A home burglary happens every 189 seconds in England and Wales. If someone has just kicked in your door, knowing how to secure your door after a break-in in the UK could be the difference between a one-time incident and a repeat attack.
After a break-in, you should first ensure your safety, call the police on 999 or 101, get a crime reference number, and then call a 24/7 emergency locksmith to replace damaged locks and upgrade to BS3621 or anti-snap cylinders that meet UK insurance requirements.
This matters because 70% of burglars enter through the door. And research shows they often return to the same property within weeks, knowing the layout and existing security. Acting fast is not optional.
At Kingdom Locksmith, we provide emergency burglary repair services across the Midlands, 24/7, with no call-out charge. Our DBS-checked locksmiths typically arrive within 15 to 30 minutes to secure your property and fit insurance-approved locks on the spot.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through exactly what to do after a break-in, which locks to upgrade to, what your insurer expects, and how to make sure it never happens again.
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Quick Summary: How to Secure Your Door After a Break-In
After a break-in in the UK, your first step is to make sure everyone in your home is safe. Call the police on 999 if the intruder may still be nearby, or 101 if they have left. Do not touch anything until officers arrive and collect evidence. Once police give you the go-ahead, call a 24/7 emergency locksmith to secure your door, replace damaged locks, and fit BS3621-rated or anti-snap cylinders that meet UK insurance requirements. Document all damage with photos, contact your insurer with the crime reference number, and upgrade every entry point to prevent a repeat break-in.
Key Takeaways
- Call 999 or 101 immediately and get a crime reference number before touching anything.
- Do not start repairs until police have attended and collected forensic evidence.
- Call a 24/7 emergency locksmith once police give the all-clear to secure the property.
- Always change your locks after a burglary, even if they appear undamaged. The intruder may have copied your keys.
- Upgrade to BS3621 mortice deadlocks or anti-snap euro cylinders to satisfy UK insurance requirements.
- Secure every entry point, not just the one that was breached. Burglars often return within weeks.
What to Do Immediately After a Break-In in the UK (Emergency Checklist)
Discovering a break-in is overwhelming. Your hands might be shaking. Your mind is racing through everything that could be missing. That reaction is completely normal.
But what you do in the next 60 minutes matters more than you think. The right steps protect your evidence, speed up your insurance claim, and get your home secure again fast. The wrong steps, like cleaning up too early or delaying the call to police, can cost you weeks of hassle.
Here is exactly what to do, in order.
Make Sure You and Your Family Are Safe
This comes before everything else. If you arrive home and the door is open or forced, do not go inside. The intruder could still be in the property.
Go to a neighbour’s house or get back in your car. Lock the doors. Call 999 straight away.
If you are already inside and hear movement, leave immediately. Do not confront anyone. No possession is worth the risk. Get out, get safe, then call for help.
Only re-enter once the police have confirmed the property is clear.
Call the Police and Get a Crime Reference Number
If the burglar may still be present, call 999. If they have clearly left and you are safe, call 101 to report the crime.
Here is something people often miss. Do not touch, move, or clean anything before police arrive. Fingerprints on door handles, footprints near the entry point, tool marks on the lock. All of it is evidence. The moment you wipe down a surface or move a broken door, you risk destroying something that could help catch the offender.
When officers attend, they will issue a crime reference number. Write it down. Keep it somewhere safe. You will need it for your insurance claim, for the locksmith’s paperwork, and potentially for follow-up with the police.
Document the Damage Before Touching Anything
Once police finish their assessment and give you the go-ahead, grab your phone and photograph everything.
Take photos of the broken door, the damaged lock, any tool marks on the frame, smashed windows, and the state of every room. Record a video walkthrough if you can. Shoot wide angles and close-ups.
Then sit down and write a list of everything stolen or damaged. Include serial numbers where possible, estimated values, and purchase dates. The more detail you provide, the smoother your insurance claim will go.
This is not the fun part. But skipping it causes problems later.
