Urgent
Locked out of the house
Almost every standard house lock can be opened without damage. If the first thing someone suggests is drilling it, ask why — and be ready to call someone else.
Phones answered around the clock · free estimate
While you wait — please don't
- Ask what the lock needs before any work starts. A standard door lock is normally opened without damage, and you get the price before anything is touched.
- Do not force a window or a door — the repair costs many times a lockout.
- Have identification or proof of address ready. That check is what protects your door.
What has probably happened
- The key is inside, or lost somewhere between here and this morning.
- The door blew shut behind you on a self-locking latch.
- The key snapped, bent, or no longer turns the worn lock.
- A smart lock has lost power or lost its connection.
- Somebody changed the locks and did not tell you.
What the technician does
- The lock is opened without damage wherever it can be — that is the normal outcome, not the lucky one.
- Identification checked first, because that is what stops a door being opened for the wrong person.
- A new cylinder fitted only if the lock genuinely cannot be opened or is already broken.
- A spare key cut while they are there, if you want one.
- Rekeying offered if the missing key might be in someone else's hands.
Questions people ask
- Will they damage the door?
- A standard residential lock is normally opened without any damage at all. High-security cylinders are harder and occasionally have to be replaced, but the locksmith should tell you that before they start, not after.
- Do I have to prove I live here?
- Yes, and you should want to. Any locksmith worth calling asks for identification or some proof of address. One who does not would open your door for a stranger just as readily.
- How much will it cost?
- It depends on the lock and the door, so nobody can tell you honestly over the phone. You get a price at your door before any work starts, and nothing happens until you agree it.
- It is the middle of the night.
- Tell us when you call. Lockouts are treated as the priority they are, and being outside at night is part of that.
Get a technician out
Free estimate. The price is agreed before the work starts.
Questions about locked out of the house
- Why does my door stick only in summer and work fine in winter?
- Why is my key turning but the door still will not open?
- What should I have ready before the locksmith arrives for a lockout?
- Do locksmiths have to be licensed to open a residential door?
- What proof of residence will a locksmith ask for during a house lockout?
- What does a locksmith do first when I am locked out of my house?
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Something else going on?
- Locked out of the car
- Lost car key or fob
- Keys lost or stolen
- Key broke in the lock
- Lock is stuck or broken
- Just moved in
- New or upgraded locks
- Business locked out
One Call Locksmiths arranges the visit; the technician does the work and gives you the price.