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Crenshaw Lock

Broken Key Extraction in Altadena · 24/7 mobile

Broken Key Extraction in Altadena, California

Crenshaw Lock Company provides mobile broken key extraction in Altadena, California, available 24/7. If a key has snapped in a door lock, deadbolt, padlock, or ignition, call (323) 997-8867. We come to you, remove the broken piece, and cut a working replacement key.

  • Mobile to your Altadena location
  • Available 24/7
  • Price quoted before we start
Call (323) 997-8867or tap to call — we answer 24/7
Broken key stuck in a lock cylinder next to an extractor tool
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A key that snaps off in a lock is one of the most frustrating small disasters there is. You are standing at the door with half a key in your hand and the other half stuck in the cylinder, and nothing you try with the stub will turn it. In Altadena, where so many homes were built with older hardware and many locks have been through heat, soot, and ash, it happens more often than people expect.

Crenshaw Lock Company has been serving Greater Los Angeles and Ventura County since 1987, and David Shar and our technicians are fully mobile. There is no storefront to visit. We bring the extraction tools, key-cutting equipment, and replacement cylinders to your driveway, your jobsite, or your car, any hour of the day or night.

The goal of an extraction is simple: get the broken piece out without damaging the lock if at all possible, then make you a key that works smoothly so it does not break again. Sometimes that is a quick job. Sometimes the lock is worn, corroded, or fouled enough that replacing or rekeying the cylinder is the more honest recommendation. We will tell you which situation you are in before we do anything beyond the extraction.

How it works in Altadena

  1. 1

    You call and describe what happened

    Call (323) 997-8867 and tell us where the key broke: front door, deadbolt, side gate, padlock, or ignition. Let us know if the broken piece is sticking out or sunk flush inside the cylinder, and whether the lock was already sticking before the break. That helps us bring the right tools.

  2. 2

    We travel to your location

    We are fully mobile and answer 24/7, so there is no need to bring the lock or car anywhere. Whether you are in a hillside home off Altadena Drive or on a rebuild site, we come to you.

  3. 3

    Assess the lock and the broken key

    Before touching anything, we look at how much of the key remains, how the cylinder is behaving, and whether there is corrosion, soot, debris, or earlier damage. This tells us whether a clean extraction is realistic or whether the cylinder should be replaced.

  4. 4

    Extract the broken piece

    We use thin purpose-made extractors and, when the stub is exposed, gripping tools to draw the fragment out in line with the keyway. The aim is to avoid scarring the pins or drilling. If the lock is already seized, we may need to free it first.

  5. 5

    Cut a replacement key

    Once the cylinder is clear, we cut a new key. If the old key was worn or bent, we may cut from the lock itself rather than copy a tired key, since copies of worn keys are often what snap next.

  6. 6

    Test and advise

    We run the new key through the lock repeatedly to confirm smooth operation. If the cylinder is worn, fouled, or damaged, we explain your options, such as rekeying or replacing it, and you decide what to do.

Need broken key extraction in Altadena?

24/7 Mobile Locksmith across Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County. We answer 24/7.

Call (323) 997-8867

What affects the price

  • Where the key broke: a standard door cylinder, a padlock, a gate lock, and a vehicle ignition each involve different tools and time.
  • How deep the broken piece sits: a stub sticking out is usually simpler than a fragment lodged deep in the keyway.
  • Condition of the lock: soot, ash, corrosion, or heavy wear from the fire aftermath can make extraction harder and may call for freeing or replacing the cylinder.
  • Type of replacement key: a basic house key differs from a high-security key, a transponder car key, or a key that must fit a master-key system.
  • Whether the cylinder must be rekeyed or replaced after extraction, including the hardware grade and how many locks are involved.
  • Time of day and location: after-hours calls and hard-to-reach hillside or large-lot properties can affect the quote, which we give before work begins.

