Frequently Asked Questions

A person answers the phone, not a menu. We ask what you need, where you are, and what type of lock or key we're dealing with. Then we quote a flat price and dispatch the nearest licensed technician, who calls before arriving and shows company ID at your door. Most California calls in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, or San Francisco metro areas see arrival within 45-90 minutes during business hours. We'll be there when we say - and if traffic on the 405 or Bay Bridge delays us, you'll know before you wonder.

A typical three-bedroom California home with four to six cylinders takes 45-90 minutes. Older homes in Long Beach or Riverside with original Baldwin hardware sometimes need extra attention if decades of paint or corrosion have set in. We work methodically - Krafted right, Every time - because rushing a pin installation leads to keys that stick or fail. You'll get new keys that turn smoothly, and we'll test every lock before we leave. Most homeowners are surprised how quickly it's done when it's done right.

Yes, in most cases. For house keys, we can impression a new key from the lock cylinder or decode the pin configuration. For cars, we program transponder keys from the vehicle's VIN and onboard diagnostics - no original needed for most models 2000 and newer. The exception is certain high-security automotive systems and some restricted keyways like certain Medeco formats that require authorization. We've originated keys from scratch in Santa Clara parking lots and century-old San Francisco Victorian locks alike. Call (833) 294-4584 with your lock or vehicle details.

Yes, and rekeying is the most practical way to do it. You don't know who has copies - previous owners, contractors, dog walkers, neighbors who watered plants. Rekeying renders all old keys useless at a fraction of replacement cost. In California's competitive housing markets, we've rekeyed homes in Woodland Hills and Santa Clarita within hours of closing. We also check that locks are properly installed and strike plates are secured with long screws - basic security that gets skipped more often than you'd think. Your home first: we work in your house the way we'd work in our mother's.

A lockout means you're on the wrong side of a working lock - keys inside, lost, or stolen. We open it without damage and you're back to your existing key. Replacement means removing the old hardware and installing new, which you need when a lock is damaged, worn, or you want upgraded security. In California's coastal climates, we see more corrosion-related failures in Santa Ana and Long Beach than inland cities like Fresno. We'll open your door first, then honestly assess whether your lock has life left or owes you nothing more.

For most California homeowners, Yale and Baldwin offer the best balance of security, durability, and serviceability. Yale's residential deadbolts resist picking and bumping at a reasonable price point. Baldwin's solid brass construction holds up to decades of use - we've serviced Baldwins in Pasadena homes that were installed in the 1990s and still operate smoothly. For high-security needs, Mul-T-Lock provides drill-resistant cylinders and restricted keyways that prevent unauthorized duplication. We install what fits your door and your budget, not what pads our margin. Call (833) 294-4584 to discuss your specific situation.

Medeco locks are worth it when you need pick resistance, drill resistance, and key control - meaning no one can duplicate your key without authorization. For a standard suburban home in Riverside or Sacramento, that level of security may be more than necessary. For a home with valuable collections, a home office with sensitive files, or a property in a high-break-in area of Los Angeles, Medeco's UL 437 rating provides genuine peace of mind. We've installed Medeco systems in Woodland Hills estates and rekeyed them when staff changed. The question isn't whether they're good - they are - it's whether your situation warrants the premium.

We can service most antique locks made by major manufacturers from about 1880 onward. Skeleton keys, rim locks, and mortise mechanisms in California's Victorian and Craftsman homes - common in San Francisco, Santa Ana, and older Sacramento neighborhoods - often need cleaning, lubrication with proper graphite (never WD-40), and occasional pin or spring replacement. We don't destroy vintage hardware to install modern cylinders unless you specifically request it. Your home's original character matters, and we've learned these mechanisms across four decades of California locksmithing. Some jobs take patience; we're not in a hurry when the work deserves care.

