Lock Rekey in Westmont, CA: keep your locks, change the keys

What does a lock rekey actually do?

A lock rekey changes the inside of a lock so that a different key operates it. Every pin tumbler cylinder holds a set of small pins at set heights. The right key lifts each pin to the same line, and the cylinder turns. To rekey, we take the cylinder apart, replace the pins with a new combination, and cut keys that match. The old keys still slide in, but they no longer turn. The deadbolt, the handle, the strike plate, and the holes in your door all stay exactly as they are.

People search for this a lot of ways: rekey locks, lock rekeying, rekey door locks, house rekey, home lock rekey, rekey service. It is all the same job. What changes from one call to the next is the reason behind it and how many locks are involved.

One thing a rekey does not do is make a weak lock stronger. Rekeying changes who has a working key. It does not change how hard the hardware is to force, pick, or bump. If a lock is worn out, loose, or low quality, we will tell you that plainly and you can decide whether to keep it or move to something better.

When does rekeying make sense?

Most rekey calls come from one simple problem: somebody you do not know about might still have a key. You usually cannot prove they do, and you cannot prove they do not. A rekey ends the question. Here are the situations we see most often.

• Rekey locks after moving: the previous occupant, their relatives, a former roommate, a cleaner, or a contractor may still hold copies. You have no way to count them.
• Rekey locks after buying a house: sellers, agents, and lockbox users have all had access. Doing this on the first day is cheap peace of mind compared with wondering later.
• Rekey locks after a tenant moves out: this is the standard turnover step for landlords and property managers, and it keeps one tenant's keys from opening the next tenant's door.
• Rekey locks after losing keys: if keys are lost rather than stolen, you may not need new hardware at all. A rekey makes the lost key a useless piece of metal.
• Rekey all house locks to one key: if you carry a ring of five keys for one house, we can set the front, back, and side doors to a single key.
• After a breakup, a falling-out with a roommate, or a worker who no longer works for you: anyone who had a key but should not have one now.

How does a rekey call go, step by step?

Rekeying is a short, hands-on job, and there is no mystery to it. Here is how it runs, whether it is one front door or a whole house.

1. You call (213) 577-1366. The line is answered around the clock, every day of the year. Tell us the address, how many locks are involved, and why you want them rekeyed.
2. We ask a few practical questions: what brand the locks are, whether they are deadbolts, knob sets, or both, and whether any of them already stick, jam, or feel loose. This helps us bring the right parts.
3. On site, we look at each lock before touching it. A rekey only works on a lock that is in sound mechanical shape, so we test the action first.
4. We remove each cylinder, pull the old pins, and set the new combination. Then we reassemble the lock and cut new keys to match it.
5. We test every lock with the new key and confirm the old key no longer works. We run the bolt and the latch from inside and outside, with the door open and closed.
6. You get the new keys, and we explain which doors are on which key. If you want any extra copies cut, we can do that on the spot.

What affects the cost of lock rekeying in Westmont?

We do not quote numbers on a web page, because an honest rekey price depends on the job in front of us. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the cost up or down so there are no surprises.

The biggest factor is how many cylinders need work. Each lock is its own small job, and a batch of doors is more economical per lock than a single call, because the setup and travel are shared. Next is the type of lock. Standard residential deadbolts and knob sets are straightforward. Some brands, high-security cylinders, and restricted keyways take more time and sometimes special parts. Condition matters too: a worn or damaged lock may need repair before it can be rekeyed, and in some cases it is not worth rekeying at all.

The other factors are practical ones:

• How many keys you want cut, and whether you want all doors keyed alike.
• Whether you bring the lock to our Westwood storefront or have a technician come to you. Coming to you costs more than a walk-in, but it is often the only sensible option for a door you need secured now.
• The time of day. We are open 24/7, and after-hours calls involve different costs than a daytime appointment.
• Any repair or hardware swap a lock needs beforehand.
• Whether the job is one home, a small multifamily building, or a storefront with several doors.

When is rekeying not the right answer?

Rekeying is the lighter-cost option when it fits, and we will say so. But there are times when it is the wrong call, and we would rather tell you than sell you the wrong job.

If a lock is badly worn, damaged, or has a loose, wobbling housing, new pins will not fix that. In that case we would talk with you about lock replacement instead. If your front door only has a basic knob lock and no deadbolt, that is a hardware question rather than a key question, and a deadbolt installation may be the better investment. Rekeying does not add a lock where there is none.

Sometimes people ask whether they should simply swap everything. The difference between the two jobs is described on our change locks page. In short: rekey when the hardware is fine and the keys are the problem. Replace when the hardware is the problem, or when you want a different style, finish, or level of security.

