Snapped key extraction
Broken key in a lock? I'll get it out without replacing the lock.
Wolverhampton, Stafford and Cannock. From £90.
If your key has snapped in a lock, a locksmith can almost always extract the broken piece without replacing the lock. The job typically takes ten to twenty-five minutes and costs from £90 in my coverage area. Do not force the working part of the key against the broken stub. Each forced attempt pushes the stub deeper into the cylinder and turns a quick extraction into a full cylinder replacement.
- No Call-Out Fee
- No VAT Added
- Standard DBS Checked
- £1M Insured
- 12 months Guarantee
Can I remove a broken key from a lock myself? An honest answer.
A lot of people who Google a broken key in a lock are hoping they can get it out without paying a locksmith. The honest answer depends on exactly four things, set out below. If you read this list and the answer is "yes, this is fixable at home", I would rather you save the money than pay me to do a job you could have done with tweezers. If the answer is "no, this needs a locksmith", you know now, and you have my phone number.
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If the broken stub is sticking out past the cylinder face by two or three millimetres or more...
A pair of fine-nose tweezers, eased straight back along the keyway axis (not twisted, not wiggled), can sometimes ease it out on the first attempt. One pull. If it does not come, stop.
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If the stub is flush with the cylinder face...
Stop. Every wrong move from here pushes the stub deeper into the cam. A stub that has been forced past the pins turns a from-£90 extraction into a from-£90-plus full cylinder replacement. Phone me or send a WhatsApp photo and I will tell you what to do next.
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If you have already tried to turn the working half of the key against the broken stub...
The cylinder is now under spring tension on the wrong side of the cam, and only an extractor tool inserted from outside the cam line resolves it without damaging the pins. This is the most common reason a £90 job becomes a £180 job. Stop turning. Step away from the door.
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If your lock is a TS007 3-star anti-snap cylinder and the key snapped on the cylinder body (not the bow)...
That cylinder is faulty and may be covered under the manufacturer's warranty. TS007 cylinders are designed to break under sustained snap-attack, not under a normal turn of the key. Take a photo of the snap point before you do anything, then phone your home insurer or your original installer to check who pays for the replacement. I can do the swap and provide a receipt that supports the warranty claim.
What causes keys to snap in locks
The Keytek Forgetfulness Index (Locksmithing Census 2020-2025), which analysed 350,000 UK locksmith call-outs between 2020 and 2025, found that around one in five jobs are caused by human error rather than mechanical failure (source: Keytek Forgetfulness Index (Locksmithing Census 2020-2025)). A snapped key is the textbook example: a stiff lock that was telling you something for weeks, forced one too many times by the only key you had on you. These are the six causes I see most often on the doorstep.
- Stiff lock and a tired key. The lock has been getting harder to turn for months, the key has been wearing thinner with every use, and one cold morning the metal gives up. By far the most common cause.
- Cheap duplicate keys. Blanks cut at a high-street kiosk use thinner metal than the original. After six months of daily use the bow weakens and a snap is inevitable.
- Wrong key, wrong lock, at night. Door keys and gate keys feel similar in the dark. The bow rotates one click and meets resistance the key was never going to overcome.
- Frozen locks in winter. A cold lock is a tight lock. A frozen lock is a brittle key. Both at once, with morning haste on top, is a recipe for a snap.
- Misaligned uPVC doors. A multi-point gearbox that has dropped out of square stops the cam turning. The key takes the load instead. uPVC is the most common door type in the West Midlands and the gearbox is what fails first.
- TS007 anti-snap doing its job. A 3-star anti-snap cylinder is designed to break at a sacrificial line under sustained snap-attack. If yours snapped under normal use, the cylinder is faulty and may be covered under warranty.
How to remove a broken key from a lock: the actual extraction process
The visible steps below match the HowTo schema embedded on this page. Total time from arrival on the doorstep to lock tested and working is around twenty to thirty minutes for a clean break in a working cylinder.
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Stop and look at the broken key
1 min
Look at the keyway. If the broken stub is protruding past the cylinder face by two or three millimetres or more, this might be a DIY job with fine-nose tweezers. If it is flush, stop. Every wrong move from here pushes the stub deeper into the cam and turns a quick extraction into a cylinder replacement.
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Phone the locksmith with a photo
2 min
Send me a WhatsApp photo of the broken end of the key and the cylinder face. I will tell you on the phone whether this is something you can ease out yourself or whether I need to come and extract it with a proper tool. Quoting the all-in price on the phone is the trust check that separates a real one-man-band from a national call-centre number.
