Lock change after a burglary
Lock Change After a Burglary or Attempted Break-In
What your insurer needs, what the police need, and which cylinder gets you back to anti-snap.
Most people who ring me after a burglary or attempted break-in have already been told two contradictory things: one number quoted £500 for "all the locks", another told them their cylinder is fine. The truth is usually neither. The four steps on this page tell you exactly what to do in the first 30 minutes, what your home insurer needs to see on the locksmith receipt, and when a single front-door cylinder swap from £90 is the honest answer versus when the lock body or gearbox also needs replacing. Read this before you ring anyone, because the panic moment is exactly when overcharging locksmiths win. Same-day response across south Staffordshire and the West Midlands from Brewood, including out-of-hours.
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What to do in the first 30 minutes after a break-in
The order of operations matters because each step makes the next one easier. Photograph before you touch, get the crime reference before you ring a locksmith, do not tidy until the scene has been documented. These four stages are what I tell people on the phone when they ring me at 6am in a panic, and they line up with what UK police and home insurers commonly ask for after a break-in. Every insurer's claims process has its own quirks though, so ring yours.
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First 5 minutes: safety, then 999 or 101
If you are at the property and you think the burglar might still be inside, do not go in. Leave, get to a neighbour or your car, and ring 999. If you are arriving home or upstairs and they have already gone, ring 101 (the police non-emergency line) and report the burglary. Both routes give you the same crime reference number you will need later. While you wait, do not start tidying. Do not pick up dropped drawers, do not put items back, do not close doors that were left open. The scene matters for both police evidence and your insurance claim.
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Next 10 minutes: photograph the damage before anything is touched
Take photos from multiple angles of the damaged cylinder, the door, the frame, and any tool marks. Wide shot, mid shot, close-up. Take a photo of the cylinder face showing any cracking, snapping or scoring. Take a photo of the snap line if the cylinder has been split. Your home insurer will ask for these later and a clear set of photos taken within minutes of the discovery is the strongest evidence you can give them. The damaged cylinder is also evidence: keep it once the locksmith removes it (do not let them take it away with their scrap) because some insurers ask to inspect it.
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Get the crime reference number, write it down somewhere safe
The 101 operator (or the officer attending if it is a 999) will give you a crime reference number. Write it down, take a photo of it, save it in your phone. You will be asked for this number by your home insurer when you submit the claim, and I will put it on the locksmith receipt for you on the day. Without the crime reference number an insurer will usually pause the claim until you can produce it, which is why writing it down before you start anything else is the move.
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Ring a local locksmith once the police have cleared the scene
Ring 101 back to confirm whether the police need to attend before you start repairs. If they say "go ahead", ring me. The phone rings on me directly, not a call centre, and I will quote the all-in price on the phone before I set off based on the door type, what was damaged and your postcode. From £90 for a like-for-like cylinder swap, from £130 to £170 for a TS007 3-star anti-snap upgrade fitted at the same time (labour cost is identical, the cylinder is the difference). Out of hours from £170 rather than the standard daytime rate. No call-out fee. No deposit.
What national locksmith numbers will tell you on a 2am panic call
The typical phone-script quote for a post-burglary call to a national locksmith number is £400 to £560 for "full security upgrade and new lock body". That is the most expensive version of the job presented as the only option. On most domestic break-in and attempted-break-in jobs the actual work needed is a single cylinder swap, sometimes with a TS007 3-star upgrade, costing a quarter of that. On almost every post-burglary call I take, the front door is where the attack happened and where the spend needs to go: upgrade the cylinder on the door that was actually attacked, not every lock in the house. The three real-job examples further down show what a fair price actually looks like.
What your insurer needs on the locksmith receipt
Almost every UK home insurance policy covers replacement of locks damaged in a burglary or attempted break-in, usually under the "burglary" or "attempted theft" section, with a sub-limit of around £350 to £500 per claim. The reason claims get delayed is almost always the receipt itself missing one of the five items below. I include all five as standard on every post-burglary receipt, so the claim goes through cleanly.
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The date and time of the work
Insurers cross-reference the receipt date against the date of the crime report. If the work happened more than 72 hours after the reported burglary, some insurers will query whether the lock change was actually caused by the break-in or by a pre-existing issue. Same-day or next-day work has the cleanest paper trail.
