Locked out of your house?

What to do right now

1. Check for a spare key first. A partner, family member, neighbour, landlord or letting agent may hold one. This is always the fastest and cheapest option, and it costs you nothing to spend two minutes on it.
2. Check every other door and window — carefully. Back doors, patio doors and ground-floor windows are worth trying. Never climb, never use a ladder you are not confident on, and never break glass to reach a handle. People are injured doing this every week, and the glazing costs more than the locksmith.
3. Do not force the door. A uPVC door kicked or levered open takes the frame, the multipoint mechanism and often the hinges with it. A timber door takes the frame and the architrave. This is the single most expensive mistake people make when locked out.
4. If someone is in danger, call 999 first. A child or a vulnerable adult locked inside, a hob left on, or medication that cannot be reached is an emergency for the fire service, not a locksmith job.
5. Call a locksmith with your details ready. Postcode, type of door, and whether the key turns, is snapped, or is on the inside. This lets the charges be explained accurately before anyone travels.
6. Have something ready that shows you live there. A driving licence, a tenancy agreement, a utility bill or post addressed to you at that address. A locksmith who does not ask for this is not one you want.
7. Stay somewhere safe and warm while you wait. A neighbour, a car, a nearby shop or pub. Lancashire at 2am in February is not the place to wait on a doorstep.

What it costs

Emergency entry is listed from £132 in the service guide. The final figure depends on three things: the time of day, the type of lock, and whether the lock can be reopened or has to be replaced.

• Call-out is charged on arrival and varies by time: daytime 08:00–18:00 is the cheapest, with higher rates in the evening, overnight and at weekends.
• Labour is charged from a minimum of one hour, then in 30-minute increments.
• Parts are charged separately, and only if something actually needs replacing.

Every rate is published in full on the pricing page — all of them, including the overnight and weekend rates, which most locksmiths will not tell you until they are standing on your doorstep. All prices include VAT. The applicable rate is confirmed on the phone before anyone is dispatched.

How a locksmith opens the door without damaging it

Non-destructive entry is attempted first on every job. For most domestic doors — standard euro cylinders, nightlatches and many mortice locks — the lock can be manipulated open and left fully working afterwards, so there is nothing to replace and nothing to pay for beyond the entry itself.

Drilling is a last resort, not a first move. It becomes necessary when the lock is already damaged or seized, when a key has snapped inside it, or when it is a high-security cylinder that cannot be opened non-destructively in a reasonable time. If drilling is the only realistic option, you are told before it happens — what it involves, what the replacement lock will cost, and what the alternative is.

Be cautious of anyone who reaches for a drill immediately. Drilling is faster and easier than picking, and it conveniently sells you a new lock.

What to have ready when you call

• Your postcode and the house or flat number
• The type of door: uPVC, composite, timber, aluminium, or a communal entrance
• Whether the key turns, snaps, spins freely, or is on the inside
• Whether the door is locked on the latch or fully deadlocked
• Proof you are authorised to enter
• A photo of the lock and handle, if you can take one — it often identifies the mechanism before arrival

Locked out across Lancashire

Help is available 24 hours a day across the county. Choose your town for local coverage details:

locked out in Preston · locked out in Blackburn · locked out in Blackpool · locked out in Burnley · locked out in Lancaster · locked out in Chorley · locked out in Leyland · locked out in Accrington · all service areas

Common questions

Can a locksmith open my door without damaging the lock?

In most cases, yes. Non-destructive entry is attempted first on every job, and for standard domestic locks it usually succeeds, leaving the existing lock working normally. Drilling is only used where the lock is damaged, seized, or of a type that cannot safely be opened another way — and it is always discussed with you, including the cost, before it starts.

How long does it take to open a locked door?

A straightforward lockout on a standard door is often resolved in ten to twenty minutes once the locksmith is on site. Damaged locks, high-security cylinders and communal entrances take longer. No fixed arrival time is promised — call and you will be told honestly how the night is looking.

What ID do I need to prove I live there?

A driving licence, passport, tenancy agreement, recent utility bill or post addressed to you at that address. If you have none of these on you, a landlord, letting agent or neighbour who can confirm you live there is usually enough. Any locksmith who opens a door without asking anything at all should concern you.

Can the fire brigade let me into my house?

Only if there is a genuine emergency — someone vulnerable locked inside, a fire risk such as a hob left on, or a medical situation. Being locked out on its own is not an emergency, and the fire service will not attend. If they do force entry, they are not responsible for the damage or for making the door secure afterwards.

Will I need a new lock afterwards?

Not usually. If the door is opened non-destructively, the original lock carries on working. A replacement is only needed if the lock was already faulty, if it had to be drilled, or if you have lost your keys and want the lock changed for security.

Is it cheaper to wait until morning?

Daytime rates are lower than evening, night and weekend rates, so yes — if you have somewhere safe to stay, waiting until the morning costs less. If you do not, call. Standing outside overnight is not worth the saving.

Related help

• Emergency locksmith
• Lock replacement
• Lock drilling and destructive entry
• Snapped key extraction
• Locked out of your home? Don't panic

Locked out at night · Key snapped in the lock · uPVC door won't lock · Lost your house keys