Contact Your Insurance Company
Call your insurer within the first 24 hours. Most policies require prompt notification, and delaying could complicate your claim.
Have three things ready when you call. Your policy number, the police crime reference number, and your list of stolen or damaged items. Ask specifically whether they require you to use an approved locksmith or if you can choose your own. Most insurers allow you to call your own locksmith as long as the work meets British Standard requirements.
Keep a record of every call. Date, time, who you spoke with, and what they told you. This paper trail protects you if there are disputes later.
Call an Emergency Locksmith
This is the step that actually makes your home safe again. Once police have finished at the scene, call a 24/7 emergency locksmith to assess and secure the property.
A good locksmith will arrive fast, assess every entry point, replace or repair damaged locks, and fit insurance-approved hardware on the spot. They will also check other doors and windows the burglar may have tampered with but did not fully breach.
At Kingdom Locksmith, our emergency locksmith service operates around the clock across the Midlands. We carry BS3621 mortice locks and anti-snap cylinders in the van, so there is no waiting for parts. No call-out charge. Typical arrival time is 15 to 30 minutes.
Need an emergency locksmith right now? Call Kingdom Locksmith on 0333 006 9691. Available 24/7, no call-out charge, 15 to 30 minute response across the Midlands.
How to Secure Your Door After a Break-In
The lock is smashed. The frame is splintered. Maybe the whole door is hanging off its hinges. Now what?
Securing your door after a break-in involves two stages. First, a temporary fix to make the property safe right now. Then, a permanent repair or upgrade to prevent it from happening again. Rushing the second stage is tempting, but getting the first stage right keeps you safe tonight.
Temporary Fixes to Secure Your Door Right Now
While you wait for the locksmith, you need to stop anyone from walking straight in.
If the door still closes but the lock is broken, wedge it shut from the inside using a chair braced under the handle. Not pretty, but it works as a short-term measure. A heavy piece of furniture pushed against the door adds resistance.
If the door will not close at all, cover the opening. A sheet of plywood screwed into the frame is better than nothing. Even a heavy curtain or blanket draped across the gap reduces visibility from outside.
None of these are real security. They buy you a few hours until a professional arrives.
Emergency Boarding Up
When the door or frame is too badly damaged for a quick lock swap, emergency boarding is the first professional step.
A locksmith will secure plywood or steel sheeting across the damaged opening, anchored into the surrounding wall structure. This prevents re-entry, protects against weather damage, and gives you time to arrange a permanent door replacement if needed.
At Kingdom Locksmith, we include emergency boarding as part of our emergency burglary repair service. Our locksmiths carry boarding materials in the van, so we can secure the property on the same visit, day or night.
Emergency boarding is temporary. It keeps you safe while the permanent fix is arranged. Most people have a new lock or new door fitted within 24 to 48 hours.
Securing a uPVC Door After a Break-In
uPVC doors are the most common entry point in UK burglaries. And the reason is simple. Standard euro cylinders on uPVC doors can be snapped in under 30 seconds using nothing more than a pair of pliers and brute force.
If a burglar snapped your cylinder to get in, your locksmith will replace it with an anti-snap euro cylinder rated to TS007 standards. These cylinders are designed to break at a sacrificial point before the intruder can reach the locking mechanism inside.
But the cylinder is not always the only damage. Forced entry often bends or jams the multipoint locking mechanism inside the door. If the handle feels loose, the door will not lock properly, or the bolts are not engaging at the top and bottom, the mechanism needs replacing too.
Our uPVC door repair specialists deal with this daily. We replace cylinders, handles, mechanisms, and misaligned keeps, all in a single visit.
Securing a Timber or Composite Door After a Break-In
Timber doors face a different threat. Burglars often attack the frame rather than the lock, kicking the door until the frame splits around the strike plate.
If that happened to you, the fix involves more than just swapping the lock. Your locksmith should install a reinforced steel strike plate anchored with 75mm screws that reach into the wall studs, not just the door frame. This turns the weakest point of a timber door into one of the strongest.