Why Altadena chooses us

  • Fully mobile, 24/7: we bring the tools to you, with no shop to drive to and no towing a lock anywhere.
  • Operating since 1987, with owner David Shar leading the work, so we have seen the old Craftsman-era hardware common in Altadena many times over.
  • Extraction first, replacement second: we try to save a good lock before recommending you swap it out.
  • Straight advice on worn cylinders: if a lock is too fouled or damaged to trust, we say so and explain why.
  • We can handle the whole chain in one visit: extract, cut the new key, rekey if needed, and test.
  • Experience with rebuild-era needs, including new locksets, simple master-key setups, and contractor jobsite locks.

Broken Key Extraction across Altadena

Altadena's housing stock shapes the calls we get. Much of the Janes Village tract and the streets around it are 1910s to 1940s Craftsman bungalows and Spanish Colonial homes, often with original or decades-old deadbolts. Older brass cylinders wear, and a worn key is the one most likely to snap. After the January 2025 Eaton Fire, many surviving homes also have cylinders that seized from heat, smoke, and months of ash exposure, which makes a key more likely to break when someone forces it.

We also see broken-key calls tied to rebuilding. A family that bought a hillside home near Christmas Tree Lane on Santa Rosa Avenue or around the Altadena Country Club may be working with a mix of old keys and mismatched locks, plus gates and side-yard locks on larger lots. On rebuild sites in The Meadows and elsewhere, contractor lockboxes and temporary keys get heavy use, and a snapped key can stall a crew. In those cases we can extract the piece, then talk through rekeying or setting up new locksets and a simple master-key system.

We serve ZIP codes 91001 and 91003, from the Lake Ave and Lincoln Ave corridors to Fair Oaks Ave, Altadena Dr, and Woodbury Rd, and the neighborhoods near Charles White Park, Farnsworth Park, and the Cobb Estate and Sam Merrill Trailhead. If a key breaks anywhere in Altadena, day or night, call (323) 997-8867.

Locked out or need a locksmith now?

24/7 Mobile Locksmith across Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County. We answer 24/7.

Call (323) 997-8867

Other Altadena locksmith services

See all of our Altadena services, or our citywide broken key extraction page.

Broken Key Extraction in Altadena — FAQs

Can you really get a broken key out without replacing my lock?
Often, yes. If the lock is in reasonable condition, extraction usually leaves it working. If the cylinder is badly worn, corroded, or fouled with soot, we will tell you it is better to rekey or replace it. Call (323) 997-8867 and describe the lock.
Do you come to Altadena at night or on weekends?
Yes. We are fully mobile and available 24/7, including nights, weekends, and holidays. We do not have a storefront, so we come to your home, jobsite, or vehicle.
What if the key broke in my car ignition?
We can extract broken keys from ignitions and cut a replacement on site. The approach depends on the vehicle and key type, so tell us the make, model, and year when you call (323) 997-8867.
My deadbolt was already sticking after the fire before the key snapped. Does that matter?
Yes, it matters. Heat, smoke, and ash can seize cylinders, and forcing a key in a stiff lock is a common cause of breakage. We will extract the piece, then check whether the lock can be freed and rekeyed or should be replaced.
Should I try to pull the broken key out myself?
A little care is fine, but avoid superglue, hammering, or digging with large tools. These can push the fragment deeper or damage the pins, turning a simple extraction into a cylinder replacement.
Will the new key match my other locks?
If the broken key was part of a keyed-alike set, we can cut the replacement to match what the lock is keyed to. If you want to start fresh with rekeying, we can do that too.
Can you help on a rebuild site where a contractor key broke?
Yes. We work with jobsite locks, lockboxes, and new locksets, and can extract the key, replace it, and discuss master-key options. Call (323) 997-8867 so we can plan the right tools.
How do I know what the job will cost?
Cost depends on the lock type, how deep the piece is, the condition of the cylinder, the kind of replacement key, and the time and location. We give you a quote before work begins, so there are no surprises.
DS

Reviewed by David Shar — Owner & Lead Technician

Crenshaw Lock Company has served Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County since 1987.

Last updated 2026-10-12.

Call (323) 997-8867 · Open 24/7