Compromised Keys

Have your keys been lost or stolen? Do you suspect that you've given key copies out to too many builders, estate agents, etc.? Do you no longer feel comfortable about having given a key to someone you know?

Typical locks

It's not always necessary to change the locks. Cylinders (barrels) can be changed instead. A medium-quality Yale rimlatch lock has a parts cost of around £30 to change but a standard 5-pin Yale cylinder from the same rimlatch lock costs £12. A typical Chubb front door 5-lever mortice deadlock would cost £59 to replace but we can usually re-lever the lock for a part-exchange parts cost of £25. (To this, and all the parts costs mentioned on this page, you will need to add the labour cost of course. Basically this is £60 during the working day and £75 evenings and weekends.)

Unless the locks weren't working properly anyway, you can get your keys changed for less than half the cost of replacing the locks.

Superior locks

Some locks have better cylinders than a typical 5-pin Yale and cost a little more; 6-pin cylinders such as the Yale 6-pin cost between £15 and £25 to replace. The Chubb 6-pin cylinder is no longer available separately, but provided that the cylinder is in reasonable condition, rather than replace the entire, somewhat expensive lock we can re-pin the cylinder and cut new keys for you for £30.

Top-end locks

Unfortunately some locks' cylinders are very expensive. New Banham cylinders, for example, will cost nearly £150 each. We can supply German-made replacements for Banham cylinders at a lower price, however.

If you have a Chubb 110 (it will say 5 detainers on the faceplate rather than 5 levers) then re-levering will cost £30 (and replacing would have cost over £80).

Awkward locks

Although Chubb, Union and Yale mortice deadlock levers can usually be changed, there are locks where re-levering isn't possible. These would unusual locks such as Imperial, downmarket locks like ERA or locks where too many varieties of levers have been used in the past such as Legge. However, all of these examples are less costly to replace than, say, a Chubb.

Please telephone or email us for more information.