For the lock itself, a 5-lever mortice deadlock rated to BS3621 is the UK standard. If your old lock was a basic 3-lever or a cheap cylinder night latch, this is the time to upgrade.
Composite doors use a similar multipoint mechanism to uPVC, so the repair process is much the same. Replace the cylinder, check the mechanism, and reinforce the frame if needed.
Should You Change Your Locks After a Burglary?
The short answer is yes. Every time.
Even if the burglar got in through a window. Even if your locks look perfectly fine. Here is why.
Key Security: Why Old Keys Cannot Be Trusted
Think about what a burglar does once inside your home. They open drawers. They check coat pockets. They look in bowls by the front door.
If you had spare keys anywhere in the house, and most people do, the intruder may have taken or copied them. You would never know. The keys look the same. The lock works the same. But someone else now has access to your home whenever they choose.
New locks eliminate this risk completely. New locks mean every old key becomes useless. That includes any key the burglar may have pocketed on the way out.
This is one of those things that feels unnecessary until it is not.
The Re-Victimisation Risk
Here is a stat that surprises most people. Burglars frequently return to properties they have already targeted. Not months later. Weeks.
Why? Because they already know the layout of your home. They know where you keep valuables. They know your door was easy to breach once, and unless you have upgraded, it will be easy to breach again.
According to UK crime data, re-victimisation is a well-documented pattern, particularly in the first six weeks after the original break-in. Fitting new, higher-quality locks is the single most visible deterrent against a return visit.
Our lock replacement services cover every type of residential and commercial door. We replace the old hardware, fit insurance-approved locks, and hand you a new set of keys on the spot.
Insurance Requirements for Lock Changes
Most UK home insurance policies include a security clause. After a burglary, your insurer will almost certainly require you to change the locks on all final exit doors as a condition of continued cover.
Fail to do this, and your policy could be reduced or voided entirely. That means if someone breaks in again using a copied key, your claim may be rejected.
The good news is that most policies cover the cost of an emergency locksmith and lock replacement after a break-in. Keep the locksmith’s invoice and a copy of the receipt. Your insurer will need these to process the claim.
Ask your locksmith for a written breakdown of the work completed, the lock specifications (BS3621, TS007, etc.), and the cost. This paperwork makes the claims process much faster.
What Locks Do UK Insurance Companies Require?
You will hear a lot of jargon when shopping for new locks. BS3621, TS007, anti-snap, Secured by Design. It sounds complicated, but the basics are straightforward.
Getting this right matters. The wrong lock type can leave you uninsured even if the door is physically secure. The right lock protects your home and keeps your policy valid.
BS3621: The Standard Your Insurer Expects
BS3621 is the British Standard for thief-resistant locks. It is the benchmark that nearly every UK home insurance policy references.
A lock with BS3621 certification has been tested against drilling, picking, and forced entry. It uses a minimum of five levers (for mortice locks), has at least 1,000 key variations, and requires a key to lock from both sides.
For timber doors, this means fitting a 5-lever mortice deadlock rated to BS3621. If your current lock is a basic 3-lever, it does not meet this standard, and your insurer will not accept it.
You can check whether your existing lock meets BS3621 by looking for the kite mark stamped on the lock faceplate (the metal strip visible on the edge of the door when it is open). No kite mark? Time to upgrade.
TS007 and Anti-Snap Cylinders for uPVC Doors
BS3621 applies to mortice locks on timber doors. But most modern UK homes have uPVC or composite doors with euro profile cylinders. These fall under a different standard: TS007.
TS007 rates cylinders on a star system.
A 1-star cylinder paired with a 2-star handle (or vice versa) gives you a combined 3-star rating, which is the level most insurers now require for uPVC and composite doors.
Standard euro cylinders, the kind fitted to most new-build uPVC doors, have no TS007 rating at all. They snap in seconds. This is how the majority of uPVC door burglaries happen.