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The make and model of the new cylinder with its BS or TS standard
BS3621 (the British Standard for mortice locks), TS007 1, 2 or 3-star (the Kitemark for euro cylinders), and Sold Secure SS312 Diamond (the independent attack-test rating) are the three credentials your insurer will be looking for in writing. A TS007 3-star cylinder will often unlock a small premium discount at next renewal. Without the standard stamped on the receipt the insurer cannot tell what they are reimbursing for.
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The full address where the work was carried out
Sounds obvious. Some receipts only show the customer's name and town, which an insurer will reject because they cannot confirm the lock was fitted at the insured property. Full street address, postcode, and which door (front, back, side, patio) the cylinder was fitted to.
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The locksmith's name, business address and contact number
Insurers need to be able to verify the locksmith is real if anything on the claim looks irregular. Sean Hamilton, Lockerfella, 07386 341725, based in Brewood, on every receipt by default. No "freephone" numbers that resolve to a different business when checked, no PO Box addresses, no anonymous national-call-centre branding.
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The crime reference number from the police
This is the single most-asked-for line on a post-burglary insurance claim. Without it the insurer cannot match the lock-change receipt to your reported incident. I will write the crime reference number you give me directly onto the receipt at the point of work, so the receipt and the claim form match exactly.
The British standards your insurer is likely to name on a claim form are BS3621 for mortice deadlocks on timber doors, TS007 1 / 2 / 3-star for euro cylinders on uPVC and composite doors, and Sold Secure SS312 Diamond for cylinders that have passed independent attack testing. Every cylinder I fit carries at least one of these and the standard is stamped onto the receipt.
Cylinder swap vs full lock vs gearbox: what gets replaced after a break-in
Three different jobs, three different price tiers, three different reasons to choose each. The job your door needs depends entirely on what was attacked, not on what a phone-script quote suggests.
- Cylinder swap. The default fix on most post-burglary calls. If the cylinder was snapped, cracked, sheared, or simply needs replacing because keys were stolen, the existing brass cylinder comes out with one fixing screw, a new cylinder of the same length goes in, and you get new keys. The lock body and gearbox stay in place because they were not touched. 20 to 30 minutes on the doorstep, from £90 like-for-like with a basic cylinder, or from £130 to £170 for the TS007 3-star anti-snap upgrade fitted at the same time (labour cost is the same, the cylinder is the difference).
- Full lock body replacement. What you need if the door was kicked or shouldered and the lock case or faceplate is bent, split or sprung. The whole lock body comes out, a new unit goes in with a new cylinder. Most often needed on the back door of a kick-in attempt rather than the front. From £180 to £260 including parts and labour depending on the brand and whether the door is a uPVC, composite or timber.
- Multi-point gearbox replacement. Specific to uPVC and composite doors where the multi-point gearbox (the centralised mechanism that drives the hooks, rollers and deadbolt) has failed under impact during a kick-in attempt. The strip comes off, the gearbox is unscrewed and lifted out, and a new gearbox is fitted in its place. Fullex, GU, Mila, Yale and Lockmaster are the common brands and each has its own fit. From £145. Diagnosis on the doorstep is free; if the door itself is too damaged for a gearbox-only fix I will tell you on the doorstep before any work starts.
Should you upgrade to TS007 3-star anti-snap at the same time?
If the cylinder was snapped or part-snapped, the upgrade is the move and I will be honest about it: the cylinder is being replaced anyway so the labour cost is identical, you are only paying the part difference of around £30 to £50. A TS007 3-star Kitemark cylinder (Avocet ABS, Ultion, Yale Platinum 3-star) is independently tested to resist the exact attack that just succeeded against your old cylinder. Some insurers will reduce a premium loading or lift a renewal condition once the upgrade shows on the receipt, but it is not universal, so ring yours and ask.
If the burglar got in through a smashed window or kicked-in door and the cylinder was never touched, the calculation is different. A like-for-like cylinder is fine for the insurance claim and the immediate fix. I would still suggest upgrading the front-door cylinder at minimum, because once a property has been burgled the chance of a repeat attempt in the same calendar year is measurably higher (the "marked property" effect), and the front door is where a returning opportunist will start. The full TS007 1 / 2 / 3-star breakdown is on the anti-snap locks page, including the four scenarios where I have talked customers out of a 3-star upgrade because the snap risk on their specific door simply did not justify it.
