Lockout and Locksmith → Security
The instinct is to fix the door first. Doing that before the police and the insurer have seen it is the most common way a straightforward claim becomes an argument.
The decision to change locks after break in is usually a rekeying decision rather than a replacement one: rekeying invalidates every existing key for $50 to $130 plus $10 to $25 per cylinder, and replacement is only necessary where the hardware itself was forced.
Before you change locks after break in damage, there is an order of operations that no ranking page sets out, and getting it wrong costs more than the locks do.
Tonight, in this order
Report it and write down the reference number. Almost every insurer asks for it, and getting it later is harder than getting it now.
Every point of entry, every damaged fitting, wide and close. Repairs made before the damage is recorded are the most common reason a claim gets complicated.
A short call or an app report starts the clock. If you rent, tell the landlord or agent in writing the same evening, whatever else happens.
Rekey if the hardware survived and the concern is keys. Replace where the lock itself was forced. Both come after the documentation, not before it.
Do I need new locks or just a rekey?
Rekey if the hardware is intact and the worry is that keys were taken or copied. Replace where the lock was forced, drilled or bent, because a damaged plug or latch will not operate reliably even with new pins in it.
That single rule replaces the vague rekey-versus-replace comparison every other page offers, and it is easy to apply standing in front of the door.
There is a third case worth naming: if the frame is damaged but the lock is fine, neither rekeying nor replacing the lock addresses the actual weakness. That is a frame and strike problem, covered below.
This is the gap in every published guide. The advice stops at call a locksmith, and says nothing about the hours between now and their arrival.
Most forced entries do not defeat the lock. They split the jamb around the strike plate, because a standard strike is held by two short screws into soft trim rather than into structural timber.
That means a new lock fitted to the same frame is a new lock on the same weakness. The upgrade that changes the outcome is three-inch screws through the strike plate into the framing stud behind it, ideally with a reinforced strike plate.
It costs a few dollars a door and it is the single highest-value security change most homes can make. Ask the locksmith to do it while they are there.
Do not repair anything before it is documented
Insurers generally expect a police reference number and photographs of the damage as it was found. A door repaired at midnight and photographed at nine the next morning is a materially weaker claim, and emergency securing work is normally claimable in its own right when you keep the receipt. Document first, secure second, repair third.
A large share of people searching this are tenants, and the ranking pages are written for landlords.
If the landlord is unreachable and the property cannot be secured, document your attempts to contact them, arrange emergency securing work, and keep every receipt.
Three things, and all of them are easier to produce on the night than a week later.
A police reference number. Photographs of the damage before any repair. Receipts for any emergency securing work, which is normally treated separately from the main repair. The Insurance Information Institute is a useful neutral reference on how property claims generally work, though your own policy wording is what governs.
Indicative US ranges. Always get a written quote.
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rekeying, professional | $50–$130 | Plus $10–$25 per cylinder |
| Service / trip fee | $50–$100 | Separate in many markets |
| After-hours premium | +$100–$250 | Nights, weekends and holidays |
| Replacement lock set | hardware + labor per door | Where the lock was forced or drilled |
| Long strike screws and a reinforced plate | a few dollars per door | The highest-value upgrade on this page |
Source: Thumbtack 2026 national locksmith price data; published 2026 locksmith cost guides (retrieved August 2026). Figures vary by region, severity and after-hours timing.
Figures last checked
People who change locks after break in incidents rarely budget for the last line on that table, and it is the one worth acting on. Everything above it restores the position you were in before the break-in; the strike screws improve on it, for the price of a coffee.
Full rate detail sits in our breakdown of what a locksmith charges by job, and the mechanics of rekeying are on our guide to rekeying your locks.
Emergency Services 24H is a referral service. We do not employ locksmiths and we do not attend properties.
Your request routes by ZIP code to licensed, insured contractors covering your area, and they contact you directly. If you think anyone may still be inside the property, that is a 911 call rather than a locksmith call.
Know the line
24/7 dispatch network
Tell us what was damaged and your ZIP code. Licensed, insured locksmiths covering your area will contact you directly, including for same-night securing work. No obligation to hire.
Fire, a gas smell, or an injury? Leave the building and call 911 first, then your gas utility or power company. Use this form once you are safe.
Straight answers
The questions homeowners actually search for on this problem, answered in plain language.
Browse all guidesRekey if the hardware is intact and the concern is that keys were taken or copied, because rekeying invalidates every existing key for $50 to $130 plus per cylinder. Replace where the lock itself was forced, drilled or bent, because a damaged cylinder or latch will not operate reliably even after rekeying.
Call the police and get a reference number, then photograph every point of entry and all damage before touching anything. Notify your insurer, and your landlord if you rent. Locks come after documentation, because repairs made before the damage is recorded can complicate a claim.
Landlords generally have an obligation to keep a property secure and will usually arrange the work after a break-in, but the rules on when and how they may change locks vary by state and by tenancy agreement. Put your request in writing, keep the reply, and check your state guidance rather than relying on general advice.
A hasp and padlock fitted with screws long enough to reach the framing stud, or a door-security bar braced against the floor, will hold a splintered frame until morning. If the door cannot be made secure at all, stay somewhere else rather than sleeping behind a door that does not close.
Rekeying, in almost every case, at $50 to $130 plus $10 to $25 per cylinder against the cost of new hardware for every door. The exception is where the lock was physically forced, in which case you are paying for the replacement whether you like it or not.
Three-inch screws through the strike plate into the framing stud. Most forced entries split the jamb rather than defeat the lock, and standard strike plates are held by short screws into soft trim. It costs a few dollars and it is the single highest-value change on the list.
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24/7 dispatch network
Tell us what has failed and where you are. We route your request to licensed, insured contractors covering your ZIP code, and they contact you directly.
Fire, a gas smell, or an injury? Leave the building and call 911 first, then your gas utility or power company. Use this form once you are safe.