Change Locks in West Hills, CA: Rekey or Replace

Why do West Hills homeowners change their locks?

A lock change is a job most people put off until something nudges them, and in West Hills the nudge is usually a closing date. You get the keys to a single-story ranch house and have no idea how many other copies exist. The previous owners have them. So might their relatives, a neighbor who watered the plants, a contractor, a house cleaner, or an agent who once used a lockbox. Changing the locks makes every one of those old keys useless, and that is the whole point.

It is not only buyers who call. These are the situations we hear about most:

• You just bought a house and want a clean start with keys only you control.
• You are moving in after a rental, a family change, or a roommate leaving, and you cannot be sure who still has a key.
• A key was lost or stolen, especially one that was on a ring with something that shows your address.
• The existing hardware is worn, sticking, loose in the door, or a patchwork of different brands from years of repairs.
• You want every door on one key instead of a drawer full of different ones.
• You are upgrading to a smart lock or a sturdier deadbolt, and the old hardware has to come off anyway.

Rekey or replace locks: how do you decide?

Rekeying means we take the existing lock cylinder apart, change the internal pins to match a new key, and put it back. The lock stays on your door, it looks the same, and every old key stops working. Replacing means the lock comes off and new hardware goes on. For the question of old keys, both get you to the same place. The difference is what happens to the hardware.

When the hardware is in decent shape, rekeying is usually the more economical route, and for a lot of homes it is simply the right answer. Our lock rekeying page explains the process in more detail, and our lock replacement page covers when new hardware is the better call. Here is how we think about it standing at your door:

• Rekey if the locks turn smoothly, the finish is intact, the hardware is something we can pin properly, and you just want new keys.
• Rekey if you like what is on the door and want to keep matching sets on the front, back, and garage entry.
• Replace if the lock is loose, corroded, or worn to the point that the key drags or the latch does not retract cleanly.
• Replace if parts for an old or discontinued lock are not practical to source.
• Replace if you want a different finish, a stronger deadbolt, or an electronic lock.
• Replace if a previous break-in attempt or a broken key has already damaged the lock.

How do we change locks at your house?

This is the sequence for a typical home lock change, start to finish. Most single-home jobs can be handled in one visit, though a door that needs extra work, such as a strike plate that has to be repositioned, takes longer. If your door needs something unusual, we tell you before we begin rather than halfway through.

1. You call (213) 577-1366 and tell us which doors are involved: front, back, garage entry, sliding doors, side gates. If you know the brand, or can send a photo of the lock, that helps.
2. We talk through rekey versus replace based on what you describe. That is a starting direction. The final call is made when we see the hardware.
3. A van comes to your address. Because we are changing who can get into a home, we may ask for something that shows you live there or own it, such as ID with the address or closing paperwork. Renters may need the landlord's permission.
4. We inspect each lock: the cylinder, the latch, the strike plate, and how the door sits in its frame.
5. We rekey or replace each lock as agreed and cut the new keys. If you want every door on one key, we set that up wherever the hardware allows it.
6. We test every lock from both sides, with the door open and closed, and check that each deadbolt throws fully into the strike.
7. We hand over the keys, label which is which, and explain what to do with the old ones. You approve the work before we pack up.

What affects the cost of changing locks?

We do not post prices on a web page, because the phrase change my locks covers very different jobs. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the total, so a quote over the phone makes sense.

When you call, we go through these points, tell you what the job involves and what it will cost before work starts, and stop to explain if the door turns out to be different from what we expected. You should always be able to say yes or no before anything changes the bill.

• Rekey or replace: rekeying is often the lighter-cost option per lock, while replacement adds the cost of the new hardware itself.
• Number of cylinders: front door, back door, garage entry door, slider, and any separate deadbolts all count.
• Hardware grade: basic builder-grade sets, mid-range locks, and high-security cylinders sit in very different places.
• Keyed alike: putting every lock on one key takes extra pinning work and is limited by some hardware.
• Extra keys: more copies means more cutting.
• Door condition: a door that has swollen, sagged, or been drilled for earlier hardware may need correction beyond the lock itself.
• Electronic features: smart locks involve different hardware and more setup.
• Time of day and distance: after-hours calls and travel affect the total, as with any mobile service.

