Locksmith Service

Residential Locksmith Services in Los Angeles & the Los Angeles area

When your front door won't cooperate at midnight in Sherman Oaks or your keys are sitting on the kitchen counter behind a locked door in Encino, you need a home locksmith who actually shows up. Woodland Hills Locksmith is a 24/7 mobile team serving homes across the Los Angeles area, from the hillside cul-de-sacs off Mulholland Drive to the flat grid streets of the Valley floor. We come to you with a fully stocked van, so most residential jobs are handled on the spot without a second trip.

Call 818-806-6134 Get a fast quote

Open 24 hours, 7 days a week · Licensed, bonded & insured

This page walks through the residential work our trained, insured technicians do every day: getting you back inside when you're locked out of the house, rekeying after a move, upgrading a tired door knob lock, servicing a heavy mortise lock on an older Spanish-style home, and installing smart locks that fit how your household actually lives. Whether you're near the Westfield Topanga mall, up in the Hollywood Hills, or closer to Downtown, one call to 818-806-6134 reaches a local crew that knows these neighborhoods and answers around the clock.

Local & Mobile

Insured Technicians

24/7 Service

Up-Front Pricing

What we do

Mortise Lock Specialists

We service and install mortise locks common in older LA homes and mid-century Valley properties.

Door Knob & Deadbolt Repair

Loose, sticking, or worn door knob locks and deadbolts fixed or upgraded on the spot.

Move-In Rekeying

New to a Woodland Hills home? We rekey every entry so old keys no longer work.

Smart Lock Setup

Installation and pairing of keypad and Wi-Fi locks matched to your existing door hardware.

Locked Out of the House? Here's What Our Emergency Locksmith Does

Getting locked out of house with no key is one of the most common calls we get, and it almost never plays out the way people fear. When you reach our emergency locksmith line, we first ask a few calming questions: where you are, what kind of door and lock you have, and whether anyone or any pet is inside who needs attention quickly. That information lets us send the right technician with the right tools instead of guessing on arrival. While we're en route, it's worth doing a quick, safe check yourself — a hidden spare, an unlocked back slider, a garage side door, or a window latch that a family member may have left open.

Before we touch your door, we confirm you have the right to enter. That means a quick look at an ID with the address, a piece of mail, or a neighbor or landlord who can vouch for you. It's a standard step that protects every homeowner on the block, and it takes seconds. From there, our goal is always damage-free entry. On standard residential deadbolts and a door knob lock, a skilled technician can usually open the door using non-destructive methods that leave your hardware fully usable afterward — no drilling, no splintered frame.

Some situations are trickier. A high-security cylinder, a stuck bolt, or a fortified mortise lock on a heavy vintage door may take longer, and in rare cases the cleanest solution is to replace the cylinder on the spot. We'll explain your options plainly before we start and confirm an exact up-front price so there are no surprises. Call 818-806-6134 — we answer 24/7 and can typically dispatch a local technician to most Los Angeles neighborhoods fast.

New Home, Fresh Keys: Your Move-In Security Reset

You never really know how many copies of your keys exist when you buy or rent a home. The previous owners, their kids, a cleaning service, a dog walker, an old roommate, a contractor — any of them could still have a working key. That's why the smartest first project in a new place isn't decorating; it's a full security reset. We walk the property with you and inventory every lock: front and back entries, the side gate, the garage passage door, the shed, and any interior locks on offices or storage rooms.

For most move-ins, lock rekeying is the efficient answer. When we rekey a lock, we swap the internal pins so your old keys stop working and a brand-new key takes over, all without replacing the hardware you already own. If you've got several doors, we can key them alike so a single key runs the whole house — a huge convenience for busy households in areas like Tarzana or Studio City. People search rekey locks near me constantly after closing on a home, and this is exactly the visit they're looking for.

During the same appointment, we check for weak points that get overlooked: short strike-plate screws that pull out under a kick, worn deadbolts that no longer throw fully, and exterior doors relying only on a door knob lock instead of a proper deadbolt. If any hardware is failing, we'll recommend a lock change rather than patching something on its last legs. You'll get a clear picture of your home's security and a confirmed price before we do anything.

