Locksmith Services in San Jose, CA

Homes and locks in San Jose

Eichler Homes built five San Jose neighborhoods: Morepark (1952 to 1953), Fairglen (1957 to 1959), the Fairglen Additions (1959 to 1961), Hudson and Fairhaven (both 1961 to 1963). The 218 Fairglen Additions houses in Willow Glen have post-and-beam framing and floor-to-ceiling glass onto courtyards, and one common plan puts an atrium between the garage and the bedroom wing. Count every exterior door when planning a lock replacement.

The Fairglen Additions joined the National Register of Historic Places in 2019, and the city's Eichler design standards for exterior changes needing a Planning permit with historic review currently apply only there. Owners can ask the Planning Division before changing an original door.

Closer to downtown, the housing is older:

• Hensley, bounded mostly by Second, Sixth, Empire and Julian Streets, has the city's largest concentration of Victorian-era houses, most built from 1880 to 1900.
• Naglee Park, east of S. 11th Street, was subdivided in 1902 and is known for bungalows and Spanish Colonial Revival homes.
• Hanchett and Hester Park, between The Alameda and Park Avenue, mix Craftsman, Spanish Colonial Revival and Prairie-style homes from about 1906 to 1935.
• Martha Gardens, south of I-280, has houses from the mid-1870s to about 1940, some converted to boarding houses.

On a Hensley Victorian, decide whether the original door hardware stays before choosing new locks. In a house split into rooms, a rekey after a tenant moves out should include the shared front-door key.

Businesses and buildings

The Downtown Commercial National Register District, along E. Santa Clara Street from S. First to S. Fourth Streets, holds buildings from the 1870s to the early 1940s. In the River Street district, now also called Little Italy, most of the 1875 to 1925 houses have been converted to commercial use. In an old storefront or a house turned into offices, list each door that needs commercial locksmith work, since they may not share a key.

Car trouble in San Jose

Residential streets are swept once a month on the same day, such as the first Monday. Downtown, business districts and major arterials are swept two to four times a month between 2 a.m. and 11 a.m.

• Cars parked where sweeping signs prohibit parking are cited; cars in posted tow zones are towed and cited.
• The restriction lasts the whole posted window, even after a sweeper passes.
• The signs still apply during a car lockout, so mention any sweeping sign near the car.

Local rules worth knowing

Residential Occupancy Permit. San José Municipal Code 17.20.520 requires an annually renewed permit for apartments, hotels, motels and similar residences, one for each building with three or more units. Its fees fund Code Enforcement and Fire Department inspections on three-, five- or six-year cycles by tier.

The city's inspection checklist includes these door items:

• Strike plates on entry doors and jambs must be present and secure.
• No more than one security lock can be installed at the entry door.
• Double-keyed locks must be replaced with a standard deadbolt.

The guide notes that adding access gates is generally prohibited except under strict criteria and that new or replacement garage doors need Planning approval. It tells owners to give tenants at least 72 hours' notice before an inspection. This is general information, not legal advice.

Requesting service in San Jose

Give the neighborhood or cross streets and the door involved, such as an Eichler courtyard door, an apartment entry behind a gate, or a storefront. California Locksmith Pros takes service requests from homes, businesses and drivers in San Jose. See lock rekeying, house lockout or the California page.