Lock change · same day · Greater Manchester
You can't get keys back. You can make them useless.
Get a price in 2 minutes
Tell us what's happened. We ring you straight back with a fixed price.
- From £35 per door
- Same day
- Keyed alike available
- No call-out fee
- 12-month warranty
Every lock change we do comes down to the same sentence, whatever the reason behind it. Somebody has a key and you would rather they did not. You cannot un-give a key. You can only stop it working.
The five reasons people ring
Just moved in
You have no idea who holds keys. Previous owners, their kids, a builder, a cleaner, the neighbour who watered the plants. Do it in week one.
Tenancy ended
Two keys back, four cut at a kiosk. Asking does not help. Master key systems →
Relationship ended
Read the section below before you ring. There is a legal question here and getting it wrong is expensive.
Keys lost or stolen
Especially with anything showing your address. Lost keys →
Insurer said so
BS3621, TS007 3-star, or a claim that got argued. BS3621 →
Break-in
Or an attempt. Snapped cylinder, forced frame. Burglary repair →
Cylinder swap or whole lock?
Most people ask for a lock change and need a cylinder swap, which is cheaper.
| You need | Which | Price |
|---|---|---|
| New keys, uPVC or composite door | Euro cylinder swap | £35-60 |
| New keys, wooden door with a nightlatch | Rim cylinder swap | £30-55 |
| New keys, wooden door with a mortice | Whole lock (levers can't swap) | £60-140 |
| Insurer wants BS3621 | Whole lock | £85-140 |
| Insurer wants 3-star anti-snap | Cylinder swap | £65-110 |
| Lock is snapped, drilled or broken | Whole lock | £60-140 |
On a uPVC door, changing the cylinder kills every old key instantly and the expensive multipoint mechanism stays where it is. That is the whole job for most people, and anyone quoting you a full mechanism for a set of new keys is selling you a mechanism.
One key for the whole house
Keyed alike means front, back and side all take the same key. It costs almost nothing extra at the point of fitting because we are already there with the cylinders open, and it is the single most appreciated thing we do. £70-110 for a front and back done together.
Relationships: the bit you need to know
We get this call regularly and we would rather tell you now than on your doorstep.
If the other person has a legal right to live there, changing the locks to keep them out can be unlawful. That covers a joint tenant, a joint owner, a spouse with home rights, and in some cases someone who simply lives there and has nowhere else. It is not about whose name is on the bills or who paid for what.
What we will do: change the locks on a property where you are the sole owner or sole tenant, or where the other person has already moved out and has no legal right of occupation. What we will not do: help remove somebody who has a right to be there. That is a court's job, and if you are frightened right now, the police and a solicitor come before a locksmith.
See also eviction locksmith for the landlord version of the same rules.
What it costs
| Job | Price | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Euro cylinder swap, per door | £35-60 | 20-30 min |
| Front and back keyed alike | £70-110 | 40-60 min |
| Anti-snap 3-star cylinder | £65-110 | 20-30 min |
| BS3621 mortice, supplied and fitted | £85-140 | 45-90 min |
| Rim cylinder (nightlatch) | £30-55 | 20-30 min |
| Extra keys | £8-15 | on site |
Questions people actually ask
Do I need a whole new lock or just a new cylinder?
For most people, just the cylinder. If you have a uPVC or composite door and you want new keys, swapping the euro cylinder is £35 to £60 per door, kills every old key instantly, and leaves the expensive multipoint mechanism exactly where it is. Anyone quoting you a full mechanism replacement because you want new keys is selling you a mechanism. A whole lock is genuinely needed on a wooden door with a mortice, because lever locks cannot have their cylinder swapped, or when the lock is damaged, or when your insurer requires BS3621 and yours is not.
I've just moved into a house in Manchester. Should I change the locks?
Yes, in the first week, and it is the cheapest peace of mind you will ever buy. You have genuinely no idea how many keys exist: previous owners, their grown-up children, a builder who never gave one back, a cleaner, the neighbour who watered the plants, an estate agent. Nobody is being sinister, keys just accumulate over a decade and nobody tracks them. A cylinder swap on the front and back keyed alike is £70 to £110 and takes under an hour.
Can I change the locks to keep my ex out?
It depends entirely on whether they have a legal right to live there, and getting this wrong is expensive. If they are a joint tenant, a joint owner, or a spouse with home rights, changing the locks to exclude them can be unlawful regardless of whose name is on the bills or who paid for what. We will change the locks where you are the sole owner or sole tenant, or where the other person has already moved out and has no right of occupation. We will not help remove someone who has a legal right to be there, because that is a court's job. If you are frightened right now, the police and a solicitor come before a locksmith.
Can all my doors take the same key?
Yes, and it costs very little extra if we do it while we are already there with the cylinders out. Front and back keyed alike is £70 to £110 for the pair. It does not weaken anything: each door still has its own lock, they are simply pinned to accept the same key. It is the single thing customers thank us for most, and the only real caveat is that one lost key now affects every door, so keep a spare somewhere sensible.
How fast can you change my locks?
Same day in almost every case, and within the hour if it is urgent. A single cylinder swap takes 20 to 30 minutes on site, a front and back done together 40 to 60 minutes, and a BS3621 mortice 45 to 90 minutes because the door has to be cut correctly. We carry the common cylinders and BS3621 mortice locks on the van, so it is usually one visit. There is no call-out fee and no surcharge at nights or weekends.