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Crenshaw Lock

Lock Installation in Los Angeles · 24/7 mobile

Lock Installation in Los Angeles

Crenshaw Lock Company installs new locks on new doors, and on doors that never had one, throughout Los Angeles. We are fully mobile and available 24/7, so the work happens at your home or building. Deadbolts, knobsets, levers, mortise locks, and security screen door locks are all covered. Call (323) 997-8867.

  • Mobile to your Los Angeles location
  • Available 24/7
  • Price quoted before we start
Call (323) 997-8867or tap to call — we answer 24/7
New deadbolt being fastened to a white front door
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Installing a lock where none existed before is different from swapping one out. The door has to be bored or mortised correctly, the strike has to line up with a frame that may have settled over decades, and the hardware has to suit the door it goes on. In Los Angeles that door might be a solid-core slab on a new ADU in West Adams, a 1920s Craftsman door in Leimert Park, or a wrought-iron security screen in Crenshaw that came with no lock at all.

Crenshaw Lock Company has worked across Greater Los Angeles since 1987, and owner and lead technician David Shar has spent that time on the city's mixed housing stock: Spanish Colonial Revival homes, mid-century estates in Baldwin Hills, dingbat apartments, and new multifamily buildings. We are mobile only. There is no storefront to visit. We bring the tools, jigs, and hardware to your door and do the install there.

This page explains how a new lock installation works, what affects the cost, and what to think about for older Los Angeles homes. If you would rather talk it through, call and describe your door. We will tell you honestly what it needs.

How it works in Los Angeles

  1. 1

    Talk through the door and the goal

    When you call, we ask what kind of door it is (wood, metal, fiberglass, glass-paneled, or a security screen), whether it is pre-bored, and what you want the lock to do. A back door off an alley, a bedroom in a shared rental, and a new ADU entry each call for different hardware, and this conversation keeps us from showing up with the wrong parts.

  2. 2

    Inspect the door, frame, and backset on site

    At your property we check door thickness, edge condition, backset, and how the door sits in the frame. Older Los Angeles homes often have frames that have shifted, or doors that already have an abandoned mortise pocket from an original lock. We plan around those conditions before drilling.

  3. 3

    Bore, mortise, or prepare the door

    For a blank door we bore the cross hole and edge hole to spec, or cut a mortise pocket for a mortise lock. On metal doors and security screens we drill and tap as needed. Clean prep lets the latch and bolt move freely and gives the lock its full strength.

  4. 4

    Set the strike and reinforce the frame

    The strike plate is where many entry doors fail. We line it up so the bolt fully throws, and where it makes sense we use longer screws that reach the framing behind the jamb, not just the trim. On older doors we may add a reinforcement plate.

  5. 5

    Test, key, and walk you through it

    We cycle the lock repeatedly from both sides, check that the deadbolt throws completely with the door closed, and confirm the keys work smoothly. If you want several new locks keyed alike, we handle that during the visit. Then we show you how everything operates.

Need lock installation in Los Angeles?

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

Call (323) 997-8867

What affects the price

  • Door material and condition: solid wood, hollow core, metal, fiberglass, and wrought-iron screens each need different prep and tools, and damaged or uneven doors take more work.
  • Whether the door is pre-bored: a blank slab needs to be bored or mortised from scratch, which takes longer than fitting hardware into existing holes.
  • Type and grade of hardware: a standard knobset, a Grade-1 deadbolt, a mortise lockset, a smart lock, and a security screen lock vary widely in parts cost.
  • Frame repair or reinforcement: settled frames, old strike pockets, or soft wood around the jamb may need filling, shimming, or a reinforcement plate.
  • Number of doors and keying needs: installing several locks keyed alike in one visit is handled differently than a single lock.
  • Time of service: we work 24/7, and calls at night, on weekends, or on holidays can affect the total. We explain this before work starts.

