The immediate job after a break-in is making the property secure tonight. The rest — the insurer, the upgrade, the questions about how they got in — can follow in daylight.
Tap to call — fastest way to get someone out to you
Do not go in if you think someone may still be inside. Call 999 from outside.
Report it to the police and get the crime reference number before anything is repaired. Nearly every insurance policy requires it, and obtaining it afterwards is considerably harder.
Photograph the damage before any work starts — the door, the frame, the lock, the point of entry, and anything disturbed inside. Take more than you think you need. Once a door is repaired, the evidence of how it failed is gone, and insurers ask.
Then call a locksmith. Ask whether the police want to attend for forensics first, because in some cases they do and repairs can wait an hour.
The aim is always to leave the property lockable that night. In most cases that means replacing the damaged lock or cylinder and repairing the frame where the keep has been torn out, which is a common failure point.
Where a door or frame is too damaged to repair immediately, or glass has gone, boarding is fitted as a temporary measure and a proper repair is scheduled. Boarding is not the preferred answer but it is better than an unsecured house overnight.
Damaged frames are frequently overlooked. A door that has been kicked in usually fails at the frame rather than the lock, and fitting a new lock into a split frame leaves you no more secure than before.
You get a written invoice listing exactly what was done and what was fitted, including the specification of any locks — kitemarks, standards and star ratings where they apply.
That matters because insurers ask what replaced the damaged lock, and a receipt saying only 'new lock fitted' can hold up a claim. Keep it with the crime reference number and the photographs.
If your policy specified BS3621 and the door that failed did not have it, that is worth knowing before you submit rather than after.
Once the immediate repair is done, the useful question is the route. Snapped euro cylinder, forced frame, broken glass, an unlocked rear door, or a window left on the latch each point to a different fix.
Most break-ins into homes with uPVC doors involve the cylinder, and the answer is a three-star anti-snap replacement. Forced frames need reinforcement at the keep. Rear access through a gate or alley is the commonest route on terraced streets and is usually the cheapest thing to put right.
Repeat burglaries at the same address are more common than people expect, often within weeks, because the same weakness is still there. Fixing the route matters more than upgrading the part that was already strong.
Three steps, and you know the price before anyone touches the door.
What has happened, what kind of door, and where you are. You get a likely cost range and an honest arrival estimate — not a best case.
The locksmith looks at the actual lock and confirms the price. If it is more than the estimate, you hear why before work starts, and you can say no.
Door opened or lock fitted, everything tested with you there. Card or cash on completion, with a receipt and warranty.
Burglary Repairs across Bristol, Birmingham, The Black Country.
Yes. Report it to the police before repairs. Almost every policy requires the reference and getting it retrospectively is much harder.
That is the priority. Locks and frames are repaired where possible, and boarding is fitted where a proper repair has to wait.
Yes, a written invoice naming exactly what was done and the specification of anything fitted, including kitemarks and ratings.
Before any work starts, and more than you think you need. Once the door is repaired the evidence of how it failed is gone.
Common — a forced door usually fails at the frame. A new lock in a split frame is no more secure than before, so the frame is repaired or reinforced as part of the job.
Repeat break-ins at the same address are more common than people expect, usually because the original weakness is still there. Fixing the route in matters more than anything else.
Not if the lock allows otherwise. Most standard cylinders and nightlatches can be opened non-destructively. Some high-security locks cannot, and if that is the case you will be told before anything is drilled, along with the cost of the replacement.
It depends on the lock type, the time of day and whether the cylinder survives. You get an estimate range on the phone and a fixed quote at the door. There is no charge if you decide not to go ahead once you have the quote.
It depends on where you are and what is already booked in. You will get a realistic time on the call, and a message if it changes.
Yes, the line is answered 24 hours. Out-of-hours rates are explained on the call, not added afterwards.
Yes, for entry to a property you live in, with proof of residence. Changing locks in a rented property usually needs the landlord's agreement, and we will tell you where that line sits.
Ask for the company name, the locksmith's name and the vehicle before they arrive. You will get a written receipt with the business address on it. If anything about a locksmith feels wrong, do not let them start work.
Yes, card or cash on completion. Payment is taken after the work is finished, not upfront.
No. We do not work on vehicles at all — no car keys, no transponder programming, no key fobs. That needs a specialist auto locksmith with different equipment, and we would rather tell you now than waste your time.
