How Much Does It Cost to Change the Locks in the UK? (2026 Guide)
If you've just moved house, lost your keys or had a near-miss, the first thing you want is an honest price for changing the locks. Below are the typical UK costs we charge across West London, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire in 2026 — what's included, what's a fair upsell and what's a rip-off.
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The British Standard kitemark is what almost every UK home insurer requires; if your existing lock doesn't have the BS3621 stamp on the faceplate, a claim after a break-in may be reduced or refused. Banham, Chubb 3G110, Union 2C13 and ERA Fortress are the brands we fit most often.
The gearbox is the bar of metal inside the door that drives the hooks and bolts when you lift the handle — when it fails (and they all fail eventually), the door either won't lock, won't unlock, or feels heavy on the handle. Yale Doormaster, GU Secury, ERA Vectis and Fuhr Multisafe are the four common types and a good locksmith carries all of them on the van.
Send a photo for a fixed written quote.
A genuine locksmith always quotes a fixed total before setting off and tries non-destructive entry first — drilling is a last resort, never an opening move.
Out-of-hours pricing should be transparent too.
Finally — landlords and tenants. End-of-tenancy lock changes are non-negotiable from an insurance perspective: if a previous tenant retains a working key and uses it, your insurer can decline a contents claim.