Open 24/7 · Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County

(323) 997-8867
Crenshaw Lock

Key Duplication in Altadena · 24/7 mobile

Key Duplication in Altadena, California

Crenshaw Lock Company provides mobile key duplication in Altadena, California, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We come to your home, jobsite or office and cut house, office, mailbox and restricted keys on location. Call (323) 997-8867 to talk through what you need copied.

  • Mobile to your Altadena location
  • Available 24/7
  • Price quoted before we start
Call (323) 997-8867or tap to call — we answer 24/7
Key cutting machine duplicating a brass key
Open now(323) 997-8867

Most people think of key copying as something done at a hardware counter. In Altadena, that picture has changed. Many households are rebuilding, renting temporarily, or sorting out which keys survived the Eaton Fire in January 2025 and which did not. Others are handing keys to contractors, architects, inspectors and family members for the first time. Getting reliable copies made where you are, without hauling a ring of keys across town, is often the most practical option.

Crenshaw Lock Company is fully mobile. We have no storefront to visit; our technician brings the cutting equipment and key blanks to your driveway, your jobsite or your front porch. David Shar has run the business since 1987, and that long experience with Southern California locks shows most on the awkward jobs: worn keys, old Craftsman-era hardware, and restricted keyways that most counters will not touch.

A good copy is more than a matching shape. A key cut from a badly worn original carries that wear forward, and a copy of a copy drifts further from the factory cut. We test every duplicate in the actual lock it is meant for, and we tell you plainly when a key is too worn to copy well and rekeying or a fresh key cut by code is the better answer.

How it works in Altadena

  1. 1

    Call and describe what you have

    Phone (323) 997-8867 any hour. Tell us what kind of keys you need copied: house, office, mailbox, padlock, gate or something stamped restricted. Mention how many copies you want and where in Altadena you are, and we will talk through the plan.

  2. 2

    We come to your location

    Our technician drives to your home, rebuild site or office with the cutting equipment and a range of blanks. Nothing needs to leave your property, which matters when the original is the only key you have.

  3. 3

    Inspect the original key and lock

    We check the original for wear, bends and cracks, and look at the lock it operates. Soot or ash in a cylinder, a common issue on surviving homes near the burn areas, can make a key stick no matter how good the copy is, so we note it before cutting.

  4. 4

    Cut and finish the copies

    We select the correct blank for the keyway and cut the duplicates, then deburr them so they enter smoothly and do not shave brass inside your lock. Where the original is too worn, we can cut by code or by decoding the lock instead.

  5. 5

    Test in the real lock

    Each new key is tried in the lock, several times, including the deadbolt and any secondary locks it should fit. A copy that only almost works gets recut, not handed over.

  6. 6

    Advise on restricted and master keys

    If your keys are restricted, we explain what authorization is needed to copy them. For rebuilds, we can also discuss a simple master-key arrangement so the owner, contractor and later occupants have appropriate access.

Need key duplication in Altadena?

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

Call (323) 997-8867

What affects the price

  • The type of key: a standard house key is a simpler job than a high-security, dimple, tubular or restricted key.
  • How many copies you need, and whether they are all cut at the same visit.
  • The condition of the original, since a worn key may need to be decoded or cut by code rather than simply traced.
  • Restricted keyways, which can require proof of authorization and special blanks.
  • Whether the visit is during normal hours or a late-night, weekend or holiday call.
  • Added work such as rekeying, freeing a seized cylinder, or setting up a master-key system alongside the duplication.

Why Altadena chooses us

  • Fully mobile: the equipment comes to you, so originals never leave your sight and you do not drive anywhere.
  • Serving Greater Los Angeles and Ventura County since 1987, with experience on both old Craftsman hardware and new construction locksets.
  • Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which helps when a contractor needs access first thing or a family needs keys after hours.
  • Every copy is tested in the actual lock, and we say so honestly if a key is too worn to duplicate well.
  • We can handle restricted keys where authorization allows, and explain clearly when it does not.
  • We can combine copying with rekeying or master-key setup so you do not have to schedule separate visits.

Key Duplication across Altadena

Altadena is a foothill community with a wide range of housing, from 1910s to 1940s Craftsman bungalows and Spanish Colonial homes to mid-century houses, much of it in the Janes Village tract. Since the Eaton Fire in January 2025, key needs here look different than in a typical suburb. Rebuilding families need extra sets for builders and inspectors. Surviving homes in Janes Village may have keys that no longer turn smoothly because ash and soot got into the cylinders. Owners near Christmas Tree Lane on Santa Rosa Avenue and around the Altadena Country Club often have larger lots with gates and side-yard locks, each with its own key.

We work throughout 91001 and 91003, including The Meadows and the streets running off Lake Ave, Lincoln Ave, Fair Oaks Ave, Altadena Dr and Woodbury Rd. Whether you are near Charles White Park, Farnsworth Park, or up toward the Cobb Estate and Sam Merrill Trailhead, we bring the key machine to you.

For rebuild projects, a common request is a set of new locksets keyed alike, plus a simple master key for the owner and a lockbox arrangement for the contractor during construction. Copies for the whole crew can be cut on site. For homes that changed hands, we can duplicate the keys you want to keep and rekey the rest. Call (323) 997-8867 and we will plan around your property.

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 key duplication page.

Key Duplication in Altadena — FAQs

Do you come to me in Altadena to copy keys?
Yes. Crenshaw Lock Company is fully mobile and has no storefront. We bring cutting equipment to your home, jobsite or office in Altadena. Call (323) 997-8867 to arrange a visit.
Are you available at night or on weekends?
Yes, we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That includes nights, weekends and holidays, which can help on active rebuild sites where access is needed outside normal hours.
Can you copy a key marked Do Not Duplicate?
That stamp is often just a warning rather than a true restriction, but a genuinely restricted keyway has controls behind it. We can discuss what applies to your key and what authorization may be needed. Call (323) 997-8867 with a description.
My locks stick since the fire. Will a new copy fix that?
Not necessarily. Ash and soot can foul a cylinder so even a perfect key binds. We can inspect the lock, free or service it, or rekey it if needed, and then cut copies that run smoothly.
My original key is badly worn. Can you still copy it?
Often yes, but copying a worn key passes the wear along. Where we can, we cut by code or decode the lock to make a cleaner key. We will tell you honestly which approach is best.
Can you make keys for a rebuild with a master key system?
Yes. We can supply and key new locksets for a rebuild and set up a simple master-key arrangement, then cut the copies the owner and contractor need. Contact us at (323) 997-8867 to talk through the layout.
Can you duplicate mailbox and gate keys too?
Yes. We copy mailbox, padlock, gate and side-yard keys along with house and office keys, which is useful on larger hillside lots where several locks share a ring.
How much will duplication cost?
It depends on the key type, the number of copies, the condition of the original, whether it is restricted, and the time of day. We do not quote blind; describe your keys when you call (323) 997-8867 and we will explain what affects the price.
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