Best Locksmiths in Santa Monica

Frequently Asked Questions

• Introduction

  Locksmiths are professional contractors who assist homeowners, property management companies, and vehicle owners with lock installations, residential and vehicle lockouts, and home security matters.

  
  

  Locksmiths are on call for emergencies to assist those locked out of their homes or vehicles after hours, and their services include rekeying home locks and auto locks, installing security systems, creating replacement keys, and opening safes.

  
  

  Locksmiths assist with installing brand new locks for home and building owners following break-ins, and they fix broken locks. Besides the standard lock and key systems, professional locksmiths handle the installation of keyless entry systems that include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, keypad, and biometric.
  

• What is a locksmith?

  A locksmith is an individual who works with locks, offering services such as key copying, lockout assistance for homes and vehicles, new lock installations, key repair, and lock repair. Locksmiths also assist with the installation of home and business security systems.
  

• What does a locksmith do?

  Locksmiths are contractors who provide on-call services for homeowners, vehicle owners, and renters. Services include fixing broken locks, opening car doors when keys are locked inside or lost, creating replacement keys, and lockout assistance for individuals locked out of their homes or apartments.
  

• How do locksmiths open doors?

  Locksmiths open house and apartment doors in a variety of ways. Trip wires are curved devices utilized to open frozen tumblers, also referred to as door lock pins. Modified hex keys serve as copies of original keys that are used when trip wires don't work, and plastic bypass shims are slid between doorjambs to pop open spring-powered latch bolts.
  

• How do locksmiths open car doors?

  When car doors cannot be opened due to broken keys, locksmiths first use key extractors to remove the remaining material. For cars with keyless entry systems, a locksmith can reprogram the locks without causing damage. Slim-jim tools are a common tool that locksmiths insert between the car window's weather stripping and glass to open the lock from the inside.
  

• How much does a locksmith cost?

  Locksmith charges can vary depending on specific services needed. For example, standard hourly rates typically range between $50 and $100, but specialized services, such as opening safes, can cost up to $400, and lock changing starts at $75 per hour. Trip charges, mileage, and after-hours costs can also affect final pricing.
  

• How much does it cost for a locksmith to unlock a house?

  The average cost for home key unlocking is between $100 and $200. Home lock changing costs approximately $75 per hour, and after-hours charges range between $75 and $125. If homeowners require emergency lockout services, the cost is approximately $100 to $150 per trip.