About · A real person, a real van, a real license
Meet Seven Lakes Locks
A one-van locksmith based in Santee, named after the seven lakes at the top of town, run by the person who answers the phone and shows up at your door.
Why "Seven Lakes"
Santee Lakes is seven lakes in a row along Fanita Pkwy, and for a lot of people who grew up here it is the backyard: first fish, first campout, the walk around Lake 5 that every East County kid has done with a grandparent. We wanted a name that was a place, not a keyword. There are already several businesses in town called some version of "Santee Locksmith," and most of them are not in Santee. Seven Lakes is the part of the map we would point to if you asked where home is.
Who you'll meet
Edward Jones is the owner and the locksmith. Edward has 7 years in the trade, trained in San Diego, and based Seven Lakes Locks on Prospect Ave in Santee to cover Santee and Lakeside. When you call, Edward answers. When the van pulls up, Edward gets out of it. There is no call center in another state and no subcontractor you have never heard of.
Licensed, insured, and upfront about it
A locksmith company license issued by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS). The number is printed on every work order and invoice; ask for it anytime and check it on the state's license search.
General liability coverage, certificate available on request for property managers and HOAs.
Anyone who works a job under this license carries a state registration card and shows it if you ask.
Seven Lakes Locks is a registered DBA of [Licensed company legal name], the licensed locksmith company that stands behind the work.
How we work
- Price before we drive. You get a number on the phone. It is the number on the invoice unless you add work. Our starting prices are public.
- ID on every lockout. We check that you belong to the car or the house before we open it. It takes thirty seconds and it is how you know we would not open your door for someone else.
- No drilling without asking. Picking and bypass first. If a lock has to be drilled, you hear the replacement quote and say yes before the bit comes out.
- We clean up. Brass shavings on the tailgate, not on your porch. Packaging goes in our van, not your bin.
Why cars and new homes
Two things about Santee shaped what we are good at. First, this is a two-car town where almost everyone commutes on the 52 or the 125, so a lost car key is a family emergency, and the nearest dealer is a tow away. We invested in the cutting machine and the programming gear so that job happens in your driveway. Second, Santee keeps building: Weston across from West Hills High, the townhomes around Town Center, the steady turnover in the 1970s tracts. Every one of those closings is a house full of locks that a stranger has a key to, and a move-in rekey is the first thing we would do in our own new place.
What customers say
Reviews from real Santee and Lakeside customers appear here as they come in.
We only publish reviews from real Santee and Lakeside customers, signed with a first name and a neighborhood. This section fills in as the jobs do. Until then, ask us for a reference and we will put you in touch with a recent customer.
Around town
You will see the van at Santee Lakes on weekend mornings, in the Trolley Square lot, and in a lot of driveways off Mast Blvd and Carlton Hills Blvd. If we sponsor a team or a school event, it will be listed here; we do not list anything we do not actually do. Here is everywhere we work, and here is how to reach us.
Want to talk to the person who does the work?
Call or text. It is the same phone either way, and it is in the van.