doing it.
Do I need to prove I live at the address?
Yes. We ask for photo ID and something that connects you to the home before opening a door. It can feel like an extra step when you're standing outside, but it keeps a stranger from talking their way into your house.
Can you open a deadbolt, not just a doorknob?
Usually, yes. Deadbolts are common on West Covina's older ranch homes and townhomes. A worn or high-security deadbolt may take longer, and a damaged one may call for different methods. We'll tell you what we see after looking at the door.
Is it more economical to call a locksmith or break a window?
Calling a locksmith is usually the more economical route. A broken window means glass repair, a security gap until it's fixed, and possible injury, while a non-destructive entry leaves the house intact. Cost still depends on the factors we described above.
Do I have to change my locks after a lockout?
Not if you were simply locked out and still have your keys. If a key is lost or stolen, rekeying or changing the lock is worth considering, because it makes the missing key useless. We'll lay out the options once you're inside and leave the choice to you.
I live in a Woodside Village townhome. Does the HOA matter?
It can. HOA-managed communities sometimes have rules about exterior hardware, so check before replacing anything visible from outside. For the lockout itself, we open the door without altering its exterior. For a lost key, rekeying changes the lock's response without changing its look.
Do you cover all of West Covina, including 91790, 91791, and 91792?
Yes. We serve all three ZIP codes and neighborhoods from South Hills to the Civic Center / Plaza district and the Eastland area. Call (213) 577-1366 any hour, any day of the year, and give us your address.
More locksmith help in West Covina
House Lockout near West Covina
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.