Recent post-burglary lock changes
Six recent post-burglary jobs across Codsall, Stafford, Wolverhampton, Cannock, Lichfield and Walsall. A full four-lock anti-snap upgrade after a break-in, a snap-attempt, a window break-in with the cylinder untouched, a kicked-in back door, a stolen-keys lock change, and a snapped patio-door cylinder. Real situations, real prices on the receipt. The most recent, Faye and Ash's in Codsall, is the verified 5-star Google review further down this page. Where a national locksmith number had quoted a price on the phone for the same job, I have put it next to what I actually charged. Customer details kept to first name and town at their request.
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Sunday 14 June 2026 · Codsall
Faye and Ash, Codsall
Faye and Ash had been burgled and rang me the same day, badly shaken and wanting to feel safe in their own home again. The front-door cylinder had been snapped during the break-in. They did not want a like-for-like swap, they wanted the locks sorting properly so the same trick could not work twice.
Total, supplied and fitted £450I upgraded all four locks on the property to Ultion 3 Star Plus cylinders: TS007 3-star, anti-snap and anti-pick, with the £5000 anti-snap guarantee and Ultion Key Control so nobody can copy a spare key without the security card. It is about the best protection you can fit to a euro-cylinder door. £450 for all four, supplied and fitted the same day, new keys handed over on the doorstep. Faye left a 5-star Google review the same evening, which you can read further down this page.
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Wednesday 20 May 2026 at 9.00am · Stafford
Mr Patel, Beaconside
Front-door cylinder snap-attempt overnight. The cylinder was cracked but had not given way (a TS007 1-star cylinder had bought him an extra few minutes and the burglar moved on). He called the police, got a crime reference at 7am, rang a national locksmith number first who quoted £420 over the phone for "full security upgrade and new lock body".
A national number quoted the customer £420Paid to me £135Single front-door cylinder swap to an Avocet ABS TS007 3-star anti-snap. Lock body and gearbox both intact, no need to replace either. 25 minutes on the doorstep, itemised receipt with the Sold Secure SS312 Diamond rating and the crime reference number, photos taken and emailed to him for the insurer. His insurer reimbursed the full £135 within 11 days.
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Saturday 16 May 2026 at 2.15pm · Wolverhampton
Ms Greta H., WV6
Successful break-in through a smashed kitchen window overnight. Cylinder on the front door was untouched. She rang her insurer first, who told her she needed "all the locks changed" before they would release the claim. She rang me confused because the locks were fine.
A national number quoted the customer £380Paid to me £90I rang her insurer with her on speaker. The insurer actually needed one new front-door cylinder fitted (with a TS007 standard on the receipt) to satisfy the post-claim security requirement. Not "all the locks". Like-for-like TS007 1-star cylinder fitted, £90 total, receipt itemised, insurance claim released the same week. Saved her almost £300 on a job she did not need.
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Sunday 17 May 2026 at 7.30pm · Cannock
The Davies family, WS11
Kicked-in uPVC back door, attempted-but-unsuccessful entry while they were out for a Sunday lunch. The multi-point gearbox had failed under the kick, the lock body was bent, and the cylinder was sheared. Out-of-hours emergency call, with the family standing in the back garden in coats because they could not lock the door behind them.
A national number quoted the customer £560Paid to me £295Out-of-hours full lock-body and multi-point gearbox replacement: new Fullex gearbox, new lock case, new cylinder upgraded to TS007 3-star anti-snap. 90 minutes on site. Itemised receipt with both the BS3621 and TS007 standards, crime reference number, full photos of the damage before and after. The Davies family back behind a secure door by 9pm. Insurer reimbursed £245 of the £295 (excess applied).
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Thursday 28 May 2026 at 6.45pm · Lichfield
Hannah R., WS13
Burgled while she was out, no damage to the doors at all. The burglar had taken a handbag with the full set of house keys in it. Her insurer told her the locks had to be changed because the stolen keys could open the door, even though nothing was forced or broken.
A national number quoted the customer £340Paid to me £140Both door cylinders changed (front and back), because the stolen keys opened both. Upgraded like-for-like length to TS007 3-star anti-snap so the doors were better than before, new keys cut on the doorstep, old keys now useless to whoever took them. Itemised receipt with the TS007 standard and the crime reference number for the insurer. Claim released that week.