Grade 1, 2, and 3 Locks — and Which Doors Actually Need Them

Not every lock is built for the same job, and knowing the grading system helps you spend where it matters. Locks are commonly rated Grade 3, Grade 2, and Grade 1, from lightest-duty to heaviest-duty. Grade 3 hardware is fine for interior doors and low-traffic uses. Grade 2 is a solid step up and suits most residential exterior doors. Grade 1 is the toughest, engineered to survive far more cycles and force — the tier you see on a commercial locksmith job and increasingly on security-conscious homes.

For your main entrances — the front door, the door from an attached garage, and any door hidden from the street — we generally steer homeowners toward a strong Grade 2 or Grade 1 deadbolt paired with reinforced strike hardware. Older Los Angeles homes, especially the classic Spanish and Craftsman houses in neighborhoods like Angelino Heights or the streets around Larchmont, often came with a mortise lock: a robust unit that seats inside a pocket cut into the door edge rather than bolting on. These are excellent locks worth preserving, and our technicians service, rekey, and upgrade them rather than ripping them out.

If you're comparing hardware, we install trusted brands like Schlage and Kwikset and can match finishes across the house so everything looks intentional. We'll tell you honestly which doors justify a premium lock and which are perfectly served by mid-grade hardware. The point isn't to sell you the most expensive lock on every door — it's to put the right grade where the real risk is.

Smart Lock Installation That Fits Your Home and Your Phone

Smart locks have gone from novelty to everyday convenience, and a proper smart lock installation is about more than screwing a device to the door. The first question we answer is compatibility: your door thickness, backset, bolt type, and whether you're keeping an existing deadbolt or converting a mortise pocket all determine what will actually fit and function. A retrofit that clamps over your interior thumb-turn works on many doors, while a full replacement keypad or a dedicated mortise smart lock is the better route on heavier or older entries.

Next comes the ecosystem. We help you choose based on how your household already lives — whether you lean on Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, or a standalone app, and whether the lock connects over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or a hub. We set up user codes for family members, temporary codes for guests or a housekeeper, auto-lock timing, and low-battery alerts, then test every mode: keypad, app, physical key backup, and auto-relock. For rentals and short-term guests around Hollywood or the Westside, code-based access removes the headache of handing off physical keys.

We're also candid about limits. Smart locks depend on batteries and connectivity, so we always confirm a reliable physical or mechanical backup and show you how to use it. If you want the convenience of a keypad on a traditional-looking door, a mortise smart lock can deliver both — modern access with the solid feel of classic hardware. Thinking about upgrading? Call 818-806-6134 and we'll match a smart lock to your door, your network, and the way your family actually comes and goes.

Rekey or Replace? How to Know When a Lock Change Is the Right Call

One of the most useful things we do is help homeowners avoid overspending on hardware they don't need. The core question is how to rekey a lock versus when to replace it entirely. Rekeying makes sense when the existing lock is in good mechanical shape and you simply want old keys to stop working — after a move, a breakup, a lost key, or a departed tenant. To rekey a lock, we reset the pins inside the existing cylinder, which is quick, keeps your current hardware, and can key multiple doors to one key in the same visit.

A full lock change becomes the smarter move when the hardware itself is the problem. Sticking bolts, corrosion, a wobbling handle, sun-warped finishes from years of Valley heat, or a lock too low-grade for an exterior door are all signs that new hardware will serve you better than resetting old parts. It's also the moment to upgrade — swapping a basic door knob lock for a graded deadbolt, or moving a vulnerable entry up to Grade 1 protection. If you want new features like a keypad or app control, replacement is the natural path.

For a treasured mortise lock on a period home, we lean toward preservation. These units are often built better than anything you can buy off a shelf today, so lock rekeying and refurbishing the mechanism usually beats replacement. Whatever the situation, our technician inspects the lock, explains the trade-offs in plain language, and confirms a set price before any work begins — so you decide with full information.

Smart, Low-Cost Ways to Toughen Every Entry Point

Better home security often has less to do with buying an expensive lock and more to do with fixing the weak links around it. The single most effective upgrade on many doors is replacing the short screws in the strike plate with long screws that reach into the wall framing. That one change turns a door that pops open under a shoulder into one that holds. A hinge-side reinforcement and a solid strike box add even more resistance, and none of it requires new locks.

