What counts as a high security lock?
The term gets used loosely, so here is how we use it. A high security lock is a cylinder, and usually the deadbolt body around it, built to resist the usual ways a standard lock gets beaten: picking, bumping, drilling, and unauthorized key copying. A basic builder-grade deadbolt relies on a simple set of pin stacks and a key that anyone can duplicate at a kiosk. A high security cylinder adds hardened parts, tighter tolerances, extra locking elements, and a restricted keyway.
Three features do most of the work. Security pins, such as spool and serrated pins, make picking far harder and slower. Bump-resistant designs use modified pins, a side bar, or a second locking mechanism so that a bump key can't set the pins the way it can in a standard lock. A restricted key blank is controlled by the manufacturer, so a copy needs authorization, usually a key card or ID tied to the original owner. Put together, that is what people mean when they search for pick-resistant locks, bump-resistant locks, or a high security lock installation.
Here is what a high security lock does not do: it does not turn a weak door into a strong one. A top-tier cylinder sitting in a hollow door with a short strike plate and a worn frame will still lose to a hard kick. We will tell you that on the visit rather than sell you a cylinder the door can't support. Sometimes the honest recommendation is a smaller lock upgrade plus reinforcement at the frame.
Why do Westlake Village homes and offices ask for high security locks?
Westlake Village was master-planned from the late 1960s around its man-made lake, and most of the city's housing is single-family tracts from the 1960s through the 1980s. Homes that age have often had their locks replaced once or twice, and just as often those replacements were whatever the builder, a previous owner, or a quick hardware-store purchase put in. The keys for those locks have usually been copied freely over the years, and nobody can say how many are out there.
That is the situation behind most of the calls we get for this service. People move into a house and don't know who holds keys. A contractor, a former tenant, a roommate, or a house sitter has had a key and never returned it. Someone hears about a break-in in the area and wants to stop worrying about it. Or an office manager wants to know that the only people who can cut a key to the suite are the people the company approves.
High security locks answer a specific question: who controls the keys, and how hard is it to get through the cylinder without one? If your concern is mostly the first part, a restricted key system is the real fix. If it's mostly the second, pick-resistant and bump-resistant construction matters more. Most customers want both, and the better cylinders deliver both.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366How do we install high security locks, step by step?
A planned upgrade and an after-hours emergency follow the same path; the emergency just compresses it. If a door has been forced or you are locked out right now, our emergency locksmith service in Westlake Village comes first, and the security upgrade can follow as soon as the door is safe.
- You call (213) 577-1366 and describe the door: wood, metal, or glass; what lock is on it now; and what worries you. We answer around the clock, so a planned upgrade doesn't have to wait for business hours.
- We look at the door, not just the lock. That means thickness, the bore holes, the strike plate, the frame, and the hinges, because the cylinder is only as good as what holds it.
- We recommend a cylinder type and a level of key control, and explain the tradeoffs in plain language before any work starts, including anything the door itself needs.
- We install or replace the hardware: a new cylinder, or a complete deadbolt where the old body is worn or incompatible. Where it helps, we reinforce the strike with longer screws that reach the framing.
- We cut and test the keys, explain how the restricted-key authorization works, and tell you exactly how to order additional keys later.
- We test the lock with the door open and closed, in both directions, and hand over the keys and any key card that comes with the system.
Which type of high security lock fits your door?
There is no single best product, because doors, budgets, and worries differ. These are the main categories we work with and when each makes sense.
- Pick-resistant cylinders: security pins and tighter machining slow down a pick. A good fit when your keys are already well controlled and your main concern is someone defeating the lock without a key.
- Bump-resistant cylinders: built so a bump key doesn't open them. Worth asking about for any older tract home still running a standard pin cylinder.
- Restricted-keyway systems: the key blank itself is controlled, so a copy needs authorization. These work well for rentals, offices, and anyone who has lost track of how many keys exist. Ordinary key duplication doesn't work on them, which is exactly the point.
- Full high security deadbolts: hardened bolts, anti-drill protection, and reinforced bodies. If your door has no deadbolt at all, we start with proper deadbolt installation and choose the grade there.
- Upgrading what you have: if your current deadbolt is solid and the real concern is who holds keys, lock rekeying is often the more economical route. If the hardware is worn, loose, or simply weak, lock replacement with a high security unit makes more sense.
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 high security lock installation in Westlake Village?
We don't quote numbers on a web page because the range between a single cylinder swap and a full multi-door system is wide, and any figure we printed would be wrong for most people. Here is what actually moves the cost, so you can judge a quote from anyone, including us.
We explain the cost before we start work, based on what we find at the door. If a lighter-cost option does the job, we say so.
- The cylinder and its key control level: a pick-resistant cylinder on a standard keyway costs differently than a patent-protected restricted system with authorization cards.
- How many locks: one front door is simple, while a house with several entries or an office with many doors adds up, especially if you want them keyed alike.
- The door and frame: a solid door in good shape needs only the lock. A door that needs boring, a new strike, or frame reinforcement takes more time and materials.
- The existing hardware: whether the old deadbolt body can take a new cylinder or has to be replaced entirely.
- Finish and style: matching existing hardware, or meeting HOA expectations about exterior appearance, can limit which products we use.
- Commercial requirements: business doors may need specific grades, function types, or compatibility with a master key system.
- Timing and travel: an urgent after-hours visit costs more to staff than a scheduled one, and we come out to Westlake Village from our Westwood storefront, about 32 miles away.
What is the difference between home security locks and commercial security locks?
The technology overlaps, but the priorities differ. For a house, the cylinder and deadbolt are the focus, along with the reinforcement around them. The family needs a few keys, a clear way to order more, and hardware that looks right on the front door.
