The Phone Call That Started It All
A few weeks ago, our dispatcher picked up a call from a guy named Marco. He lived in a ranch-style home off of Kester Avenue, just south of Victory Boulevard in Van Nuys. Marco wasn’t locked out. Nothing was broken. He just had a question.
“My insurance agent told me I could get a discount on my homeowner’s policy if I installed deadbolts on all my exterior doors. Is that actually a thing?”
We hear this more often than you’d think. And yes — it’s absolutely a thing.
Marco’s Situation
Marco had bought his house about three years earlier. It was a solid 1960s build, the kind you see all over the neighborhoods between Vanowen Street and Sherman Way. Three bedrooms, detached garage, a side door leading to the backyard. The problem? Every exterior door still had the original builder-grade knob locks — the kind you can defeat with a credit card and about ten seconds of effort.
His insurance agent at a brokerage near the Van Nuys Civic Center had reviewed his policy during a routine renewal. She pointed out that his carrier, like many in California, offers a security hardware discount. Deadbolts on all exterior entry points could knock 5–15% off his annual premium. For Marco, that worked out to roughly $240 a year.
He’d been meaning to upgrade the locks anyway. The insurance angle just pushed it to the top of his list.
What We Found When We Got There
Our tech, Danny, pulled up to Marco’s place on a Tuesday morning. He walked the property and counted four exterior doors: the front door, a back door off the kitchen, the side door to the yard, and a door from the garage into the house. None of them had deadbolts. The front door had a decorative knob set that looked nice but offered almost zero resistance to forced entry.
Danny walked Marco through the options. For most residential , we recommend Grade 2 deadbolts at minimum — they meet ANSI standards and hold up well for everyday residential use. For the front door, Marco wanted to go a step further with a Grade 1 deadbolt, which is the highest residential rating available.
The garage-to-house door was interesting. A lot of homeowners forget about that one, but burglars don’t. If someone gets into your garage — and garage doors are notoriously easy to bypass — that interior door is the last line of defense. Danny made sure Marco understood why a deadbolt there mattered just as much as on the front door.
The Installation
Two of the four doors had never been drilled for a deadbolt, so Danny had to bore new holes through the door and frame, then install the strike plates with 3-inch screws that anchor into the wall studs — not just the door jamb. That’s a detail a lot of DIY installations miss. A deadbolt is only as strong as what’s holding it in place.
The whole job took about two and a half hours. Marco watched most of it, asking questions, which Danny never minds. We’d rather a customer understand their hardware than just trust that it works.
When everything was installed, Danny tested every lock, made sure the bolts extended fully and retracted smoothly, and handed Marco the new keys — along with a written summary of the hardware installed, including brand, model, and ANSI grade. That paperwork is exactly what insurance companies want to see.
The Insurance Payoff
Marco sent photos of the new deadbolts and Danny’s installation summary to his insurance agent. Within two weeks, his policy was updated with the security discount. The cost of the full deadbolt installation in Van Nuys — four doors, parts and labor — was less than what he’d save in the first twelve months.
That’s the part of this story that surprises people. They assume deadbolts are just about security (and they are), but the financial angle is real. A lot of homeowners across Van Nuys — from the blocks near Van Nuys Recreation Center to the apartments lining Sepulveda Boulevard — are paying more on insurance than they need to, simply because their doors have outdated hardware.
A Few Things Worth Knowing
Not every lock qualifies
Insurance carriers typically want ANSI-rated deadbolts, not just any lock labeled “deadbolt” at the hardware store. If you’re doing this for the discount, make sure your locksmith installs rated hardware and can provide documentation.
Check your policy first
Not all carriers offer the same discount, and some require additional upgrades like window locks or alarm systems. Call your agent before scheduling the work so you know exactly what’s needed.
Don’t forget secondary doors
That side door, that garage entry, that back door behind the patio furniture — those are the doors burglars actually target. Your front door might look impressive, but it’s usually not the weak point.
Deadbolts prevent lockout headaches too
A properly installed deadbolt with quality hardware is less likely to jam or malfunction than those old knob locks. We handle plenty of house lockout in van nuys calls that trace back to worn-out original hardware that finally gave up.
Marco’s Takeaway
A couple of days after the job, Marco left us a review that said something like: “I should have done this three years ago when I moved in.” He’s right. But better late than paying full price on insurance forever.
If you’re in a similar spot — wondering about deadbolt installation Van Nuys homes can actually benefit from, or curious whether your insurance carrier offers a discount — we’re happy to walk you through it. We handle all kinds of Van Nuys locksmith services, from emergency calls to planned upgrades like Marco’s.
Give us a call at (818) 398-9391 and we’ll help you figure out what makes sense for your doors and your budget.