Our high security lock services include fitting 3-star anti-snap cylinders from trusted brands like Yale and Avocet. We match the cylinder to your door type and confirm it meets your insurer’s requirements before we leave.
Secured by Design: The Police Preferred Specification
Secured by Design (SBD) is a UK police initiative that certifies security products against rigorous testing standards. Products carrying the SBD logo have been independently tested and approved by the police.
While not every insurer specifically requires SBD-certified products, having them fitted strengthens your claim and demonstrates a higher level of security commitment. Many new-build homes in the UK are now required to meet SBD standards as part of building regulations.
If you are replacing your door entirely after a break-in, ask your supplier whether it carries the SBD accreditation. If you are just upgrading locks, ask your locksmith for SBD-approved cylinders and hardware.
Best Lock Upgrades After a Break-In in the UK
You have changed the broken lock. The door is secure for now. But “secure for now” is not the same as “properly protected.”
A break-in is a wake-up call. Most people realise their old locks were far weaker than they assumed. This is the moment to upgrade, not just replace.
Here are the upgrades that make the biggest difference.
Anti-Snap Euro Cylinders
If you have a uPVC or composite door, this is the single most important upgrade you can make.
Standard euro cylinders protrude slightly from the door handle on the outside. A burglar grabs it with mole grips, snaps it in half, and reaches into the exposed mechanism to turn the lock. The whole process takes less than 30 seconds.
Anti-snap cylinders are engineered with a deliberate weak point (called a “sacrifice section”) that breaks away before the intruder can reach the locking cam inside. The lock stays secure even after the snap attack.
Look for cylinders with a TS007 3-star rating or a combination of 1-star cylinder plus 2-star handle that achieves a 3-star overall. Brands like Avocet ABS, Yale Superior, and Ultion are the most widely trusted in the UK market.
Multipoint Locking Systems
A standard lock secures your door at one point. A multipoint locking system secures it at three or more points, typically with hooks or bolts engaging at the top, middle, and bottom of the frame.
This is the system inside most uPVC and composite doors. When you lift the handle and turn the key, you should feel multiple bolts engaging. If you only feel one, your door either has an older single-point lock or the mechanism is faulty.
After a break-in, we often find that the multipoint mechanism itself has been damaged by the force of entry, even if the cylinder survived. If your handle feels floppy or the bolts are not fully engaging, the mechanism needs replacing.
Our door lock repair services include full multipoint mechanism replacement for all major uPVC and composite door brands.
High-Security Mortice Deadlocks
For timber doors, the 5-lever mortice deadlock remains the gold standard in UK home security. It sits inside the body of the door (morticed into the timber) and requires a key to lock and unlock from both sides.
What makes it secure? Five levers means over 1,000 possible key combinations. The bolt extends deep into the frame, resisting crowbar and kick attacks. And when it carries the BS3621 kite mark, your insurer accepts it without question.
If your timber door currently has a basic night latch (the kind you can open by turning a knob on the inside), adding a mortice deadlock below it gives you two-point locking. Police recommend this as a minimum standard for UK front doors.
Smart Locks
Smart locks add a layer of technology on top of mechanical security. You can lock and unlock your door using a phone app, a PIN code, or even a fingerprint, depending on the model.
The real value after a break-in? Control and visibility. Smart locks send alerts to your phone every time someone enters or exits. You can grant temporary access codes to family members, dog walkers, or tradespeople, and revoke them instantly. No more spare keys hidden under the doormat.
Not all smart locks meet UK insurance standards, so check the specifications carefully. Some are designed as replacements for euro cylinders on uPVC doors. Others fit timber doors with existing mortice lock cutouts.
Our smart lock installation service covers fitting, setup, and pairing with your smartphone. We help you choose a model that suits your door type and meets your insurer’s requirements.
Key Safes
A key safe is a small, wall-mounted metal box with a coded lock that stores a spare key outside your home.
