Frequently Asked Questions - Locksmith
Straight answers to the questions Los Angeles homeowners and business owners ask us most. If you don't see your question here, call (818) 390-9007 and we'll talk it through.
Pricing & Cost FAQs
A typical locksmith visit in Los Angeles runs $75 to $250 for most residential jobs, including labor and standard parts. Simple tasks like rekeying a single lock sit at the lower end, while installing a new deadbolt or extracting a broken key falls higher. Every job at Blackthorn Locksmith & Security gets a written price before any work starts, so you'll know the full amount on the phone before anyone is dispatched. There's no call-out surcharge added when our technician arrives. Call (818) 390-9007 for an exact quote on your specific lock.
Rekeying a house in Los Angeles typically costs $60 to $180 for most homes with two or three entry doors. The price depends on how many locks you have and whether they're standard Schlage or Kwikset cylinders or something less common. Rekeying is often the smartest move after moving into a new place, since you get new keys without replacing the hardware. You'll receive a written quote over the phone before our technician heads your way. Contact (818) 390-9007 and we'll price it by the number of locks, not by the hour.
Price differences in Los Angeles usually come down to what's included in the visit, the type of lock, and whether you're calling during regular business hours. A $19 advertised price typically balloons once a contractor arrives, but our model is different. We quote the full price on the phone, and that's the price on the invoice. No arrival surcharge, no mystery add-ons. The Cedarwell Care Promise includes a written price before any work starts. Call (818) 390-9007 and we'll walk through exactly what your job will cost.
Yes, at Blackthorn Locksmith & Security the quote you get on the phone is the price you pay. We know Los Angeles has a real problem with bait-pricing in this trade, so our coordinator asks about your door, lock type, and what needs to be done, then gives you the full price before we dispatch anyone. If something changes when the technician sees the door, we explain the difference and get your okay before proceeding. No surprise fees on the invoice. Call (818) 390-9007 for a no-obligation estimate.
Service & Process FAQs
If you're locked out, call (818) 390-9007 and our coordinator will connect you with the local team nearest your address. Stay somewhere safe while you wait, whether that's a neighbor's porch or your car with the doors locked. We open residential locks without damaging the door when possible, and if a lock does need to be replaced, you'll get a written price before we touch anything. Our hours are Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Sunday 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, closed Saturday.
No, drilling is a last resort. Most residential locks in Los Angeles can be opened with picking tools, a bump key, or by removing the cylinder, leaving the hardware intact. If a lock is damaged, weathered, or the key has broken off inside, drilling may be the only way to get you in, but we'll tell you before we do it and quote the replacement lock cost first. A good technician preserves the door whenever possible. Call (818) 390-9007 and we'll assess the situation honestly.
Yes, we install and configure smart locks from major brands including Schlage and Kwikset. Smart locks work well in Los Angeles homes, especially for families with kids coming home from school or pet sitters who need access. We'll talk through the approach: Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, keypad backup, and whether your deadbolt needs replacing or just retrofitting. Every installation includes a written quote beforehand and a walkthrough of the app before we leave. Call (818) 390-9007 to find the right setup for your door.
Most standard locksmith jobs in Los Angeles take 20 to 45 minutes on site. Rekeying two or three locks usually lands around half an hour. Installing a new deadbolt might run 45 minutes. Smart lock configuration can take a little longer, depending on Wi-Fi setup. If the job is more involved, like a commercial door closer or access control panel, we'll give you a realistic time frame on the phone. Our goal is to work carefully and respect your time, not to rush. Call (818) 390-9007 and we'll give you a straight answer for your specific job.
Rekeying is usually the better first move after buying a home in Los Angeles. It's cheaper than replacing hardware, and it invalidates every old key that might still be floating around with the previous owners, contractors, or house cleaners. Replacement makes sense when the hardware is worn, rusted, or you want to upgrade the look or function, like adding a smart lock. We'll assess the condition of your existing locks and give you an honest recommendation. Call (818) 390-9007 for a quote on either option.
Blackthorn Locksmith & Security is part of a national network of independent local locksmith teams, each one covering its own service area. When you call (818) 390-9007, our coordinator connects you with the location that covers your address, whether that's a neighborhood in Los Angeles proper or a surrounding community. Our network includes teams serving San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, Long Beach, Oakland, Anaheim, Riverside, Irvine, and Miami. Every location works to the Cedarwell Care Promise: shoe covers, drop cloths, and a written price before work begins.
Brands & Parts FAQs
We work with all the common residential and commercial brands found on Los Angeles doors: Schlage, Kwikset, Medeco, and Abloy among them. If the lock on your door takes a standard key, we can rekey it, repair it, or replace it. For high-security applications like business entry points or a home with real security concerns, we recommend Medeco or Abloy, which offer restricted keyways and much harder-to-duplicate keys. Call (818) 390-9007 and tell us what's on your door; we'll tell you your options.
For most Los Angeles homes, Schlage and Kwikset make solid, dependable deadbolts with Grade 1 or Grade 2 security ratings that hold up well against forced entry. For a step up in key control and drill resistance, Medeco and Abloy are the brands we point to. Those are the locks where you can't just walk into a hardware store and copy a key, which matters if you've had an employee leave or a messy roommate situation. We'll recommend based on your actual door, not a sales target. Call (818) 390-9007 for specifics.