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Light extraction with fine-nose tweezers (DIY-possible)
5 min
Only if the stub is sticking out. A pair of fine-nose tweezers, gripped on the protruding metal, eased straight back along the keyway axis (not twisted, not wiggled side to side). One pull. If it does not come on the first attempt, stop. Do not switch to a screwdriver or super glue.
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Professional extraction with a key extractor tool
15 min
On site, I use a precision broken-key extractor (HPC KEX-1 or a Klein 50-piece set) inserted into the keyway alongside the broken stub. The spiral hook catches the cuts on the key, and a steady straight pull walks the fragment out without damaging the pins. Most extractions take ten to twenty-five minutes from arrival, including testing the lock with the spare key afterwards.
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Drill and replace (last resort)
25 min
Only when the stub has been forced past the pins, the cam is jammed in the locked position, or an anti-snap cylinder has done its job and snapped at the sacrificial line. The cost moves from snapped-key extraction (from £90) to a full cylinder change (from £90 plus the cylinder). I tell you which case you are in before I start any work that costs you parts.
A common assumption
Most people assume a snapped key means buying a new lock. It almost never does. The cylinder is unharmed nine times out of ten. Extraction takes ten to twenty-five minutes and the same lock keeps working with the same set of keys, minus the one that broke.
Recent broken-key call-outs
Three recent extractions across the West Midlands and south Staffordshire. Real people, real prices on the receipt, sat next to what a national locksmith number would have quoted for the same job. Customer details lightly anonymised at their request.
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Wednesday 27 May 2026 at 9.40am · Wolverhampton
Mrs Asha P., Wolverhampton
Yale euro cylinder on the front door, key snapped flush with the cylinder face as she locked up for the school run. No spare on her.
A national number quoted the customer £260Paid to me £95On her doorstep 25 minutes later. Brass stub extracted with a HPC spiral hook in under two minutes, no damage to the cylinder. Spare key cut from the half she had with her, on the van. Back on the school run before the next bell.
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Monday 4 May 2026 at 7pm (bank holiday) · Stafford
Mr Tom H., Stafford
TS007 3-star anti-snap cylinder on the back door. Cylinder body had snapped at the sacrificial line, key snapped in the front half, both halves in his hand.
A national number quoted the customer £395 OOHPaid to me £185Anti-snap doing exactly what it is designed to do under attack. Replaced with a like-for-like Avocet ABS 3-star cylinder from the van. New keys cut from his spare, keyed alike to the front door. 35 minutes from doorstep to working lock.
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Sunday 24 May 2026 at 10.30am · Cannock
The Cooper family, Cannock
Back-gate padlock, dad's key snapped clean in two while he was unlocking it on a frosty morning. Wife and the two kids waiting on the path with the bins.
A national number quoted the customer £180Paid to me £90Cold lock, tired key, more than the metal could take. Padlock unlocked with a tension wrench in three minutes, broken half extracted, padlock kept (it was a Squire that retails for £40 and was perfectly serviceable). Two new keys cut from the bow half. No call-out fee.
Cost figures cross-checked against the Master Locksmiths Association, whose published guidance is that "a broken key that has just been broken by user error, in a working lock, should take no longer than half an hour to remove" at "around £85" (source: Master Locksmiths Association). My from-price of £90 sits in line with that figure.
What customers say about extractions
Verified Google reviews from real customers across Wolverhampton, Stafford, Cannock and the surrounding villages.
I locked myself out my house and phoned Sean at 1.32am. He arrived at my house in Bilston 35 minutes later. He lives 30 minutes away. He was very professional and tidy. I would recommend him to anyone. Within 1 hr and 15 minutes of calling him he had come out, sorted my lock and on his way home. You can call him anytime and he will get to you asap. Worthy of the 5 star rating
Thankyou for your review Shell. Real pleasure to assist you both with your emergency call-out. Sean - Lockerfella Locksmiths 24/7
I had a great experience with Lockerfella Locksmith, especially with Mr Sean. He was professional, patient, respectful, and took the time to make sure everything was done properly. My door lock turned out to be much more difficult than expected, but Sean stayed calm and worked hard until the job was completed perfectly. I really appreciated his honesty, kindness, and excellent workmanship. I highly recommend Sean and Lockerfella Locksmith to anyone looking for a reliable locksmith. Thank you again, Sean, and I wish you continued success in your business!
It was an absolute pleasure helping you today Saeideh in Wolverhampton. Thankyou so much for the kind words. Sean - Lockerfella Locksmiths 24/7.