Yes, California requires locksmiths to hold a Locksmith Company License from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, and individual technicians must carry a pocket card. Always ask to see it. Our techs show ID at every door - no exceptions - because the person who opens your locks should be the most verifiable person you've ever hired. We've heard too many stories from Fresno to San Diego of unlicensed operators who damaged locks, overcharged, or worse. A legitimate California locksmith has nothing to hide. Ask us, ask anyone you consider hiring.

We carry full general liability insurance and are bonded as required by California law. This protects your property if something goes wrong - rare, but that's what insurance is for. More importantly, it signals that we're established enough to maintain coverage and intend to stay that way. Named for the iron box where your grandfather kept the deed, Strongbox Lock & Safe Co. has operated in California since 1984. We're not a fly-by-night operation or a dispatch service routing calls to whoever answers. We're local, licensed, insured, and we'll be here to stand behind our work.

Ask for the California locksmith license number and verify it on the BSIS website. Confirm they have a local address - not just a phone number routing to a call center. Check how long they've been in business; our 1984 founding date is a matter of public record. Ask if their technicians are employees or subcontractors - ours are employees, background-checked, in company uniforms with ID badges. And get a flat price quote in writing or by email before agreeing to service. The $19-ad scam persists because people skip these steps. Don't. Your security is worth five minutes of verification.

In most California metro areas - Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento - yes, usually within the hour during business hours and within two hours for after-hours calls. We maintain technicians across the state, not a single truck hoping to cover six counties. Rural areas or unusual circumstances may take longer, and we'll tell you honestly if we can't make a time that works. We'll be there when we say, or we'll call with an updated ETA before you have to wonder. Call (833) 294-4584 now and we'll give you a specific arrival window.

First, check all doors and ground-floor windows - not to break in, but to confirm you're truly locked out. Then call us at (833) 294-4584. While you wait, find a well-lit, safe place near the door; our tech will call when they're close and show ID before touching your lock. Don't try to force entry yourself - damaged locks cost more to repair or replace than a professional opening. We've responded to lockouts in Santa Clarita at midnight and San Francisco at dawn. Locked means locked, and we treat every call with the urgency it deserves.

We handle both. Automotive lockouts are a significant part of our emergency work across California - from key fobs dead in a Long Beach parking lot to traditional keys locked in a truck at a Fresno job site. We carry the diagnostic tools to program most transponder keys and remotes on-site. Some luxury European models require dealer-only programming, and we'll tell you upfront if your vehicle falls in that category rather than waste your time. Most American and Asian vehicles, though, we can get you back into and driving the same day.

Yes. The Keystone Standard, applied to locks: 90 days, in writing, no arguing. If a key we cut sticks, a lock we install fails, or a rekey doesn't operate smoothly, we come back and make it right. No paperwork to file, no manager to escalate, no arguing about whether it's "normal wear." Standing behind it is one of our K.E.Y.S. values, and we've honored it since 1984. We've returned to a Santa Clara rekey that settled differently after a week, and to a San Diego deadbolt that needed adjustment after the door swelled in humid weather. Done right means it stays right.

The Keystone Standard covers our workmanship and the hardware we supply for 90 days. If we installed it and it doesn't function as it should, we fix or replace it. It does not cover damage from abuse, attempted break-ins, or issues with customer-supplied hardware that was already defective or incompatible. Normal wear beyond 90 days is also outside warranty, though we'll always diagnose honestly and charge fairly for repair. The warranty is simple because we're local and plan to stay that way - a company that sponsors the county fair and answers the phone with a person doesn't hide behind fine print.

Call us. We'll make it right. That's not a slogan; it's how we've operated for forty years in California. Our techs are trained journeymen, not rushed contractors, but we're human and occasionally miss something. If a lock doesn't feel right, if a key turns harder than you expect, if something just seems off - we want to know. Your home first means we work in your house the way we'd work in our mother's, and we'd never leave our mother with a job that didn't feel finished. Call (833) 294-4584 and we'll sort it out, no arguing.

Written by the team at Strongbox Lock & Safe Co. of California, serving Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, Long Beach, Riverside, Woodland Hills, Santa Clara, Santa Clarita, and Santa Ana since 1984.