Why does this matter after a break-in? Because many people keep spare keys inside the house, which is exactly where a burglar finds them. A key safe lets you store a spare externally, protected by a combination code, without the risk of someone finding it under a flowerpot.
Key safes are also essential if you have elderly relatives, carers visiting the property, or if you need to give emergency access to someone when you are not home.
Our key safe installation service includes fitting the safe to an exterior wall using coach bolts and selecting the right position (out of sight from the street but accessible to those who need it).
Lock Types Compared: Which One Do You Need?
| Lock Type | Best For | UK Standard | Security Level | Typical Cost |
| Anti-Snap Euro Cylinder | uPVC and composite doors | TS007 3-star | High | £30 to £80 |
| 5-Lever Mortice Deadlock | Timber doors | BS3621 | High | £40 to £100 |
| Multipoint Locking System | uPVC and composite doors | Varies | Very High | £100 to £250 |
| Smart Lock | All door types | Varies (check insurer) | Medium to High | £150 to £400 |
| Night Latch | Secondary lock on timber doors | BS3621 (some models) | Medium | £30 to £70 |
Prices are approximate and vary depending on the brand, door type, and fitting complexity. Your locksmith can confirm exact costs during the assessment.
Not sure which lock is right for your door? Call Kingdom Locksmith on 0333 006 9691 for free advice. We carry all major lock types in the van and can upgrade your security in a single visit.
How to Repair a Door Damaged During a Break-In
A new lock on a damaged door is like a padlock on a cardboard box. The lock might be perfect, but if the door or frame is compromised, it will not hold up to a second attack.
After a burglary, the door itself often needs as much attention as the lock. Forced entry causes damage that is not always visible at first glance.
Door Frame Reinforcement
The frame is the part that fails first in a kick-in attack. Most residential door frames in the UK are softwood timber, held in place with short screws. One solid kick and the frame splits around the strike plate, popping the lock bolt out of its housing.
Fixing this properly means more than just gluing the split back together.
Your locksmith should install a reinforced steel strike plate, at least 300mm long, anchored with 75mm screws that reach through the frame and into the structural wall studs behind it. This spreads the force of any future kick across a much larger area, making it dramatically harder to breach.
Hinge bolts on the opposite side of the door add another layer of protection. These steel pins slot into the frame when the door closes, preventing someone from attacking the hinge side as an alternative entry point.
Door Mechanism Repairs
On uPVC and composite doors, the internal multipoint locking mechanism (sometimes called the gearbox) often suffers damage during a forced entry, even if the door looks fine from the outside.
Symptoms of a damaged mechanism include a handle that spins freely without engaging the bolts, bolts that only partially extend, or a door that locks at the centre but not at the top and bottom.
Our door mechanism repair services cover diagnosis and same-day replacement for all major multipoint lock brands. We carry the most common mechanism types in the van, so most repairs happen in a single visit.
Do not ignore a partially working mechanism. If the door is only locking at one point instead of three, it is barely more secure than having no lock at all.
When to Repair vs. When to Replace the Door
Sometimes the damage goes beyond what a repair can fix.
If the door panel itself is cracked through, if a timber door has split along the grain, or if a uPVC door has warped so badly that it no longer sits flush in the frame, repair is not enough. Forcing a lock onto a structurally weakened door gives you the appearance of security without the reality of it.
In these cases, your locksmith will provide emergency boarding to secure the property immediately, then advise on whether you need a full door replacement. A new door with proper locks and a reinforced frame fitted from scratch is sometimes the most cost-effective long-term option, especially if the old door was already showing signs of wear before the break-in.
Your insurer may cover the cost of a replacement door if the damage is directly caused by the burglary. Keep the locksmith’s damage report and photos for your claim.
How to Prevent Another Break-In
Your door is fixed. The locks are upgraded. But the job is not finished.
According to the Office for National Statistics, around 166,577 home burglaries were reported in England and Wales in the year ending March 2025. The West Midlands alone recorded nearly 16,000. And burglars are creatures of habit. A property that was easy to enter once becomes a target for a return visit unless you visibly improve the security.
