Should you rekey or replace when you change locks in Willowbrook?
Most people searching for a lock change really have one question: do I need new locks, or do I just need the old ones to stop working for anyone who still has a key? Those are different jobs, and the answer decides your cost and your timeline. Rekeying keeps your existing hardware and changes the internal pins so the old keys no longer turn the lock. A replacement swaps the hardware itself.
Rekeying is usually the more economical route when the locks are in decent mechanical shape and you mainly want control over who holds keys. That's the typical case for someone who just bought a house or moved into a rental. Replacement makes sense when the hardware is worn, damaged, mismatched, or not strong enough for the door it's on. A deadbolt that sticks, a knob that wobbles, or a lock that was installed crooked years ago is not made safer by new pins.
We look at the actual locks before recommending anything. If rekeying is the right call, we say so, even though it's the smaller job. You can read more about each path on our lock rekey and lock replacement pages.
Why do people change their door locks?
A lock change is rarely about the lock. It's about the keys: who has them, who might have them, and whether you can account for every copy. Willowbrook has a mix of long-held family homes and newer housing, and we hear a few versions of the same story again and again.
Notice that only some of these situations call for new hardware. Most are about control of keys, which is why we start by asking what happened rather than by pushing a product. If the reason you're calling is that you're standing outside right now, that's a house lockout call, and we'll deal with getting you in first.
- You bought a house and have no idea how many keys the previous owner, their agent, or their contractors made.
- You moved into a rental or apartment and the last tenant never turned in every key.
- You lost your keys, or a wallet or bag with your keys and address went missing.
- A roommate, partner, or family member moved out and you want that key to stop working.
- There was a break-in or attempted break-in and you want the doors secured again.
- Your hardware is worn or mismatched, and you're carrying a ring of different keys for one house.
- You want to move to a keypad or smart lock and need to know what your doors can take.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366How does a lock change work, step by step?
Here's how a typical lock change goes with us. The details shift with the property, but the order stays the same, because it keeps surprises out of the job.
- Call (213) 577-1366. The line is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Tell us how many exterior doors are involved, what kind of locks you have, and what prompted the change.
- We give you our honest read over the phone on whether rekeying or replacing sounds right, and what will drive the cost. If something can only be judged by looking at the door, we say so instead of guessing.
- A technician comes to you in one of our mobile locksmith vans, so the work happens at your door rather than at a counter.
- We inspect each lock: its condition, how it's mounted, whether the door closes cleanly into the frame, and whether the strike plate and screws are solid. A good lock in a loose frame is still a weak door.
- We agree on a plan door by door before any tools come out. Some doors get rekeyed, some get new hardware, and some get both, depending on what we find.
- We do the work. For a rekey, we take out the cylinders, reset them to a new key, reassemble, and test. For a replacement, we install the new hardware and check the alignment so the bolt throws fully.
- We test every key in every lock, and operate each door several times to make sure nothing binds.
- We hand over the keys, explain which are which, and make extra copies if you want them. If you'd like all your doors on one key, we can set that up.
What should new homeowners do about locks after buying a house?
If you're looking for a locksmith for a new house, our advice is simple: change the locks early, ideally before or right as you move your belongings in. You can't know how many keys exist for a house you didn't own. Previous owners hand keys to neighbors, relatives, cleaners, dog walkers, and contractors, and nobody keeps a list. Even honest sellers can't tell you how many copies are out there.
For most new homeowners, rekeying every exterior lock is the practical answer. It makes every old key useless, and you keep the hardware you already have. If the house has only a knob lock on a door with no deadbolt, that's a good time to talk about deadbolt installation. And if you've been thinking about keypad entry, ask us about smart lock installation while we're already at the door, because we can tell you whether your door and frame suit it.
Don't forget the less obvious entry points: side doors, back doors, a door from the garage into the house, gates, sheds, and the mailbox. A lock change after a move works best when it covers everything the old keys could open, not just the front door.
Renting instead of buying? Check your lease and talk to your landlord or property manager before changing anything. Landlords turning over a unit can look at our locksmith for landlords page.
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 changing locks?
We don't quote numbers on a web page, because the real figure depends on your doors, not on a formula. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the cost up or down, so nothing about the quote feels like a mystery. We tell you what the job involves and what's driving the cost before we start work.
- How many locks are involved. Two doors and a whole house are different jobs.
- Rekey or replace. Rekeying is typically the lighter-cost option when the hardware is sound; replacement adds the cost of the new hardware.
- The grade of hardware you choose. Basic hardware and higher-security hardware are priced differently, and finishes vary too.
- The condition of the door and frame. If a door has been forced, warped, or badly drilled, prep work may be needed before new locks will sit properly.
- Whether you want every lock on one key. Keying alike takes planning but saves you carrying a ring of keys.
- Specialty or restricted keyways. Some high-security locks use keys that can't be cut just anywhere.
- Time of day and distance. After-hours calls and longer drives can be factored in, and we'll tell you up front if they are.
What does a lock change look like on Willowbrook homes and buildings?