Sean came out for an emergency call out at 2am due to a lock malfunction on the front door. He was responsive from the first point of the phone call and was clear with what he was able to do and provided an accurate timescale and live location When sean arrived he felt like someone who was a safe person and as a lone female that felt important when I couldn’t get in my home in the early hours. He’s was patient and thoughtful with my dogs who were trapped inside. He was friendly, calming and reliable. Would highly recommend him
Thankyou for your review, it means so much. I'm so glad I could help you this morning in Stafford with the emergency call out. Have a great day to you and the doggies 🐕. Sean - Lockerfella Locksmiths 24/7
I run a letting agency in Wolverhampton and unfortunately had a tenant whose UPVC locking system had collapsed locking them into the flat unfortunately during the football match between England and Croatia in the 2026 World Cup. As you can imagine, I was having a bit of trouble getting a locksmith! At least until Sean contacted me. He went out very quickly, opened the door and replaced the gearbox working from 11 pm until 2 am so not very sociable hours. Given that I thought the cost was very reasonable and the service was excellent. I will certainly be using Sean again and I cannot recommend him highly enough. The world of emergency locksmiths can be a murky one at times so it is really nice to have someone you can trust to call on.
Thankyou so much Andy. It wss my absolute pleasure. 😊
I was locked out of the house so gave Lockerfella a message. Sean was incredibly swift in his initial response, giving an ETA and an estimate cost at the same time. I immediately booked in with Sean and he came as arranged, tried his best to pick the lock, however it wasn’t to be so he changed the lock and was all done and dusted in a reasonable time. He was polite, prompt and professional. I would recommend anyone needing a locksmith to contact Lockerfella
Thankyou so much James. It was a pleasure to assist you in cannock that day with your emergency locksmith call-out.
Absolutely brilliant service from Lockerfella Locksmiths. We left Sean a whatsapp message at 2.30am as we had stupidly left our front door keys inside when leaving the house. He answered pretty much immediately. Sean arrived with us in Stafford within 30 minutes and had us back in within 5 minutes and fitted us with some upgraded anti snap locks. Thankyou!
You're more than welcome Matt 😊
I contacted Sean in a panic after our back door wouldn’t lock at 21:15 on a Sunday night. Sean came back with a price almost immediately and offered to come and look at it straightaway. At my request, I asked him to come Monday morning and he sent me an ETA and turned up bang on time. Sean quickly diagnosed the problem, he had to go off to get a a part and when he was on his way back to me, he even shared his location via WhatsApp so I knew when he would be back. Part fitted, worksite cleaned up and he was on his way. Reasonably priced, fantastic communication from start to finish and a great bloke to speak too as well. Thanks Sean, you’re an absolute star!
Absolute pleasure meeting you and your wife today in Codsall / Wolverhampton. I'm really pleased I was able to repair your faulty upvc door mechanism. Thankyou for the glowing review....it's really appreciated. Sean - Lockerfella Locksmiths 24/7
Phoned this lovely man this morning before 8am , it's now 11.28 am and my lock is fixed , thank you Sean , as I live alone i was feeling vulnerable, thank you so much , fir your prompt response
Thankyou so much for your review Maureen. Real pleasure assisting you today in Walsall to replace your Euro Cylinder and Door handles. Sean ☺️
Prices
From-prices for broken-key work
The figures below are the floor prices for the jobs I am called to most where a key has snapped or is stuck. They include attendance, diagnosis and labour, with no separate call-out fee. Where a new part is needed, a standard part is included in the from-price and any upgrade is itemised so you can see exactly what each one cost. I quote the all-in figure on the phone before I leave the van. The full price list with covers and affects sits on the dedicated pricing page.
- Snapped key extraction (cylinder kept) from £90
- Cylinder replacement (when extraction is not possible) from £90
- Out-of-hours emergency (6pm to 8am, weekends, bank holidays) from £170
- Spare key cut from the broken halves (on the van) from £8
No VAT added on top. No call-out fee on any of these. Where a new part is needed, a standard part is included in the from-price and any upgrade is itemised on top. See the full price list and what each one covers →
About the locksmith
The locksmith answering your call
I'm Sean Hamilton. I run Lockerfella as a one-man-band. If you ring me with a snapped key, the phone rings on me, I quote the all-in price for the extraction on the phone before I leave the van, and the figure on the card machine matches the figure I said on the phone. No call-out fee on the extraction. No upsell to a new lock you don't need.
- 30+ years fascinated by locks. I've been picking, stripping and studying locks for the love of it for over 30 years. Lockerfella is what happens when a lifelong interest in how locks work becomes the day job.
- Trained and certified. Certificate of Locksmith Skills from A'Jam Locksmiths covering cylinder, mortice, padlock, wafer and euro lock picking, plus re-keying and mortice bypassing.