A business has more doors, more people, and a harder key-control problem. Commercial security locks are chosen for durability under heavy daily use, for function types such as storeroom or office, and for how they fit into a larger system. The central question is who can open what. A master key system lets the owner or manager open every door while individual staff carry keys that open only their areas, and pairing that with a restricted keyway means a lost staff key can't simply be copied and passed around.
If you're setting up a whole building, doors, closers, and panic hardware all interact with the locks. Our commercial locksmith service covers that wider job, and this page stays focused on the cylinders and key control that protect the opening.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Where do high security locks matter around Westlake Village?
Take First Neighborhood and Foxmoor Hills. Original 1960s and 70s door hardware survives in a lot of those homes. Parts that old tend to be worn, loose in the door, and keyed to a pattern that has been copied for decades. Replacing them with a high security deadbolt and restricted keys is a clean way to start over on key control, and it's one of the most common upgrade scenarios in the area.
Westlake Island is different. Lakefront homes sit behind a gated bridge entrance, which controls who drives onto the island. It does nothing about a copied key sitting in a drawer somewhere, or a lock that can be bumped quietly at a back door. For island homes we usually look at the lakeside doors as carefully as the front. Trentwood and the other tract neighborhoods inside ZIP code 91361 share the same logic: the lock on the door is what you control, whatever the neighborhood does around it.
On the commercial side, the business parks along Lindero Canyon Road have office and medical suites where key control matters for reasons beyond theft: who can reach supply rooms, records areas, or after-hours access. A restricted keyway plus a clear key authorization list gives an office manager something to point to.
Local conditions affect the install too. Summers are warm and dry, with Santa Ana wind events, and sun exposure is hard on exterior finishes. Modest seasonal movement in wood doors can make a bolt bind or rub. We check door fit before fitting a precision cylinder, because a bolt that fights the strike will wear out any lock early. Many of the city's tracts are under HOAs, so check your association's rules on exterior hardware finish before we order.
The Westlake community straddles the Los Angeles–Ventura county line, so some neighborhoods people think of as Westlake Village, like North Ranch, sit on the Thousand Oaks side, and Lake Sherwood is unincorporated Ventura County. We serve both counties, and the work is the same either way.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for high security locks?
We have been in business since 1987. That's long enough to have seen which security claims hold up on real doors and which are packaging. We run a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood plus mobile service vans, so the person who answers your call is part of the same company that sends the technician. There is no dispatch middleman reselling your call to whoever is closest.
David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. For high security installs that matters, because the details, such as how the strike is reinforced, how keys are authorized, and how the door is tested, decide whether the upgrade does anything. Our phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round, at (213) 577-1366.
You can read more about how we cover the area on our Westlake Village locksmith page, and we serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, so a property on either side of the county line gets the same service.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What should you ask any locksmith before they install high security locks?
Ask for the license. California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, which is issued through the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. You are entitled to ask any locksmith for it, us included, and a company that dodges the question is telling you something.
Then ask practical questions. What exactly will be installed, and who makes it? How are extra keys ordered, and who can authorize them? Does the door or frame need work for the lock to matter? Will the quote change once they see the door, and if so, why? A good answer is specific. A vague answer about military-grade security is a sign to keep looking.
If you're unsure which direction to go, call (213) 577-1366 and describe the door. We'd rather talk it through honestly than sell a product that doesn't fit.
Frequently asked questions
Are high security locks really pick-proof?
No lock is pick-proof, and anyone who says so is overselling. Pick-resistant locks use security pins and tighter tolerances so picking takes much more skill, time, and specialized tools. For most homes and offices that's the point: a quiet, fast entry becomes difficult enough that it stops being a likely method.
Can you upgrade just the cylinder on my existing deadbolt?
Sometimes. If the deadbolt body is in good shape and a compatible high security cylinder exists for it, a cylinder swap is the simpler route. If the body is worn, loose, or from a line that doesn't accept an upgrade, we replace the whole deadbolt. We check on site rather than guess.
How do I get extra copies of a restricted key?
Restricted keys can't be cut at a standard kiosk. Copies require authorization, typically a key card or ID tied to the original purchase. When we install the system we explain who is authorized and how to order more, and we can help with that process afterward.
Will a high security lock stop someone from kicking in my door?
Not on its own. Kick-ins usually fail at the frame or strike plate, not at the cylinder. That's why we look at door thickness, the strike, the frame, and the screws before recommending anything, and why reinforcement is sometimes part of the job.
My home in First Neighborhood still has its original hardware. Should I replace it or just rekey?
If the hardware is from the 1960s or 70s and shows wear, such as a loose handle, a sticky bolt, or a key that grinds, replacement with a high security deadbolt is usually the better move. If it works smoothly and you only need new keys, rekeying can be the more economical route. We look at the lock and tell you honestly which fits.
Do high security locks work with smart locks?
It depends on the model. Some smart locks have their own keyed override, and not every one accepts a high security cylinder. If you want both, tell us the product up front and we'll confirm compatibility before ordering anything.
Does my HOA allow me to change my locks?
Many Westlake Village tracts are under HOAs, and associations often have rules on exterior hardware, usually about appearance and finish rather than security. Check yours before we order. We can usually match finish and style so the door looks the same from the street.
Can you come out at night or on weekends for a high security install?
Our phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round, at (213) 577-1366. Urgent situations get priority, and planned upgrades can be scheduled. We dispatch from Westwood, so we'll give you a realistic arrival estimate when you call.
Do you handle high security locks for offices and medical suites?
Yes. Commercial doors have their own grade, function, and key control requirements, and we can set up restricted keys alongside a master key system so each person opens only what they should. Tell us how many doors and who needs access, and we'll plan it around that.
More locksmith help in Westlake Village
High Security Locks near Westlake Village
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.