Prevention is not about turning your home into a fortress. It is about making your property a harder target than the one next door.
Upgrade All Entry Points, Not Just the Broken One
Most people focus entirely on the door the burglar came through. That is understandable, but it is a mistake.
The back door, the patio door, the garage side door, ground-floor windows. All of them need checking. If the burglar did not use them this time, it does not mean they will not next time.
Walk around your property with your locksmith and check every entry point. Are the window locks working? Does the back door have a proper deadlock or just a basic latch? Is the garage door secured? A single weak point undoes everything else.
Install Motion-Activated Lighting
Burglars prefer to work in the dark. Outdoor lighting removes that advantage.
Motion-activated LED floodlights around the front door, back door, side passages, and garage cost very little to install and run. They activate the moment someone approaches, which deters opportunist burglars and alerts you or your neighbours to unusual activity.
Solar-powered options mean no wiring is needed. You can fit them in under an hour.
Consider a Home Security System
A visible burglar alarm on the front of your house tells any would-be intruder that this property is monitored. Whether you choose a basic bell-only alarm, a smart system connected to your phone, or a fully monitored CCTV setup, the visible deterrent effect is significant.
Video doorbells are another worthwhile addition. They let you see and speak to anyone at your door from your phone, whether you are home or not. After a break-in, that level of awareness can make a real difference to how safe you feel.
Community Vigilance and Smart Security Habits
Small habits add up. Use light timers when you are away so the house looks occupied. Cancel deliveries before a holiday. Ask a neighbour to collect your post. And never share your travel plans on social media before you leave.
How Much Does It Cost to Secure a Door After a Burglary in the UK?
Cost is one of the first questions people ask after a break-in. And the honest answer depends on the extent of the damage.
A straightforward lock change on a uPVC door with an anti-snap cylinder upgrade might cost between £80 and £150. A more involved job, replacing a multipoint mechanism, repairing the frame, and upgrading the hardware, could run to £200 to £400. Full emergency boarding plus lock replacement typically falls in a similar range.
These are rough guides. The only way to get an accurate quote is to have a locksmith assess the damage in person.
Typical Costs for Emergency Locksmith Services
Here is a general idea of what to expect in the UK:
| Service | Typical Cost Range |
| Emergency lock change (single door) | £80 to £150 |
| Anti-snap cylinder upgrade | £30 to £80 (plus fitting) |
| Multipoint mechanism replacement | £120 to £250 |
| Emergency boarding (per opening) | £80 to £200 |
| Full burglary repair (lock, frame, mechanism) | £200 to £400+ |
| Door replacement (supply and fit) | £400 to £1,000+ |
Prices vary by region, time of day, and the specific hardware required. Always ask for a clear, upfront quote before work begins.
At Kingdom Locksmith, we give you the price before we start. No surprises. No hidden fees.
Will Your Insurance Cover the Cost?
In most cases, yes.
The majority of UK home insurance policies cover emergency locksmith costs and lock replacement after a burglary, subject to your excess. Some policies also cover door replacement if the damage is caused by forced entry.
To claim successfully, you will need your crime reference number, the locksmith’s invoice showing itemised costs, and the lock specifications (BS3621, TS007, etc.) proving the replacement meets British Standards.
Call your insurer before the locksmith arrives if possible. Some policies require you to use a locksmith from their approved list, though most are flexible as long as the work meets standard requirements.
Keep every receipt. Photograph every piece of paperwork. Insurers process claims faster when the documentation is clean.
Why Call Kingdom Locksmith After a Break-In?
When your home has just been broken into, you need a locksmith you can trust to arrive fast, do the job right, and charge you fairly. That is exactly what we do.
We are Kingdom Locksmith. We have been securing homes and businesses across the Midlands for nearly a decade. Every locksmith on our team is DBS-checked, experienced, and carries a full range of BS3621 locks, anti-snap cylinders, and multipoint mechanisms in the van.
