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Kwikset Deadbolt Installation: The Los Angeles Owner’s Guide
Kwikset deadbolt installation in Los Angeles typically runs $180 – $320 for a standard single-cylinder replacement, including the lockset, labor, and door prep if needed. Most homes in Los Angeles neighborhoods like Palms, Silver Lake, and Sherman Oaks can be scheduled same-day, and we stock the common Kwikset series on our trucks. You’ll usually know it’s time when the thumb turn grinds, the bolt sticks in the strike plate, or your key starts catching halfway in.
Which Kwikset Models This Applies To
Kwikset deadbolts break down into three main families you’ll find across Los Angeles homes, and the right replacement depends on which one is on your door right now.
The Kwikset 660 Series is the baseline single-cylinder deadbolt you’ll see in most apartments and tract homes built from the 1980s through the mid-2000s. It uses a standard 2-3/8 inch or 2-3/4 inch backset, and the faceplate is 1 inch wide. The SmartKey 980/985 Series adds the rekeyable cylinder, popular in rentals around Culver City and West Adams where landlords want quick turnover without swapping hardware. The Contemporary and Signature Series (including Halifax and San Clemente trims) use a larger 1-1/2 inch faceplate and a different chassis depth, so a 660 won’t drop into the same prep without widening the bore.
To identify yours, check the latch face for a stamped model number, or remove the interior thumb turn and look for a label on the chassis. The backset measurement, center-to-center from the door edge to the cylinder hole, is the spec that matters most. We carry both OEM Kwikset boxes and quality Grade 2 aftermarket equivalents that meet the same ANSI/BHMA standards. For rentals or properties where you plan to rekey frequently, SmartKey is worth the extra $30 – $50 in parts. For a permanent residence where you want the cleanest finish match, OEM is the safer call.
Signs Your Kwikset Deadbolt Installation Is Failing
- The key catches or requires jiggling to turn. This usually means the pin chambers inside the cylinder are wearing unevenly, or the key itself has developed burrs from years of use. In Los Angeles, the fine desert dust that blows in from the east during Santa Ana season accelerates this grit buildup.
- The thumb turn spins freely but the bolt doesn’t move. The tailpiece connecting the thumb turn to the bolt mechanism has either snapped or slipped its catch. This is common on older 660 Series units where the zinc alloy tailpiece fatigues after 15 – 20 years of daily use.
- The bolt sticks protruding or won’t fully extend into the strike plate. Either the bolt itself is corroding (more common within three miles of the coast in Marina del Rey or Playa del Rey, where salt air gets past the plating), or the door has settled and the strike plate alignment has shifted.
- The deadbolt works from inside but not with the key, or vice versa. This points to a split failure in the dual-sided mechanism, often from someone forcing the wrong key or from internal springs losing tension. SmartKey cylinders are particularly prone to this if they’ve been rekeyed multiple times with the learning tool.
- The entire cylinder pulls forward when you remove the key. The retaining clip on the back of the cylinder has broken or the mounting screws have stripped the door. This is an imminent security failure, not just a convenience issue.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
Here’s what Kwikset deadbolt installation costs in Los Angeles, with everything included:
| Service | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Standard Kwikset 660 single-cylinder replacement | $180 – $240 |
| Kwikset SmartKey 980/985 with rekey | $220 – $290 |
| Contemporary/Signature Series with door prep | $260 – $320 |
| Strike plate adjustment or replacement | $25 – $45 (added to above) |
The range depends on three things: whether your door already has the correct bore size and backset, whether the strike plate needs relocation, and which grade of hardware you choose. We put the full price in writing before any work starts. That written price is the price on the invoice. No call-out surcharge gets added when we arrive.
Every installation carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the bolt binds, the cylinder loosens, or anything else fails within a full year, we return and make it right at no charge.
DIY or Call Us?
There’s a honest middle ground here. If you’re handy, you can safely check whether the problem is alignment, not hardware, loosen the strike plate screws and see if the bolt throws smoothly with the plate removed. If it does, you’re looking at a $10 strike plate fix, not a full replacement.
Where DIY goes wrong is door prep. Enlarging a bore hole or chiseling a new faceplate mortise freehand almost always leaves gaps, splinters, or misalignment that weakens the door and voids the lock’s warranty. Kwikset’s installation templates exist for a reason. The other risk is the SmartKey rekeying process itself, if you choose that series. One misstep with the learning tool and the cylinder becomes unrecoverable, turning a $220 job into a $320 job plus your time.
We’re not affiliated with Kwikset, but we’ve installed thousands of their deadbolts across Los Angeles since 2007. If you want it done once, done right, and guaranteed for a full year, call us at (910) 714-4287. We’ll give you the exact price over the phone before we dispatch.
FAQs
In Los Angeles, a standard Kwikset 660 typically lasts 12 – 18 years with normal use, though coastal salt air can cut that to 8 – 12 years, and heavy Santa Ana dust seasons wear cylinders faster. SmartKey cylinders often need attention sooner if they’ve been rekeyed repeatedly. Call (910) 714-4287 and we’ll assess whether yours has life left or if replacement is the smarter spend.
Sometimes. A sticky cylinder can be cleaned and lubricated with graphite, and a loose retaining clip can be replaced. But once the tailpiece breaks or the bolt itself is corroded, repair costs approach replacement with no warranty protection. We always quote both options honestly when repair is viable. Call (910) 714-4287 for a free assessment.
A straightforward swap on a properly prepped door takes 20 – 30 minutes. If we need to adjust the bore, relocate the strike plate, or deal with a door that’s settled in its frame, plan on 45 – 60 minutes. We schedule two-hour windows and call when we’re en route.
Yes. We carry the 660 Series, SmartKey 980/985, and select Contemporary finishes in satin nickel and Venetian bronze, the two most common requests in Los Angeles. Less common finishes like polished brass or matte black we can source same-day from our downtown supplier. Call (910) 714-4287 to confirm your finish is on the truck.
Perry Osgood grew up in the Palms neighborhood, a few blocks west of Culver City, where he spent enough time watching his uncle re-key apartment buildings to know this trade was more about trust than tools. He still runs Dunmore Locksmith on that same rule: every job gets a written price before anyone touches a door, and every technician who goes out is someone Perry would send to his own mother’s house. A locked door should only stop the wrong person.
Ready to get your Kwikset deadbolt installed right? Call (910) 714-4287 for a free estimate. A live person answers 24 hours a day, and we’ll send you your technician’s name and photo before anyone arrives at your door.
Written by Perry Osgood, Owner & Lead Technician, Dunmore Locksmith at Dunmore Locksmith, serving Los Angeles and nearby areas.