Straight answers before you call

Typical response inside Pacific Beach is 20–30 minutes. Mission Beach, La Jolla, Bay Park and the other neighborhoods we cover are usually a few minutes more. You get a real ETA when you call, based on where the technician actually is, and we let you know if traffic changes it.

Call (858) 842-9337 and tell us where you are; a lockout call is the fastest path back inside. We are open 7 am to 9:30 pm, every day. Do not force the door or window, which usually costs more to fix than the lockout. Have your ID handy, and if it is dark out, wait somewhere lit and busy until we arrive.

Very unlikely. We open the overwhelming majority of home, business and car locks with non-destructive methods: picking, bypassing and decoding. Drilling is a last resort for broken or specialty hardware, and it is never a surprise. You hear the reason and the replacement cost first, and you decide.

It depends on the job, and you get the number on the phone before we head out. A standard lockout costs less than a car key replacement, and a single rekey costs less than a whole house. We confirm the price on arrival before starting, and it does not change once the door is open.

Three things: the type of lock, how many doors or keys are involved, and whether any hardware needs replacing. A basic residential lockout is the simplest job we do. High-security cylinders, push-to-start car keys and jobs that need new parts cost more, and the quote reflects that up front.

No surprise fees. The price you are quoted on the phone covers the trip and the work described, and it is the price you pay. Evening and weekend calls are quoted the same way as any other: you hear the number before we leave, not at the door. If we find something different on site, we stop and explain before doing anything extra.

Every job is quoted before anyone is dispatched, whatever the day, and the quote is the price you pay. We are open 7 am to 9:30 pm, every day, so an 8 pm Saturday lockout is handled the same way as a Tuesday morning rekey: you get the number on the phone first.

Card, cash or common payment apps, at the end of the job, for exactly the amount you were quoted. You get a receipt with the business name and license information on it.

Yes. California requires every locksmith business to hold a Locksmith Company (LCO) license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, and the people doing the work must be registered with the state too. We are insured as well. Ask for our license number any time; a legitimate locksmith never hesitates to give it. Read more about the business.

Yes, and you should want us to ask. Before we open a door we check photo ID plus something that ties you to the property or vehicle: a lease, a piece of mail, or the registration. It takes thirty seconds and keeps a locksmith from becoming a burglar's best tool. We keep a note of the ID we checked with the job record, as described in our privacy policy.

Local. A Locksmith Pacific Beach is an independent mobile locksmith based in Pacific Beach, San Diego 92109. When you call, you talk to the person who shows up, not a dispatcher who resells the job to whoever is nearest. Many "locksmith near me" listings in San Diego are national lead brokers; we are not one of them.

Insist on a price over the phone and walk away if it changes at the door. A real locksmith answers with a business name, gives you a California license number without hesitation, arrives in a marked vehicle, and tries to open the lock before talking about drilling. If someone says every lock needs to be drilled and replaced, call somebody else.

Yes. We cut a new key to the vehicle and program the transponder or fob on site for most makes and models, with no original key and no tow to the dealer. Have your ID and proof the car is yours, such as registration or insurance, and tell us the year, make and model when you call. See the lost car key guide.

For most domestic, Japanese and Korean vehicles and many European ones, yes, at your location. A few high-end models still require dealer tools, and we tell you on the phone if yours is one. If you already bought a fob online, send us the part number before ordering another; some aftermarket fobs cannot be programmed.

Usually, and always faster. The dealer typically needs the car towed in, an appointment, and days for a key to arrive. We come to the car, cut and program the key on the spot, and you drive away the same day.

Rekey if the locks work well and you just need old keys to stop working; it is the cheaper answer most of the time. Replace if the hardware is worn, corroded by salt air, builder-grade, or you want a smart lock or a higher security grade. We look at what you have and give you a straight recommendation.

Yes. Previous tenants, cleaners, contractors and an ex-roommate may all have copies of your key. Rekeying keeps your existing locks and makes every old key useless, usually in under an hour for a whole home. We can key every exterior door alike at the same time so one key does everything. See the move-in checklist.

Yes. We install and set up keypad and app-based locks from Schlage, Yale, August, Kwikset and others, whether you supply the lock or we do. We adjust the door so it closes and latches on its own first, which is the difference between a smart lock that works for years and one that drains batteries and jams.

Salt in the air attacks the thin plating on cheap locks, and within a few blocks of the ocean they pit, stiffen and seize in a couple of years. Solid brass, stainless and marine-grade finishes last far longer. A sticking lock can often be cleaned and repaired; a corroded one is usually worth replacing with hardware that suits the coast.

Pacific Beach first, then the neighborhoods around it: Mission Beach, La Jolla, Bird Rock, Crown Point, Bay Park, Clairemont, Ocean Beach, Point Loma, Mission Valley, University City and Old Town. Somewhere else nearby? Call and ask; if we can get to you quickly, we will come. Each neighborhood has its own page under service areas, for example Mission Beach and La Jolla, explaining how we get there and what to expect.

We are open 7 am to 9:30 pm, every day, weekends included. Lockouts and same-day work are handled during those hours; rekeys, lock installation, car keys and commercial jobs can be booked by call, text or message for any time that suits you. Outside those hours, text us your details and we reply as soon as we open.