Sliding glass doors — everywhere in Los Angeles homes with backyards and canyon views — are a frequent soft spot. A simple bar or auxiliary pin lock in the track, plus an anti-lift device, dramatically raises the effort required to force one open. Garage passage doors deserve a real deadbolt rather than the builder-grade knob they usually ship with, and any door with glass nearby benefits from a deadbolt that can't be reached and turned by breaking a pane. We can handle these small hardening jobs on the same visit as a rekey or a lock change.

Lighting, visibility, and habits round it out. Trimming shrubs that hide a front door, adding motion lighting near side gates, and getting into the routine of throwing the deadbolt every time — even for a quick errand — cost little and matter a lot. During any residential visit our technician will point out low-effort improvements specific to your property so you get the biggest security gain for the least spend, without upselling hardware you don't need.

Brands We Service

We install, repair and rekey all major lock brands — from everyday deadbolts to high-security cylinders.

Don’t see your brand? We service virtually every make — just call.

Before you call — what to expect

What Customers Usually Ask Before Booking a Locksmith Los Angeles Appointment

Can I call a locksmith if I'm locked out of my house? Absolutely — that is one of the most common reasons people reach out to us. Before we do any work, we verify ownership or occupancy through ID, a lease, or another reasonable form of proof, which protects both you and the property.

How much does a locksmith cost in Los Angeles, and how much is the average locksmith charge? There is no single flat number that honestly covers every job. The final quote depends on the type of lock involved — a mortise lock, a door knob lock, a deadbolt, or a vehicle lock all carry different labor and parts requirements — as well as the time of day, how far our technician needs to travel, and whether replacement hardware is needed. What we commit to is this: you receive an exact, confirmed price before any work begins, with no surprise charges added afterward.

How much does an emergency locksmith cost near me, and does the hour of day matter? Yes, time of day is one of the factors that shapes a quote for urgent after-hours calls. We are transparent about that from the first conversation. When you call 818-806-6134, the team member who answers will walk through every cost factor with you so you know exactly what to expect before anyone rolls out.

Does AAA do locksmith work, and should I use a membership service instead? Some roadside-assistance memberships include limited lockout help, but they typically cover only basic vehicle unlocks under specific plan terms and are not equipped for residential mortise lock work, rekeying, lock replacement, or commercial locksmith services. Our team handles the full range of lock and key needs — home, auto, and business — as a dedicated mobile locksmith, not a side service of a membership program. How to get a free locksmith is a question worth addressing honestly here too: there is no legitimately free professional locksmith service. Be cautious of unusually low advertised prices that change dramatically once a technician arrives — we confirm your exact price up front so that situation never happens with us.

How Our Quote Process Works — From First Call to Confirmed Price

Step 1 — You call 818-806-6134 and describe the situation. Whether it is a mortise lock replacement on a Woodland Hills commercial door, a car lockout on the 101 near Calabasas, or a door knob lock rekey in Tarzana, a real team member answers around the clock and listens to the specifics. We do not use an automated system to collect your information.

Step 2 — We ask the right questions to build an accurate quote. This includes the lock type and brand (for example, a Schlage mortise lock has different hardware costs than a Kwikset knob set), the property type, the service address, and the time of the call. Each of those factors directly influences the final number, and we account for all of them before giving you a figure.

Step 3 — You receive a clear, verbally confirmed price before we dispatch. No technician leaves the area without you knowing the full cost. If parts are needed that require a final confirmation once the technician assesses the lock in person, we tell you that is the case and walk you through the range before anyone travels to your location.

Step 4 — The technician arrives, reviews the job, and confirms the agreed price on-site before touching the lock. If anything differs from what was described over the phone — a different lock model, additional damage, or a more complex mortise lock assembly — we tell you immediately and explain why, giving you the choice to proceed at the updated price or not. There are no surprise line items at the end.

What to Expect from Your Woodland Hills Locksmith Technician — Emergency Locksmith Call or Scheduled Visit

A realistic arrival window, communicated clearly. When you call for an emergency locksmith or a scheduled service, we give you an honest estimate of when the technician will arrive based on current location and traffic — not an optimistic number designed to win the call. Los Angeles traffic on the 405 or Ventura Boulevard is real, and we factor it in rather than promise the impossible.