Either way works. Many people in Los Angeles buy a smart lock or a specific deadbolt on their own and ask us to install it, which we're glad to do. We also carry standard hardware on the truck: entry knobs, deadbolts, cylinders, and strike plates. If you'd rather we supply the parts, you'll know the exact cost of the hardware before we start. If you buy your own, double-check the door thickness and backset match. Call (818) 390-9007 if you want us to verify compatibility before you order.
No, Schlage and Kwikset use different keyways, so a Schlage key will not fit a Kwikset lock and vice versa. This trips up a lot of Los Angeles homeowners who have a mix of both brands on different doors and want one key for everything. The solution is to rekey one brand's locks to match the other, or replace some hardware so the whole house shares one keyway. A good locksmith can help you consolidate. Call (818) 390-9007 and tell us what brands are on your doors; we'll map out the simplest path to one key.
Licensing & Insurance FAQs
California does not require a state-issued locksmith license, but Los Angeles does require locksmiths to register with the city, and any locksmith working on your home should meet basic standards for background and professionalism. Every pro working under the Blackthorn Locksmith & Security name is required to hold the licensing and insurance their state or city requires. You should always ask whoever you hire to confirm their credentials before letting them touch your locks. Call (818) 390-9007 and our coordinator can discuss the standards our network holds.
Every professional working under the Blackthorn Locksmith & Security name is required to carry the insurance their state requires. Our whole model is built around not damaging your door, frame, or finish in the first place. The Cedarwell Care Promise includes drop cloths and shoe covers inside the house, careful work, and a photo of the clean-up before we leave. If something does go wrong, we make it right. Call (818) 390-9007 if you'd like to talk through what coverage applies to your job.
Trust comes from how a company handles the estimate and the work itself, not just a badge on a website. A trustworthy locksmith gives you a full written price on the phone before dispatching anyone, arrives in a marked vehicle, and doesn't pressure you into replacing hardware you don't need. Every Blackthorn Locksmith & Security location works to the Cedarwell Care Promise, which means a written price first, clean work, and respect for your home. Call (818) 390-9007 and ask us anything; we'll answer straight.
Emergency & Response FAQs
We handle lockouts and urgent lock issues during our operating hours: Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Sunday 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, closed Saturday. If you're locked out during those hours, call (818) 390-9007 and our coordinator will connect you with the local team nearest your address. We'll give you a full price on the phone before anyone is dispatched. For urgent situations outside those hours, we recommend reaching out to a locksmith that operates on the schedule you need.
The honest answer depends on where your home is relative to the nearest Blackthorn Locksmith & Security location and what's already on the schedule that day. Los Angeles traffic is real, and we won't promise an arrival window we can't keep. What we will do is tell you upfront how long it's likely to take once we know your address, and we'll give you the full price on that same call. Contact (818) 390-9007 and our coordinator will connect you with the closest team.
In our book, an emergency is any situation where your safety or access to your home is at risk right now: a lockout with kids or pets inside, a broken key stuck in the door after dark, or a lock that's clearly been tampered with. If you can wait until regular hours, it's not an emergency, and you'll save money by scheduling normally. For a genuine emergency during our hours, call (818) 390-9007 and we'll treat it with the urgency it deserves.
Warranty & Guarantees FAQs
Yes, all work performed by Blackthorn Locksmith & Security locations is covered by The Cedarwell Care Promise, which means the job is done carefully and stands behind the work. If something isn't right with the lock or the installation, call us and we'll come back to make it right. Hardware from manufacturers like Schlage and Kwikset typically carries its own warranty as well. Call (818) 390-9007 and tell us what's going on; we'll sort out whether it's on us, the manufacturer, or just wear and tear.
The Cedarwell Care Promise is the standard every location under the Blackthorn Locksmith & Security name agrees to work by. It means shoe covers and drop cloths inside the house, quiet tools when the kids are asleep, pet-safe products where there's a choice, a photo of the clean-up before we leave, and a written price before any work starts. It's how the Cedarwell family has always believed a home should be treated: clean up like it is our own home, ask before we move or touch anything, respect the family's time, and explain the price first. Call (818) 390-9007 to experience it.
Call us right away. If the issue is with our installation or the lock we supplied, we'll send a technician back under warranty. If it's a hardware defect from the manufacturer, we'll help you get a replacement through Schlage, Kwikset, or whichever brand is on your door. The important thing is that you don't wait weeks, because a sticky deadbolt or a key that only works sometimes usually means something was misaligned at the time of install. Contact (818) 390-9007 and we'll get it sorted.
Yes, this is one of the core pieces of The Cedarwell Care Promise. The price you're quoted on the phone is written down and that is the price on the invoice. If the technician arrives and discovers the job is different from what was described, the revised price gets your approval before any work starts. You're never locked into paying for something you didn't agree to. Call (818) 390-9007 for a straight quote on your job.
Every professional working under the Blackthorn Locksmith & Security name is required to hold the licensing and insurance their state or city requires, and our locations put technicians through their own vetting before they're trusted with the brand. Locksmiths are people you invite into your home and hand the keys to, so we take that seriously. If you'd like to know more about the standards we require of our network locations, call (818) 390-9007 and ask.
Written by Shane Delaney, Owner at Blackthorn Locksmith & Security, serving Los Angeles since 2008.
Still Have Questions?
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(818) 390-9007