Service
Burglary repairs
After a break-in, a new euro cylinder costs £105 to £175 fitted and a BS 3621 mortice deadlock £100 to £205, across the Master Locksmiths Association's, MyJobQuote's, Checkatrade's and Bark's guides. Boarding up and frame repair are on top. Report the burglary to the police first and keep the crime reference number for your insurer.
What this covers
Typical price. A replacement euro cylinder costs £105 to £175 fitted and a BS 3621 mortice deadlock £100 to £205 across the MLA, MyJobQuote, Checkatrade and Bark guides, with boarding up and frame repair on top.
What the job covers
- Making a forced door secure the same day with new locks or a temporary fix
- Boarding up a broken door or window until it can be replaced
- Replacing a snapped euro cylinder with an anti-snap one
- Repairing a split door frame and refitting the keeps
- Fitting locks to the standard the insurer names, shown on the invoice
What is involved
After a burglary the first step is to report it to the police and get a crime reference number, which your insurer will ask for. Photograph the damage before anything is moved or mended. Then the property needs making secure, often the same day.
A locksmith doing burglary repairs works in two stages. Making safe comes first: replacing a snapped or forced cylinder, refitting a lock to a damaged frame, or boarding a broken door or glazed panel so the property can be left. Some locksmiths board up themselves; others work with a boarding firm. The permanent repair follows: new locks, a repaired or reinforced door frame, and new keeps. On timber doors a split frame is often strengthened with a steel reinforcing strip along the lock side.
The new locks should meet the standard your insurer names. Most policies ask for a BS 3621 mortice deadlock on timber final exit doors, and on uPVC and composite doors a multipoint lock with a TS 007 3 star or SS 312 Diamond cylinder. If a standard cylinder was snapped, replacing it like for like leaves the same weakness. Ask for the standard on the invoice, and keep it with the crime reference number and the photographs.
If keys were taken, every lock they fit should be changed, including back doors, garages and windows. A careful locksmith asks for ID and proof of address before changing locks on a property that has just been broken into, which protects you as well.
Some insurers send their own contractor, and some pay for a locksmith you choose. Check with yours before the permanent repair, though making the property safe should not wait for an answer.
Choosing someone for the job
Report the burglary to the police first and keep the crime reference number. Then ask your insurer whether it will pay for a locksmith you choose or sends its own. Ask the locksmith for the total before work starts: making safe, the permanent repair, boarding, parts and VAT, and whether a night rate applies. Ask which standard the new locks meet and for it on the invoice, alongside photographs of the damage. Expect to show ID and proof of address before any locks are changed.
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Common questions
What should I do first after a burglary?
Call the police, get a crime reference number, and photograph the damage before anything is moved. Then call your insurer and make the property secure. A locksmith can replace forced locks or board up a broken door or window so the house can be left.
Who pays for a locksmith after a break-in?
Usually your home insurance, under the buildings or contents cover, less any excess. Some insurers send their own contractor, so check before booking the permanent repair. Keep the invoice, the crime reference number and photographs of the damage for the claim.
Can a locksmith board up a door or window?
Many can, or work with a boarding firm that does. Boarding makes a broken door or glazed panel secure until a new door or new glass is fitted. Ask whether boarding is included in the price or charged separately, and who removes it later.
Should I change all the locks after a burglary?
If keys were taken, yes: every lock they fit, including back doors, garages and windows. If not, replace the forced locks and consider upgrading the rest to the standard your insurer names. A snapped cylinder should be replaced with an anti-snap one, not like for like.
Can a forced door frame be repaired?
Often. A split timber frame can be repaired and strengthened with a steel strip along the lock side, and the keeps refitted. A uPVC frame that has been forced may need a new frame or door, which is work for a door fitter.
Which locks will my insurer want after a burglary?
Most policies name a BS 3621 mortice deadlock for timber final exit doors, and a multipoint lock with a TS 007 3 star or SS 312 Diamond cylinder for uPVC and composite doors. Check your wording, and ask the locksmith to put the standard on the invoice.