- Standard DBS checked, £1M insured, 12 months workmanship guarantee. Redacted DBS and insurance certificates are published on the About page, with originals available to view in person before work starts.
- One man, one van, one phone number. The phone rings on me directly. No call centre. No third-party fitter. If I quote you a price, that's the price you pay.
Common questions about broken-key extraction
Straight answers about what an extraction involves, what it costs, and when you can fix it yourself.
Can a locksmith remove a broken key without replacing the lock?
Yes, almost always. About nine times in ten the cylinder itself is unharmed when a key snaps. The broken half is just wedged in the keyway. I pull it out with a fine-nose key extractor (HPC KEX-1 or similar), clear any residual pin debris, and the same lock keeps working with the spare key. The cases where the cylinder does need replacing are usually anti-snap cylinders that have snapped on the cylinder body (those are doing their job and the body has to be swapped), or locks where someone has forced the working half of the key against the broken stub and damaged the pins. Those I tell you about on the doorstep before I start.
How long does it take to extract a snapped key?
For a clean break in a working lock, ten to twenty-five minutes from when I get to the door. The Master Locksmiths Association says half an hour for a typical user-error break, which matches what I see in practice. Anti-snap cylinders that have done their job take longer because the cylinder body needs swapping after the extraction. The big variable is whether the stub is flush with the keyway face or sticking out. A stub that protrudes by two or three millimetres is a minute's work with the right tool. A stub that is flush against the cam is fiddlier and may need the cylinder out first.
What causes keys to snap in locks?
A stiff lock and a tired key, ninety per cent of the time. The lock has been getting harder to turn for months, the key has been wearing thinner with every use, and one day you put a bit more weight on it and the metal gives up. Cheap duplicate keys cut at high-street kiosks are the worst offenders because the blanks use thinner metal than the original. Other causes I see often: forcing the wrong key in at night (door keys and back-gate keys feel similar in the dark), frozen locks in winter, and misaligned uPVC doors where the user is forcing the cylinder to turn against a gearbox that has dropped out of square.
Should I try to remove the broken key myself?
Only if the stub is sticking out past the keyway face by two or three millimetres or more. In that case fine-nose tweezers can sometimes ease it out. If the stub is flush with the keyway face, stop. Every wrong move pushes it deeper into the cylinder, and a stub that has been forced past the pins turns a £90 extraction into a £90-plus full cylinder replacement. Do not try to turn the working half of the key against the broken stub. Do not use super glue. Do not poke a screwdriver in there. Phone me, send me a photo on WhatsApp, and I will tell you honestly whether it is a DIY job.
Will I need a new lock, or can the cylinder be saved?
In most cases the cylinder is saved. The broken metal is just lodged in the keyway, not damaging the pins or the cam. Once it is out, the lock works exactly as it did before with the spare key. The cases where I do need to fit a new cylinder are: an anti-snap cylinder that has snapped at the sacrificial line (the body has to be replaced because that is the design), pin damage caused by forcing the working key against the broken stub, and rare cases where the broken metal has been pushed deep enough to jam the cam past the keyway. I tell you which case you are in before I start any work that costs you parts.
Can you cut a new key from the broken pieces?
Yes, if you have both halves and the breaks are clean. I take the two pieces, line them up on a key blank of the same profile (Yale 1A, ABUS, Avocet, whichever your lock uses), and cut from the silhouette. The cost is whatever a single cut key is, on top of the extraction. If you only have the half that was on the bow and the other half is still in the lock, I extract the lock half first, then cut from the combined silhouette. If neither half is usable (a high-security key with restricted profile, or both halves badly mangled) I decode the lock on the van and cut a new key directly. Either way, you leave with a working key.
Does WD-40 help free a stuck or broken key?
No, and using WD-40 in a door lock makes the lock worse over time. It dries out the lock's own dry lubricant and leaves a sticky residue that grit clings to. The right product is a graphite spray or a dry PTFE lubricant, both available from any hardware shop or screwfix.com for a few pounds. That said, lubricant on its own does not free a key that has already snapped. The broken half is wedged on the cuts and the pins, not on a film of friction. The fix is mechanical extraction, not chemical. If the key is stuck but not yet broken, a single spray of graphite into the keyway and a gentle wiggle is the right first move.
Ready when you are
Key snapped? Send me a photo on WhatsApp.
I'll look at the photo and tell you on the phone whether you can ease it out yourself with tweezers or whether I need to come out. No call-out fee. No deposit. No surprises.
Page last reviewed: . Reviewed by Sean Hamilton, the locksmith behind Lockerfella, under our editorial standards.