What does a locksmith for a new house actually change first?

If you are looking for a locksmith for a new house, aim to get the locks changed before your first night, or as close to it as you can. Keys are least accounted for in the days around closing, and it is easier to handle before the boxes are open. This is the checklist we walk through with new owners:

• The front door and any deadbolt.
• The back door and any patio or sliding door with its own keyed lock.
• The garage entry door, the one between the garage and the house, which people often forget.
• Side-gate locks and any padlocks on sheds or storage.
• Any keypad or smart lock, where previous codes can still be saved and need to be cleared and reset.
• The garage door opener, which is a separate system from your locks; reset its code following the manufacturer's instructions.

What about extra keys and getting back into your home?

Once the locks are done, decide who needs a key and have copies cut at the same visit, or see our key duplication service. Keep one spare with someone you trust, not under a flowerpot.

If you move in and find the keys you were given do not work, or you are locked out on moving day, we can get you inside first and change the locks while we are there. Our house lockout page explains how that works.

What does changing locks look like in West Hills?

West Hills is almost entirely residential, built out mainly with 1950s through 1970s single-story ranch tracts on suburban streets. There is comparatively little multifamily housing, so the work is detached-home hardware: front-door deadbolts, back doors, garage entry doors, and side-gate locks, in ZIP codes 91307 and 91304 alike.

In the 1960s ranch tracts off Valley Circle Boulevard, rekeying original hardware is a common scenario. If a house still carries its original locks, they have had decades of use, so we look hard at whether they are worth rekeying or better replaced. Around the Platt Village area and the Fallbrook Center area, near the shopping, the scenario we plan for is a lockout, which is a different job but sometimes becomes a lock change once the door is open.

Lots grow larger and more private toward Valley Circle Boulevard and the hillside edge near Castle Peak. A bigger lot usually means more locks to think about: side gates, a garage entry door, maybe a rear gate. When we change locks on a larger-lot property, we walk the perimeter with you. If a gate latch turns out to be the weak point, gate lock repair is the next step.

For hillside homes near El Escorpion Park, a lock change is often the moment to add a better deadbolt or an electronic lock. Have a look at smart lock installation and deadbolt installation if that is on your mind. Whether the house is in the Shadow Ranch Park area, the Knapp Ranch Park area, or the Orcutt Ranch area, the process stays the same.

Does West Hills heat affect your locks?

Summers run hot in this far-west corner of the Valley, and homes along the western hillside edge face sun and wind exposure off the open space. The main seasonal effect on locks is heat-driven expansion of wood doors, especially on south- or west-facing entries. A door that swells slightly can rub the frame, and a deadbolt that slid easily in spring starts to bind or needs a push to throw.

That matters for a lock change because new hardware cannot fix a door that is out of alignment. Before we rekey or install, we check whether the bolt lines up with the strike plate and whether the latch catches cleanly. If the door is the problem, we say so. Often a small adjustment to the strike plate or hinges solves it. Without that check, you could blame a brand-new lock for something the door was doing all along.

If your deadbolt is only hard to turn on hot afternoons, mention it when you call. It changes what we look at.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a lock change?

Here is what we can honestly tell you about who shows up:

• We have been in business since 1987, and that history includes a lot of older hardware.
• We run a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood plus mobile vans. West Hills is about 23 miles from the storefront, which is why the vans come to you.
• We are one company. The call comes to us and the work is done by us, not passed to a third-party dispatcher.
• David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work.
• The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round, and we serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

What should you ask any locksmith before they start?

California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license. Ask any locksmith who comes to your door for it before work begins, and check it with the state. Also ask what the job will cost before the first tool comes out, and be careful with anyone who will not explain why a lock must be drilled or replaced when rekeying might do. A good locksmith welcomes those questions.

More locksmith help in West Hills

• Deadbolt Installation in West Hills
• Gate Lock Repair in West Hills
• High Security Locks in West Hills
• Key Duplication in West Hills
• Lock Installation in West Hills
• Lock Rekey in West Hills
• All services in West Hills

Change Locks near West Hills

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