Here is what you get when you call us:
- 24/7 availability, every single day of the year. Burglaries do not wait for business hours and neither do we.
- 15 to 30 minute typical response time. We have local locksmiths based in every city we serve.
- No call-out charge. You only pay for the work we complete.
- Pay on completion. We never take payment upfront (unless a deposit for specialist parts is needed).
- 90-day workmanship guarantee on every job, plus a 12-month warranty on all parts.
- 200+ five-star Google reviews from real customers across Coventry, Birmingham, Derby, Nottingham, Burton, and Bournemouth.
We handle everything from emergency boarding and lock changes to full emergency burglary repair and long-term security upgrades.
Call us now on 0333 006 9691. Or request a free callback and we will ring you back within minutes.
Your home deserves to feel safe again. We will make it happen.
Conclusion
A break-in shakes your sense of safety. But the steps you take in the hours and days that follow determine whether your home becomes a harder target or stays vulnerable to a repeat attack. Change your locks, upgrade to British Standard hardware, repair the damage properly, and secure every entry point.
Do not wait. Every hour your property sits with a compromised door is another hour of risk.
At Kingdom Locksmith, we provide 24/7 emergency burglary repair across the Midlands with no call-out charge, DBS-checked locksmiths, and a 90-day workmanship guarantee on every job. We arrive in 15 to 30 minutes, carrying insurance-approved locks in the van.
Your home can be more secure tonight than it was before the break-in.
Call us now on 0333 006 9691 or request a free callback to get your property secured fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What is the first thing I should do after a break-in in the UK?
Answer: Make sure you and your family are safe first. If the intruder might still be inside, leave the property and call 999. Once safe, call 101 to report the crime and get a crime reference number. Do not touch or move anything until police have attended and collected evidence. After that, contact your insurer and call an emergency locksmith to secure the property.
Question: Should I change my locks after a burglary?
Answer: Yes, always. Even if your locks look undamaged, the burglar may have found or copied spare keys inside your home. New locks make every old key useless. Most UK insurance policies also require a lock change after a break-in as a condition of continued cover. Skipping this step could leave your home at risk and your policy invalid.
Question: What locks do UK insurance companies require?
Answer: Most insurers require BS3621-rated mortice deadlocks on timber doors and TS007-rated anti-snap euro cylinders on uPVC and composite doors. A combined 3-star rating (1-star cylinder plus 2-star handle, or vice versa) is the standard most policies reference for uPVC doors. Always check your specific policy wording, as requirements can vary between providers.
Question: How quickly can a locksmith come after a break-in?
Answer: A good emergency locksmith should reach you within 15 to 30 minutes. At Kingdom Locksmith, we have local engineers based in every city we serve across the Midlands, so response times are fast even late at night or on weekends. We operate 24/7, 365 days a year, with no call-out charge.
Question: How much does it cost to change locks after a break-in in the UK?
Answer: A standard lock change on a single door typically costs between £80 and £150, depending on the lock type and door. More involved work like multipoint mechanism replacement or frame repair can range from £200 to £400. Most home insurance policies cover these costs after a burglary, subject to your excess. Keep the locksmith’s invoice and lock specifications for your claim.
Question: Can a locksmith fix a door that was kicked in?
Answer: Yes. A professional locksmith can replace damaged locks, install reinforced strike plates, fit hinge bolts, and repair or replace broken multipoint mechanisms. If the door or frame is structurally damaged beyond repair, they will provide emergency boarding to secure the property and advise on a full door replacement.
Question: How do I stop burglars from coming back to my house?
Answer: Change all locks immediately and upgrade to high-security anti-snap cylinders or BS3621 deadlocks. Install motion-activated lighting around every entry point. Consider adding a visible burglar alarm or CCTV system. Secure all doors and windows, not just the one that was breached. Join your local Neighbourhood Watch and adopt basic security habits like using light timers when you are away.