Should you rekey or replace when you change your locks?
Most people who search for a lock change service are really asking one question: do I need new locks, or just new keys? The honest answer depends on the hardware already on your door and on why you're changing it in the first place. We would rather work that out with you than sell you something you don't need.
Rekeying means we open the lock cylinder and rebuild its internal pins so a new key works and every old key stops working. The lock body, handle and finish stay on your door. Replacing means taking the hardware off and installing new locks, usually with new keys. On the question of old keys, both give the same result: the keys that used to open the door no longer do. What differs is what's left on your door afterward.
If the hardware is sound, rekeying is usually the more economical route, and it is often the quicker one. If the hardware is worn, loose, mismatched, or not strong enough for the door it's protecting, replacing makes more sense. Our dedicated pages on lock rekeying in Westmont and lock replacement in Westmont go deeper on each service. This page is about making the call and getting your locks changed.
When should you change your door locks?
Some reasons are obvious and some people only think of later. If any of these sound familiar, changing the locks is a reasonable next step:
- You just bought a house or condo and don't know how many keys the previous owner, their agent, contractors or relatives still hold.
- You moved into a rental or a new place and have no way of knowing who else has a key.
- A key was lost or stolen, or you can't account for a spare.
- A roommate, partner, caretaker, contractor or former employee who had a key is no longer part of your household or business.
- There was a break-in or an attempt, and the lock or the door around it took damage.
- The lock sticks, spins, turns hard, or the key is worn so badly it barely works.
- A tenant has moved out of a rental and you want the next occupant starting fresh.
Changing locks after buying a house or moving
If you're looking for a locksmith for a new house, the logic is simple. From the day a home is listed until closing, keys pass through a lot of hands: the seller, a listing agent, photographers, inspectors, repair crews, sometimes neighbors who were asked to keep an eye on the place. Nobody is accusing any of those people of anything. You just can't know how many copies exist, and a lock change is the only way to make that question irrelevant.
We suggest doing it before you move your belongings in, or as soon as you can after. A locksmith after moving day works fine too, since we come to you with a mobile van and can work while you're unpacking. It's one of the more practical early jobs for new homeowners, and it's usually quick compared with the rest of a move.
While we're at the door we can also tell you whether the deadbolt is the kind that actually protects the home, whether the strike plate is mounted into solid framing, and whether you want every door on the same key. These are conversations worth having once, at the start.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366How we change your locks, step by step
The process is the same whether it's one door or all of them. Nothing here is complicated, and you should know what's happening at each point.
- You call (213) 577-1366. A person answers at any hour. Tell us how many doors, what kind of locks you have if you know, and why you're changing them.
- If you can, send or describe the hardware: the brand on the latch, whether there's a deadbolt, whether the door is wood, metal or has a security screen outside it.
- We tell you whether we think rekeying or replacing fits your situation, and we explain what will drive the cost before any work begins.
- We come to the property in a mobile van. For a rekey, we take the cylinders apart and rebuild them to a new key. For a replacement, we remove the old hardware and fit the new.
- We test everything: each new key in each lock, the bolt throwing fully, the latch catching, and the door closing without being forced.
- We hand over the keys, talk through extra copies, and point out anything else we noticed, such as short strike plate screws or a door that no longer lines up.
What we check before recommending rekey or replace
A good recommendation comes from looking at the actual lock, not from a rule of thumb. Here is what we look at:
- Condition of the lock: if it's a recognizable brand and works smoothly, it is usually a rekey candidate. If it grinds, sticks or wobbles, replacement is the better answer.
- Whether the bolt extends fully and lines up with the strike. A lock can be fine and a door can still be the problem.
- Whether the door has a deadbolt at all. If it only has a knob lock, adding a deadbolt is a different job, and our page on deadbolt installation in Westmont covers it.
- Whether you want one key for every door. That can be done with rekeying when the hardware allows it.
- Whether you'd like keypad or app-based entry. If so, we'll talk through smart lock installation with you honestly, including when a traditional lock is the better fit.
- The age and finish of the hardware. Old, mismatched or damaged finishes sometimes make replacement worth it even when the mechanism still works.
What affects the cost of changing locks in Westmont?
We don't quote numbers on a web page, because the honest answer depends on your doors. These are the things that move the cost up or down:
- How many locks are being changed. A single front door and a whole house are different jobs.
- Rekey or replace. Rekeying existing hardware is generally the lighter-cost option, while new hardware adds the cost of the locks themselves.
- The grade and brand of any new hardware. Basic residential sets and high-security cylinders sit in very different places.
- Whether you want the doors keyed alike or each on its own key.
- The condition of the door and frame. A swollen, warped or misaligned door can take extra work before any lock will operate right.
- Time of day. After-hours and holiday calls involve getting a technician out outside normal hours.
- Distance. Westmont is about 14 miles from our Westwood storefront, and travel is part of the picture.
- Extras, such as additional keys, security-door hardware, or mailbox locks.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Changing locks in Westmont's older homes
Westmont is a densely built unincorporated area in Los Angeles County, in ZIP codes 90044 and 90047. A lot of the housing is older: 1920s to 1940s bungalows and Spanish-style cottages, small postwar homes, and two-story apartment buildings, especially along the Vermont, Normandie and Western avenue corridors. If you live in a house off the Vermont Avenue corridor or near the Jesse Owens Park area, there is a fair chance your front door lock is far older than you are, or was swapped long ago by someone you never met.