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Friday 5 June 2026 at 11.20pm · Walsall
The Okafor family, WS3
Successful late-night break-in through the French patio doors at the back. The euro cylinder on the patio door had been snapped to get in, the kids were asleep upstairs, and they could not lock the back of the house behind them. Out-of-hours emergency call to make the property secure the same night.
A national number quoted the customer £480Paid to me £190Snapped cylinder on the French patio door replaced with a TS007 3-star anti-snap, and I checked the multi-point on both leaves still threw and locked cleanly before I left (it did). House secure again by half past midnight. Photos of the snapped cylinder and the new one taken for the insurer, with the crime reference number on the receipt.
If you suspect the post-burglary locksmith you have on the phone is overcharging, the seven UK locksmith scam patterns on the locksmith scams page covers the bait-and-switch quotes, the surprise "additional damage" upsells, and the fake credentials national numbers use. Genuine break-in reports are also gathered by Action Fraud when locksmith fraud is involved.
What customers say about post-burglary work
Verified Google reviews from customers across Wolverhampton, Stafford, Cannock and the surrounding villages.
After being burgled, we needed a locksmith urgently and couldn’t have asked for better service. He was quick to respond, professional, and really put our minds at ease during a difficult time. The work was excellent and helped us feel safe in our home again. Highly recommended.
Thankyou Faye and Ash for the kind words. I'm so happy I was able to help you both today.
Excellent service from sean at Lockerfella locksmiths. Answered all my questions before coming out to us in Stafford. We needed a new gearbox fitted on patio door. and new handles. Great communication and very honest.
You're more than welcome Wilson.
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
Great service. Quick to reply, came the following day & patiently answered all my toddlers questions haha. Would recommend.
It was a pleasure helping you and your son in Essington yesterday Abbie. I'm very happy that I could provide you with a new Euro Cylinder and new keys to your property. Sean - Lockerfella Locksmiths 24/7
Sean from Lockerfella Locksmiths came out to fit 4 new locks and handles for us in Lichfield. Great communication from start to finish. Would highly recommend and use again.
My pleasure James. Enjoy your new home. Sean.
Sean from Lockerfella Locksmiths came out to us in Birmingham in the early hours as we had gone out and left the keys inside the house. Very fast and friendly , got us in in no time without any damage to lock or door. I would highly recommend!
Thankyou for the review Julie. It really is appreciated.
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. 😊
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 😊
Prices
From-prices for post-burglary lock changes
The figures below are the floor prices for the jobs I do most after a break-in or attempted break-in. They include attendance, labour and the standard cylinder, with no separate call-out fee. The 3-star anti-snap upgrade is the same labour cost, the part difference is itemised on the receipt for your insurer. The full price list with covers and affects sits on the dedicated pricing page.
- Standard cylinder change (uPVC or composite, like-for-like) from £90
- TS007 3-star anti-snap upgrade (Avocet ABS, Ultion or Yale Platinum) from £130
- Full lock body replacement (kicked-in door, lock case bent or split) from £180
- Multi-point gearbox replacement (uPVC / composite) from £145
- Out-of-hours emergency post-burglary call-out from £170
No VAT added on top. No call-out fee on any of these. The from-price includes a standard lock; any upgrade is itemised on the receipt with the BS or TS standard it meets, plus the crime reference number you give me, ready for your insurer. 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 out of Brewood. If you ring me after a burglary or attempted break-in, the phone rings on me, I quote the all-in price on the phone before I set off, I bring TS007 3-star cylinders on the van as standard, and the receipt I leave you with carries every line your home insurer is going to ask for. No call-out fee. No panic-priced full-lock-body upsell when a cylinder swap is the honest answer.
- 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 lock changes after a burglary
Straight answers about insurance reimbursement, what the police need from you, the difference between a cylinder swap and a full lock replacement, and how quickly a real local locksmith can get out.
Do I have to change my locks after a burglary?
Legally, no, there is no UK statutory requirement. As a security question, almost always yes. If the burglar got in through the front door, yes, immediately. If they tried and failed, also yes because cylinder snap-attempts cause hairline damage you cannot see and a part-snapped cylinder will fail the next time someone leans on the door. If they came in through a smashed window and never touched the cylinder, the door cylinder is technically fine, but some home insurers will still want a fresh cylinder fitted (and the receipt) before they release the claim; check your own policy or ask the insurer in writing before authorising work you may not need. Front-door cylinder swap from £90 fitted, including labour.