Why Los Angeles chooses us

  • Local and mobile since 1987: Crenshaw Lock Company has worked out of the Crenshaw and 90008 area for decades, and all installs are done at your door.
  • Experience with older LA doors: we regularly work on original 1920s mortise doors, interior skeleton-key doors, and Craftsman and Spanish Revival entries, and we try to preserve original woodwork rather than damage it.
  • Security screen and gate work: wrought-iron security screen doors are common across South LA, and we install and service locks on them as well as on the main door behind them.
  • Owner-led: David Shar, the owner and lead technician, is directly involved in the business. You are dealing with a local locksmith, not a call center.
  • Straight answers on hardware: we will tell you when a basic lock is enough and when a Grade-1 deadbolt or frame reinforcement is worth it, and we explain pricing factors before any drilling.
  • Available 24/7: if you need a lock on a door tonight, such as a newly hung door or a door replaced after a break-in, you can call any hour.

Lock Installation across Los Angeles

Our home base is the 90008 area around Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza and Leimert Park Village, and much of our installation work is nearby. In Leimert Park and the surrounding 90043 and 90018 blocks, many Craftsman and Spanish Colonial Revival homes still have original doors that were built for mortise locks. When owners add a deadbolt to one of those doors for the first time, or put a lock on a new back door or garage entry, we take care with the old-growth wood and the existing pockets. In the View Park-Windsor Hills and Baldwin Hills historic district, period-revival and mid-century estates often have heavy doors, double doors, and side entries that need hardware suited to their weight and style.

West Adams (90016, 90018, 90007) has a mix of historic bungalows, courtyard apartments, and new ADUs and multifamily infill, and we see plenty of first-time installs on new construction. One recurring kind of call there is re-securing a bungalow after a break-in: straightening a pried wrought-iron security screen door and installing a Grade-1 deadbolt on the entry behind it. Near Exposition Park, USC, and the LA Memorial Coliseum, landlords often call us to add locks to bedroom doors in shared rentals or to new unit entries.

We also travel across the city, along Crenshaw Blvd, La Brea Ave, Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Slauson Ave, and the I-10, I-110, and I-405 corridors, to Koreatown (90006, 90019), Hollywood (90046, 90027) near Griffith Observatory, and Downtown (90012) around Union Station and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Apartment and mixed-use buildings there often need commercial-grade levers or keyed-alike sets across many doors. We come to you wherever the door is.

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 Los Angeles locksmith services

See all of our Los Angeles services, or our citywide lock installation page.

Lock Installation in Los Angeles — FAQs

Can you install a lock on a door that has never had one?
Yes. That is what new lock installation is. We bore or mortise the door, set the strike in the frame, and fit the hardware so it works correctly. Call (323) 997-8867 and tell us the door type, and we will bring what it needs.
My 1920s Leimert Park home has original doors. Can you add a deadbolt without ruining them?
In most cases, yes. We check the door's thickness, the existing mortise pocket, and the condition of the wood first, then choose a placement and hardware that fit. Sometimes an original mortise lock can stay in place for its look while a separate deadbolt provides security. We will talk through the options with you on site.
Do you install locks on wrought-iron security screen doors?
Yes. Security screen doors are common in Crenshaw, West Adams, and much of South LA, and many were installed without a proper lock or with one that has worn out. We can install a lock on the screen and, if you like, key it to match your main door.
Will you tell me the price before you start?
We do not quote fixed prices without knowing the door. The cost depends on the door material, whether it is pre-bored, the hardware you choose, any frame work, and the time of day. Once we have seen the door, or when you describe it on the phone at (323) 997-8867, we explain the factors before any work begins.
Do you have a shop I can bring a door or lock to?
No. Crenshaw Lock Company is fully mobile with no storefront. We come to your home, apartment, or building anywhere in Los Angeles, from Baldwin Hills to Koreatown to Downtown, and do the installation there.
I just had a new door hung on my ADU in West Adams. Can you put locks on it tonight?
Yes, we are available 24/7. Call (323) 997-8867 and tell us whether the door came pre-bored. We can install a knobset or lever along with a deadbolt and key them to your existing locks if you want.
Can you key several new locks to one key?
Yes. When we install several locks, such as front, back, side, and a security screen, we can key them alike so one key opens them all. That is especially useful for duplexes and courtyard buildings.
What grade of deadbolt should I put on an exterior door in Los Angeles?
For main exterior doors we usually recommend a Grade-1 deadbolt paired with a reinforced strike that reaches into the framing. The frame matters as much as the lock. We will explain why we recommend a particular option and leave the choice to you.
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