Help & advice
Straight answers, before you spend a pound.
Most locksmith websites answer one question: “how do we get you to call?” These guides answer the questions you actually typed — what things cost, what you can safely fix yourself, and how to tell an honest locksmith from a rogue one.
We publish the real numbers and the honest DIY steps even when they talk you out of hiring us. That’s deliberate: if a zero-cost fix solves it tonight, you’ll remember who told you — and if it doesn’t, you already know exactly how we price and how we work.
The guides
Questions people ask us every week — answered in writing.
Start here Consumer guide · read this firstAvoid locksmith scams
Rogue locksmiths advertise a low price, then bill £500–£3,000. The red flags, the questions to ask any locksmith, and how to verify us in two minutes.
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Key stuck in a lock
A key stuck or snapped in your lock is usually fixable without damage — if you stop forcing it. The safe steps, the mistakes to avoid, and when to call.
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Lock change cost
Honest 2026 lock change prices: typical UK bands beside our fixed prices, what moves the figure, and how to read a quote so a low advert never stings.
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uPVC door won't lock
uPVC door won't lock or the handle won't lift? One ten-second test tells you if it's alignment or a failing gearbox — plus safe DIY checks to try first.
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Moving house locks
Yes — change or rekey every external lock when you move in, because you never know who else holds keys. What to do on day one, the cost, and when to call.
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BS3621 & insurance
What BS3621 means, how it differs from BS8621 and TS007, and whether a missing kitemark can really cost you a claim. Check your own door in two minutes.
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Smart locks, honestly
We don't fit smart locks — and that's a choice, not a gap. How they really work on a British door, the three honest routes, and what matters more than any app.
More guides are on the way. Got a question we haven’t covered? Ask below — the answer usually becomes the next guide.
More reading
More reading on the blog →
The guides above answer the big questions. The blog goes deeper on the smaller ones — break-ins, snapped keys, uPVC care and what the standards actually mean.
No question too small
Ask us anything — even “is this quote a rip-off?”
Not sure which guide fits your problem? Send a photo of the lock, the door, or another firm’s quote. We’ll tell you what we’d honestly do — even when the answer is “don’t pay anyone, here’s the fix”.
- No call-out fee — when you accept the quoted work
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