What do you do first when you arrive after a break-in?

Secure the property. That usually means boarding up any smashed glazing, fitting a new BS3621 lock to the failed entry door, and making sure every external door is properly closing and locking. Documentation for the insurer happens alongside — photos, written report, list of work. The priority is making the house safe to leave tonight.

Will my insurance pay for this work?

In most cases, yes — burglary repairs are covered under standard home insurance with a Theft section. We provide a written report and itemised invoice formatted for insurance claims, which most insurers accept directly. Check your excess; on most policies it's £100–£250 and the rest is covered.

Can you fit British Standard locks to keep my insurance valid?

Yes. After a burglary every external door should have its locks replaced — not just the entry door. We fit BS3621 mortice locks on wooden doors and 3-star anti-snap cylinders on uPVC and composite doors. That's the spec your insurance expects going forward, and we document it for the renewal.

How fast can you get to me after a break-in?

We treat burglary calls as priority. For most of Manchester we're with you in 30–60 minutes, day or night. If you've already left the property and the police are there, just call us — we coordinate around what they need to finish on scene.

Burglary Repairs Manchester | Same-Day Secure

After a break-in: the first hour matters

Coming home to a forced front door, a smashed window, or drawers tipped out on the floor is one of the worst things that can happen in your own home. After the shock, the immediate question is the same: how do I make the house safe again, tonight?

That's what we do. Burglary repairs across Manchester, with priority response, the right hardware on the van, and the documentation your insurance will ask for. We secure the property first so you can sleep, then we sort everything else — new locks to British Standard, replaced cylinders, repaired doors, photos and report for the claim.

The order of work

Every burglary scene is different but the priority order is the same.

Secure the immediate entry point. If the front door has been forced and the lock is broken, fit a new lock now. If glazing is smashed, board it up immediately with screwed plywood — proper boarding, not gaffer tape.
Replace all external locks, not just the failed one. Burglars sometimes take keys or note key cuts. Insurance also expects new locks on every external door after a forced entry.
Repair or replace the door itself where damaged. Forced uPVC doors often have a damaged mechanism even if the door closes; see our uPVC door repair page for the typical fixes.
Document for insurance: photos before and during work, itemised invoice, written report describing what we found and what we did.
Tell you what to upgrade before next time — anti-snap cylinders on uPVC, BS3621 on wood, anti-lift hinges, secondary nightlatch. See our lock replacement page for the spec we'd recommend.

The first three happen on the same visit. The fifth is a conversation, not pressure to sell.

What we secure

The full range of after-burglary work:

Boarding up smashed glazing in doors and windows. Proper screwed plywood, sized to the opening, painted neutral if you ask. Holds until your glazier can come.
New cylinders and mortice locks to British Standard / 3-star anti-snap as appropriate.
Replacement of damaged multipoint mechanisms in uPVC and composite doors where the lock has been snapped or the mechanism has failed.
Door frame repair where the strike plate has been levered out and the frame needs reinforcement.
Letterbox restrictors where keys were fished through.
Lock changes on every external door in the property, not just the entry one.

If you've had a vehicle broken into and the steering lock or ignition is damaged, that's a different specialty — see our auto locksmith page.

Documentation for the insurer

Most home insurance policies cover burglary repairs under the Theft section, with a typical excess of £100–£250. The insurer will ask for documentation of what was broken and what was fitted. We provide:

Itemised invoice with parts and labour broken out — what most insurers ask for first.
Written report describing what we found on arrival, the method of entry, what we secured and what we fitted.
Photos before and after where useful.
British Standard confirmation — make, model and certification of the locks we fitted, which is what insurers need to confirm your cover continues at the same terms.

If you're claiming, take your own photos before we start as well — the insurer will sometimes ask for them separately. And keep all the receipts: contents claims work parallel to the property claim.

Quietly, with respect

This part isn't on most locksmith websites, and it should be. Coming home to a break-in is a deeply unsettling thing, especially when children are home or you live alone. We work quietly, we don't make small talk if you don't want to, and we keep neighbours out of it. Unmarked van where possible, work done discreetly. The job is to make you safe and let you breathe, not to be a feature.

We've worked on burglary scenes across Manchester from City Centre flats to suburban semis in Didsbury, Chorlton, Withington and the rest of the metro. We've seen every method of entry and we know what the typical follow-up looks like. The first night is about safety; the conversation about upgrades can wait until you've slept.

Pricing

Honest ranges, fixed before we start:

Same-day call-out + assessment: included in the work, no separate fee.
Boarding up a single glazing panel: £60–£150 depending on size.
New 3-star anti-snap cylinder fitted (uPVC entry door): £140–£250.
New BS3621 mortice fitted (wooden entry door): £140–£280.
Replacement multipoint mechanism (where the existing one was snapped or damaged): £180–£380.
Lock changes on remaining external doors to bring the whole property to standard: £80–£180 each depending on the door.

Insurance covers most of this minus your excess. Total bills for a typical residential burglary repair land in the £300–£900 range depending on what was damaged.

When to call us

Call immediately if you've come home to a break-in or attempted break-in. If you've called the police, do so first and let them tell you whether they're coming and what timeframe; then call us and we'll coordinate around their attendance. If they're not coming out, call us straight away. The longer the property is unsecured, the more exposed you are.

Burglary Repairs in Manchester