Will my home insurance pay for the lock change after a break-in?
Almost every UK home contents policy covers replacement of damaged locks under the burglary or attempted-theft section, typically up to a stated sub-limit of around £350 to £500 per claim. You pay the locksmith on the day, send the itemised receipt to the insurer with the crime reference number, and they reimburse you. The insurer needs the receipt to show what was fitted, what standard the new lock meets (BS3621, TS007 3-star, Sold Secure SS312 Diamond where relevant), and confirmation that the work was carried out by a qualified locksmith. Most policies do not require an MLA-approved locksmith specifically. They want the credentials and the spec on the receipt.
What does my insurer need on the locksmith receipt?
Policy wordings vary, so check with your insurer what they actually need. From the post-burglary jobs I have done, the five items that come up most often are the date and time of the work, the make and model of the new cylinder or lock with its BS or TS standard stamped on it, the address where the work was carried out, the locksmith's name, business address and contact number, and the crime reference number from the police. I include all five as standard on every post-burglary receipt without you having to ask, so whatever your insurer asks for is almost always already on it. If you need a separately itemised invoice for the insurer rather than a cash receipt, tell me on the phone and I will have it ready when I arrive at the door.
Do I need to wait for the police before changing the locks?
Usually no, but ring 101 first to check. The standard guidance is that a scene-of-crime officer will fingerprint and photograph the damaged area within the first 24 hours where possible, after which you are free to repair. In practice the police will tell you on the phone whether they need to attend before you call a locksmith. If they clear it, take photos yourself of the damaged cylinder and door from several angles before I touch anything (your insurer will likely ask for these), and keep the damaged cylinder once I remove it because some insurers ask to inspect it. I am happy to come out before the police if you have spoken to 101 and they have cleared the work.
Cylinder swap or full lock - what gets replaced after a break-in?
Depends on what was attacked. If the burglar tried to snap the cylinder (the most common UK domestic attack pattern), the cylinder is damaged but the lock body and gearbox are usually fine, so a cylinder swap from £90 fitted is enough. If the door was kicked in, the lock body and the strip may be bent or split, and the multi-point gearbox may have failed, so it is a full lock body replacement from £180 to £260 or a gearbox replacement from £145 depending on whether the door itself is salvageable. I will tell you on the doorstep which one your door needs and quote the all-in price before I start.
Should I upgrade to TS007 3-star anti-snap after a burglary?
If the cylinder was snapped or part-snapped, yes, strongly. The cylinder is being replaced anyway so the labour cost is identical, and you are only paying the part difference of around £30 to £50. A TS007 3-star anti-snap cylinder (Avocet ABS, Ultion, Yale Platinum 3-star) is independently tested to resist the cylinder-snap attack that caused the break-in. Some insurers will reduce a premium loading once you email evidence of the upgrade, but it is not universal, so ring yours and ask. If the burglar got in through a smashed window and the cylinder was never touched, a like-for-like cylinder is fine. I would still suggest upgrading the front door at minimum, because once an address has been burgled the chance of a repeat attempt in the same year is measurably higher.
How quickly can a locksmith get out for a post-burglary lock change?
Same day in nearly every case. Most post-burglary calls I get are around the time the police leave, often mid-morning the day after the break-in. If you ring before 4pm, I can usually be at the door within two hours across Wolverhampton, Stafford, Cannock, Walsall and the surrounding villages. After hours (6pm to 8am weekdays, all weekends, bank holidays) I will still come out same-day at the out-of-hours rate from £170 rather than my standard daytime rate. I answer the phone directly, no call centre, and the price I quote on the phone is the price on the receipt.
Ready when you are
Just had a break-in or attempted break-in? Ring me direct.
Tell me the postcode, what door was attacked, and what the damage looks like. I will quote the all-in price on the phone, bring the right cylinder on the van, and have a receipt ready that your insurer can use the same day. No call-out fee. No deposit. No upsell.
Page last reviewed: . Reviewed by Sean Hamilton, the locksmith behind Lockerfella, under our editorial standards.