Grape Day Mobile Key is a licensed mobile locksmith based in Escondido, off the I-15 and SR-78 interchange. The name comes from the city's Grape Day heritage, a harvest celebration that goes back to 1908, and from the old-town feel of Grand Avenue, where the van parks most mornings. It carries a key machine, pinning kits and a transponder programmer, so the shop comes to you.
For Rental Owners: Rekeys and Master Keys
Central and south Escondido carry a lot of rental stock: 1970s and 80s garden apartments along East Valley Parkway, fourplexes near downtown, condo complexes off Bear Valley Parkway, and mobilehome parks across the city. Between tenants those doors need to be rekeyed, not replaced, and once a building has more than a handful of units the owner needs one key that opens all of them. We rekey turnover units on a per-door rate, draw master-key charts before touching a cylinder, and set up restricted keyways so a departing tenant's kiosk copy stops working.
For Older Cars: Chip Keys and Fobs
Escondido drives older cars than most of the county: commuter Civics and Corollas, Tacomas and F-150s that work the groves and job sites, minivans with a lot of miles. When the only key is lost or a fob dies, the dealer route means a tow to Auto Park Way, a wait for parts and a bill that surprises people. We cut and program transponder keys and fobs at the car, including all-keys-lost jobs on vehicles from the late 1990s through the mid 2010s.
Everything Else a Key Shop Does
Lockouts
House, car or shop. Non-destructive entry in most cases, ID checked before we open, price quoted before we roll.
Locked out? Start hereRekey and Lock Changes
Just bought a house or lost a key? One key for every door, or new deadbolts where the old hardware is done.
Rekeys for one homeKey Cutting
House, padlock, mailbox, restricted and high-security keys cut on the van, including the ones kiosks turn away.
Copies at your doorBusiness Locks
Storefront cylinders, panic bars and door closers for shops on Grand Avenue, Valley Parkway and the west-side industrial streets.
Hardware for your storefrontStraight Prices
Most locksmith ads in North County say "call for a quote" or push a $19 service call that becomes $300 at the door. We publish our ranges. Here are three of them; the full list, the trip fee and what changes the price are on one page.
| Job | Range |
|---|---|
| Rekey, per cylinder | from $35 plus trip |
| Home lockout | $85 to $145 |
| Chip key cloned from a working key | $95 to $150 |
What Escondido Customers Say
Placeholder for a real, permissioned review from Yelp: Property manager, East Valley. Do not publish without it.
Placeholder for a real, permissioned review from Yelp: Driver, older pickup, North Broadway. Do not publish without it.
Placeholder for a real, permissioned review from Nextdoor: Homeowner, Old Escondido. Do not publish without it.
Around the Hidden Valley
Escondido has called itself the Hidden Valley for as long as anyone can remember; the name itself means "hidden" in Spanish. We work all of it: Old Escondido and Downtown, East Valley, Felicita and South Escondido, North Broadway, Eureka Springs, Bear Valley, Hidden Meadows, San Pasqual Valley, Del Dios and Lake Hodges. Zips 92025, 92026, 92027, 92029.
The van stages near the I-15 and SR-78 crossing during the day, so most city addresses are a short drive up Centre City Parkway or out Valley Parkway. Hidden Meadows and the lake take longer, and we say so when you call.
Need someone today? Call, or text a photo of the lock or key and we quote from it.
Call (619) 876-1271 Text usMeet the Shop
Grape Day Mobile Key is run by Tony Pierce, a BSIS-licensed locksmith who lives and works in Escondido. The person who answers the phone is usually the one who shows up in the van.