Willowbrook's streets hold small single-family homes from the 1920s through the 1950s, and the hardware on many of them has been in use a long time. We often see aging locks that have been rekeyed by nobody, ever, with an unknown number of keys floating around. Security screen doors are common here too, and they usually carry their own lock and key. When we change locks on an older house, we look at the screen door, the main door, and the back door as a set, so you aren't left with one door on the old key system. Home rekeys and security-door hardware are a regular part of the work in this area.
The weather isn't the usual culprit. Willowbrook sits on a flat coastal plain with a morning marine layer and mild temperatures year-round, and salt-air corrosion isn't a significant factor this far inland. So when an older lock here is stiff or worn out, the cause is more often age and years of use than rust, and that often points toward replacement rather than a simple rekey.
Newer housing is a different conversation. There's county-supported affordable and senior housing around the Martin Luther King Jr. medical campus district on 120th Street, and multifamily buildings tend to cluster near the transit and commercial corridors, including the Wilmington Avenue, Imperial Highway, and El Segundo Boulevard corridors and the Rosa Parks Station area. In managed buildings, check with the property manager before you change a unit's lock, since many buildings need to keep their own access. Where you do have the authority to change a lock, we can work on it.
We serve all of Willowbrook's ZIP codes, 90059, 90061, and 90222. Our storefront is in Westwood, about 18 miles away, which is why the work is done by our mobile vans coming to you. Our main Willowbrook page lists everything else we do in the area.
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 for a lock change?
We've been in business since 1987. We run a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood alongside our mobile service vans, and we serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. That's a lot of doors, and it means we've seen almost every way a lock can be old, worn, or poorly installed.
When you call (213) 577-1366, you reach us, not a call center that sells your job to whoever picks it up. We're one company, with no dispatch middlemen between you and the technician at your door. That matters on a lock change, because you're handing someone the keys to your home, and you should know who they work for.
David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. We don't promise to be the fastest or the loudest. We try to be the company that tells you the truth about whether you need to replace anything, shows up ready to work, and leaves your doors working properly.
How can you check a locksmith before they change your locks?
California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, issued through the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. Ask any locksmith for it before you let them near your doors, and look it up if you want to be sure. A legitimate company won't mind the question.
A few other things are worth asking. Who exactly is arriving, and which company do they work for? Will you be told what's driving the cost before work begins? Does the locksmith want to look at the locks before recommending a replacement? A technician who insists everything must be replaced before seeing the door deserves some skepticism, and so does one who won't explain what they're doing. You're allowed to ask all of it, and you should.
What happens after your locks are changed?
Once the new locks are in, the job isn't quite finished. Gather every old key you can find and set them aside or throw them out. Rekeyed locks make them useless, but there's no reason to keep a pile of keys that mean nothing. Think twice about hiding a spare key outside, since that's one of the first places someone looks.
Decide who actually needs a key, and have extras made only for them. Our key duplication service can handle that. If your garage or gate runs on a keypad code or remote, update those too, because a new front-door lock does little if an old code still opens another door. If a key ever sticks or a lock starts to feel off in the weeks after a change, call us and we'll look at it.
Frequently asked questions
Should I rekey or replace the locks after buying a house in Willowbrook?
Usually rekeying, if the existing locks are in good working order. It makes every previous key useless and keeps the hardware you already own. If the locks are worn, damaged, loose in the door, or too basic for what you want, replacement is the better choice. We check the locks and tell you which is right.
How long does it take to change the locks on a house?
It depends on how many locks there are and what shape the doors are in. A single lock is a short job, and a whole house takes longer. We'll give you a realistic sense of the time when we've looked at the doors, and we won't rush a job in a way that affects how well the locks work.
Can you change locks at night or on weekends?
Yes. Our phone line, (213) 577-1366, is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round. After-hours calls can affect the cost, and we'll tell you before we start rather than after.
Will my old keys still work after a lock change?
No. When we rekey, the lock is reset to a new key and the old keys stop working. When we replace the hardware, the new lock comes with new keys. If you want several doors to use one key, we can set that up during the same visit.
Can I change my own locks?
For a simple replacement of a standard lock on a sound door, many people can. Problems show up when the holes don't line up, the bolt doesn't reach the strike plate, or the door itself is the weak point. If you're unsure, call us before you start, so we can help you avoid a half-finished job.
Do you work on security screen doors in Willowbrook?
Yes, we can look at security screen door hardware, which is common on older homes here. Because some screen doors use particular lock designs, we'll want to see yours first. If it makes sense, we can bring the screen door in line with your main door's keying plan.
I rent my place. Can I have the locks changed?
Check your lease and talk to your landlord or property manager first. In managed buildings, the property often needs to keep its own access to units. We'll want to know you have the authority to change the lock before we do the work, as any careful locksmith would.
How much does it cost to change locks?
We don't post prices because they depend on the job. The main factors are how many locks, whether you rekey or replace, the grade of hardware, the condition of the door and frame, whether you want a keyed-alike setup, and the time of day. We'll explain what applies to you before the work starts.
Do you serve all of Willowbrook, including 90059, 90061, and 90222?
Yes. Our mobile vans cover all three Willowbrook ZIP codes. Our storefront is at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, and the work itself happens at your property.
More locksmith help in Willowbrook
Change Locks near Willowbrook
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.