Smart Lock in La Jolla
Original La Jolla doors are often beautiful, thick, and not quite the dimensions a smart lock expects.
No deposit. Pay when it's done. Or call John on (619) 928-6500.
La Jolla specifics
What's different about Smart Lock here
Village and Windansea homes frequently have original solid or custom front doors, sometimes thicker than the standard range a smart lock supports, occasionally with a non-standard backset. Both are entirely workable and both are much better discovered before you order. Send me a photo of the current deadbolt from inside and out, plus the door edge, and I'll tell you what will fit.
Coastal humidity and salt air matter here too. Doors near the water swell and move seasonally, so a lock installed in a dry October can bind by March if the strike was set with no tolerance. I allow for that when I adjust the strike rather than setting it to just barely clear. Exterior-facing lock hardware in Bird Rock and Windansea also takes salt exposure — a finish that looks fine in a catalogue can pit within a year or two on a west-facing door, which is worth knowing before you choose one.
Before you book, from La Jolla
Measure your door thickness before ordering — this matters more in La Jolla than almost anywhere, because original and custom front doors here are frequently thicker than the standard range a smart lock supports. Also measure the backset: the distance from the door edge to the centre of the deadbolt hole, which will be either 2⅜ or 2¾ inches on a standard door and occasionally something else entirely on an older one. Photograph both sides of the existing lock and I'll confirm before you buy.
Getting to you
Streets in Bird Rock and above the Village are narrow and steep with limited parking, and a few of the coastal condo buildings require a certificate of insurance from anyone working on site before they'll let you up. Ask your building what they need and I'll tell you honestly whether I can meet it.
What's included
- Existing deadbolt removed and the new lock fitted to the same bore
- Strike plate checked and adjusted so the bolt throws without binding
- Backset and door thickness verified — the reason most self-installs fail
- Paired to your phone and connected to WiFi or your hub
- Entry codes programmed with you
- Auto-lock and unlock behavior set the way you actually want it
What I'll need from you
- The lock, and the door it's going on
- Your WiFi password and the app account made
- Any codes you want programmed — yours, and anyone else's
- How long it takes
- About 45 minutes.
John
The instructions came in six languages and none of them helped.
Questions
Smart Lock in La Jolla
Everything on the main smart lock page applies here too — same price, same inclusions.
Will it fit my door?
Most standard doors, yes. Text me a photo of the current deadbolt from both sides and I'll confirm before you buy anything. Thick doors and unusual backsets are the two things that catch people out.
What if my door doesn't close properly now?
Then a smart lock will make it worse, not better. I can usually adjust the strike plate as part of the install. If the door itself has dropped or the frame has shifted, I'll tell you what's actually wrong.
Can you install one on a glass or sliding door?
No — those need a different kind of hardware. Standard deadbolt replacements on hinged doors are what I do here.
Also in La Jolla
Worth doing on the same trip
About 20 minutes each way. Adding a second job to one visit is the cheapest way to buy my time.
Smart lock installation in La Jolla
La Jolla front doors are frequently the most expensive component of the entry, and that changes the smart lock conversation. Solid timber, custom widths, non-standard backsets and occasionally hardware that was specified with the house — none of which a lock bought off a shelf necessarily fits. Measuring before ordering matters far more here than in a tract home, and I would rather tell you the model to buy than fit the wrong one neatly. Send a photo of the existing deadbolt and the door edge.
La Jolla? Send a photo and I'll confirm $119.
Same flat price as everywhere else I work. If the photo shows something that changes it, you'll know before I drive out.
Would rather type it out? Ask for a price here.