Apartment and rental rekeys: what landlords and tenants should know

Renters make up a large share of households in Westmont, so turnover is a constant. Every time one tenant leaves and another arrives, the keys from the first tenancy still exist somewhere. An apartment lock rekey between tenants is how responsible owners handle that, and it is far less work than replacing the lock on every unit each time.

If you manage rental property, a locksmith for landlords service can set up turnovers so you do not need to arrange each one from scratch. We can rekey the unit door, and, where the cylinders allow it, match other locks on the unit to the same key so a new tenant is not carrying a ring of keys. Tenant turnover rekey work is easiest when we know the lock types ahead of time, so tell us what the building has when you call.

Tenants have a different question: can I rekey my own door? In California, what you can change depends on your lease and your landlord. Check with your landlord before altering any lock, and keep any original keys the lease requires you to return. If you are locked out instead of trying to change keys, see our apartment lockout page, which covers that situation directly.

Commercial and business lock rekeys

A commercial rekey is the same principle with more doors and more people involved. When an employee leaves, a manager changes, or a business takes over a space, any old key becomes a risk. A business lock rekey changes who can open the shop without tearing out hardware that still works.

For a storefront with a front door, a back door, and a stockroom or office, we can often set the doors so that different people carry different keys. That is the idea behind a master key system: one key for the owner, limited keys for staff. If your business needs a wider look at doors, closers, and hardware, our commercial locksmith page covers it. For plain commercial lock rekey work, though, the process is the same one we described above, with the extra step of planning who needs access to what.

Lock rekey in Westmont: homes, corridors, and ZIP codes

Westmont is a densely built, unincorporated part of Los Angeles County, and its housing is a real mix. There are 1920s to 1940s bungalows and Spanish-style cottages, small postwar homes, and two-story apartment buildings, especially along Vermont, Normandie, and Western avenues. Our storefront is about 14 miles away in Westwood, and our vans cover the 90044 and 90047 ZIP codes as part of our work across Los Angeles County.

Here is how that housing shapes rekey work in practice:

• Rental turnovers in small multifamily buildings are among the most common local reasons to rekey. Along the Vermont Avenue corridor and the Normandie Avenue corridor, a two-story building with several units can be handled in one visit, with every unit door set to its own new key.
• Security screen doors and window bars are widespread here. Many of those carry their own keyed lock, and people often forget them when rekeying the main door. When we visit, we look at the screen door too, and tell you whether it can be rekeyed, matched, or needs different hardware.
• Older bungalows and cottages near Jesse Owens Park and toward Vermont Knolls often have original or very old hardware. Some of it rekeys fine. Some is too worn to be worth the effort, and we will tell you which, door by door.
• Westmont's climate is mild and inland, with regular morning marine layer. Corrosion is minor, but damp winter mornings can swell older wood doors and frames. If a deadbolt sticks on a cold, damp morning, the cause can be the door fit rather than the cylinder, so we check that before we blame the lock.
• Mailbox locks on apartment buildings along Vermont and Western avenues are a separate matter from door locks. If a rekey is needed there as well, see mailbox lock replacement.
• Business owners along Century Boulevard and Manchester Avenue often call for rekeys after a staff change. The Manchester and Vermont intersection area and neighbors near Morningside Park in Inglewood are within the same general service area.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a rekey?

Rekeying is not complicated work, but it is easy to do carelessly. Here is what you get when you call us:

• We have been in business since 1987, and we have been rekeying locks that whole time.
• We run a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, plus mobile vans. You can bring a lock to us or have a technician come to you.
• You deal with one company. Your call is answered by us, not passed along through a dispatch middleman who sends whoever is free.
• David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. If something looks off about a job, it goes to someone who has seen it before.
• We answer the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year, at (213) 577-1366.
• We tell you when a rekey is not the right fix. Sometimes the lighter-cost answer is a different job, and sometimes the answer is nothing at all.

A note on checking any locksmith's license

In California, locksmith companies are required to hold a license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, called a BSIS LCO license. Ask any company that comes to your door for it, and check that it is current. This is a good habit for anyone hiring someone to work on the locks that protect their home.

Whoever you hire, a legitimate rekey should start with the technician looking at your actual locks, explaining what they plan to do, and telling you what affects the cost before work begins. If you only get a vague answer on the phone and a very different story at the door, call someone else.

More locksmith help in Westmont

• Change Locks in Westmont
• Deadbolt Installation in Westmont
• Gate Lock Repair in Westmont
• High Security Locks in Westmont
• Key Duplication in Westmont
• Lock Installation in Westmont
• All services in Westmont

Lock Rekey near Westmont

• Athens
• Inglewood
• Gardena
• Hawthorne
• Willowbrook