A marked service vehicle and verifiable identification. Our technician arrives in a clearly identifiable van carrying the tools and hardware for the job — including mortise lock components, door knob lock hardware, and key-cutting equipment. Before any work begins, the technician will show identification. If you ever have any doubt about who is at your door, call us at 818-806-6134 to confirm the technician's name and vehicle before letting anyone in.

A plain-language walkthrough of the work before it starts. Whether the job is a mortise lock installation on a commercial storefront in Canoga Park, a residential lockout on a property near Pierce College, or a full rekey of a door knob lock set after a move, the technician will explain exactly what they plan to do, what parts are involved, and how long it should take. You are not expected to watch silently while someone works on your locks — questions are welcome at every stage.

A tidy finish and a functional test before the technician leaves. Every job ends with the technician cleaning up the immediate work area, testing the lock mechanism through multiple complete cycles, handing you all new keys, and confirming you are satisfied before closing out the call. For mortise lock installations and commercial locksmith work especially, we test deadbolt throw, latch alignment, and handle operation so you are not discovering a problem the next morning. Call 818-806-6134 — we answer 24/7, for everything from a single lockout to a full commercial locksmith service contract.

Service area

Areas we cover around Los Angeles

Based in Los Angeles, we reach the Los Angeles area fast — 24/7. Don’t see your street? Call us, we very likely cover it.

818-806-6134

Frequently asked questions

How can I get into my house if I am locked out?

Start with the safe, obvious options: check for a hidden spare, try a back door, a side garage entrance, or an unlocked ground-floor window. If nothing is open, don't force a door or break glass — you'll usually cause more damage than the lockout itself. Call our home lockout service at 818-806-6134 and a trained technician can typically open standard residential locks without damage.

Can I call a locksmith if I'm locked out of my house?

Absolutely — that's one of the most common reasons people call us, day or night. We're a 24/7 mobile team, so we come to you anywhere in the Los Angeles area. We'll verify you're authorized to enter the home, then use non-destructive methods where possible to get you back inside quickly.

How much does a locksmith cost in Los Angeles for a house lockout?

The final price depends on a few things: the type of lock and door, the time of day, how far we travel to reach you, and whether any parts are needed. We don't quote blind — after we understand your situation on the phone, we confirm an exact up-front price before any work starts, so you're never surprised on the bill.

How much is the average locksmith charge for a home visit?

There isn't a single flat number, because a simple daytime rekey and a middle-of-the-night lockout on a high-security mortise lock are very different jobs. The main cost factors are lock complexity, parts, travel distance, and hour of day. Call 818-806-6134 and we'll give you a clear, confirmed quote for your specific job.

How to get a free locksmith, and does AAA do locksmith work?

Some roadside memberships or home warranty plans include limited lock-related benefits, so it's worth checking your own coverage before you call anyone. AAA and similar programs primarily focus on vehicle roadside assistance, and coverage varies by plan. We're a direct mobile locksmith — call us and we'll tell you honestly what your job involves and confirm the price up front.

Who should I call if I'm locked out of my house at night?

Call a 24/7 mobile locksmith rather than waiting until morning. Woodland Hills Locksmith answers around the clock at 818-806-6134 and dispatches a local technician to homes across Los Angeles, from the Valley to the Westside. Late-night calls are routine for us, and we come fully equipped to open most doors on the first visit.

How quickly can a locksmith arrive when I'm locked out?

Because we run mobile vans stationed around the Los Angeles area, response times are usually fast for most neighborhoods — often well under an hour depending on traffic and your location. When you call, we give you a realistic arrival window instead of a vague promise, so you know exactly what to expect.

Should I rekey a lock or replace it after moving into a new home?

If your existing locks are in good working condition, lock rekeying is usually the efficient choice — it stops old keys from working and can key several doors alike, all without new hardware. Replace the lock instead when it's worn, low-grade for an exterior door, or when you want an upgrade like a smart lock or a stronger deadbolt. We'll inspect your doors and recommend whichever genuinely serves you better.

Locked out or need a lock fixed? We are on the way.

Open 24 hours, 7 days a week · Insured, background-checked technicians · Up-front pricing

818-806-6134