Older doors shape how we approach a lock change. Original wood doors and frames in houses of that age can swell on damp winter mornings, which is common here with the regular marine layer. Swelling can make a latch bind or a bolt drag, so we check how the door sits before deciding whether a stubborn lock is the lock's fault. Corrosion is minor in this part of the coastal plain, so the mechanism itself usually isn't the issue. Wear and age are.
Security screen doors and window bars are also widespread in Westmont, and many homes have a screen door with its own lock in front of the main door. When you change locks on a house like this, it's worth deciding about both. Sometimes the screen door lock can be rekeyed or matched to the main door. Other times it's tired enough that replacing it is the sensible move. A common local request is upgrading the deadbolt and security-door hardware on an older bungalow while the main lock is being changed, and we're happy to plan that as one visit.
Rentals, apartments and mailbox locks along Vermont and Western
Renters make up a large share of Westmont households, and that changes how lock changes happen here. If you're a tenant, check your lease and talk to your landlord before changing anything. Many landlords prefer to handle it themselves or have a preferred approach, and some are glad to have a tenant ask. If you've just moved into a unit and you want to know who else holds a key, that's a fair question to raise.
For owners of small multifamily buildings, turnover is the main scenario. When a tenant moves out of a two-story building near Normandie Avenue or Western Avenue, rekeying the unit is typically the efficient answer. The hardware stays, the old keys stop working, and the next tenant gets a clean start. If that's your situation, our page for locksmith services for landlords covers turnovers and ongoing building needs. Along Vermont and Western avenues, apartment mailbox locks are also a regular issue, and a mailbox that no longer locks is a real problem for tenants. See mailbox lock replacement for that one.
We also serve the edges of Westmont, including the area near Vermont Knolls in Los Angeles and the area near Morningside Park in Inglewood, as well as the Century Boulevard and Manchester Avenue corridors. If you're locked out of an apartment while sorting this out, call us first. A lockout is a separate job, but we can often handle the lock change in the same visit.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Why call Wilshire Lock & Key to change your locks
We've been in business since 1987. We run a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, Los Angeles, CA 90024, plus mobile service vans that come to Westmont and the other 140 cities we serve across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. If you'd like to know what that looks like on the road, see our mobile locksmith service.
We are one company. The person who answers the phone works with the technicians who come to your door, and we don't pass your call to a dispatch middleman who sends whoever is free. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. Calls are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round at (213) 577-1366.
We also tell you when you don't need something. If your hardware is fine and a rekey solves the problem, that is what we will recommend.
Ask any locksmith for their license
California requires locksmith companies to hold a license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, known as a BSIS LCO license. Before anyone works on your doors, ask for the company's license number, and check it with BSIS if you want to be sure. A legitimate company will not mind the question.
A few other signs are worth watching for with any locksmith: no company name given over the phone, a quote that changes once they're at your door, or pressure to drill out and replace a lock that could simply be rekeyed. A lock change is a security job, and you should feel comfortable with whoever is doing it.
Frequently asked questions
Should I rekey or replace the locks after buying a house in Westmont?
If the existing locks are in good working condition, rekeying is usually the more economical choice and makes every old key useless. If the locks are worn, mismatched, or too basic for the door, replacing them is better. We look at the hardware and tell you which applies.
Will my old keys still work after you change the locks?
No. Whether we rekey or replace, the old keys stop working. That is the whole point of changing locks after a move, a lost key, or a tenant leaving.
Can you change locks at night or on a weekend?
Yes. We answer the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round, at (213) 577-1366. Calls outside normal hours can affect the cost, and we explain that before work begins.
Can all my doors use the same key?
Often, yes. We can rekey or set up new locks so your front door, back door and other entries share one key. It depends on the brands and condition of the hardware on each door, and we check that when we arrive.
Do you change the locks on security screen doors?
Yes, we can look at them. Many Westmont homes have security screen doors, and sometimes the screen door lock can be rekeyed or matched to the main door. If the hardware is worn out, replacement is the more sensible fix.
I'm a tenant. Can I change the locks myself or hire you to do it?
Check your lease and talk to your landlord first. Many leases restrict changing locks without permission. If your landlord wants the locks changed, we can do it, and landlords with rental turnovers can use our landlord services.
Do I need to be home when you change the locks?
Someone with the authority to approve the work should be there, and we will ask you to confirm that you live at the property or are authorized to have the locks changed. That protects residents and owners alike.
My door sticks or won't latch. Is that a lock problem or a door problem?
It can be either. In older Westmont homes, damp winter mornings can swell wood doors and frames until the bolt drags. We check how the door sits and tell you whether new locks would help or the door needs attention first.
How long does it take to change the locks on a house?
It depends on how many doors and whether we're rekeying or replacing. One door is a short visit, and a full house takes longer. When you call, we'll give you a realistic idea based on what you describe.
More locksmith help in Westmont
Change Locks near Westmont
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.