Locked out? What to do in the first ten minutes
Most lockouts end well. The ones that end with a damaged door usually went wrong in the first ten minutes, before anyone rang a locksmith.
5 minutes to read · 12 September 2026 · Written by the Torwick engineers
You are on the wrong side of your own front door. Before you ring anyone, there are three things worth checking, and two things worth not doing.
Check these first
Every other door and window. A back door on the latch, a downstairs window left on the vent, a garage with a connecting door. Look, but do not climb: a fall from a window ledge costs more than any locksmith.
Who else has a key. A partner at work, a neighbour, a landlord, a letting agent. Ten minutes on the phone can save £79.
What kind of lock it is. If the door slammed behind you and only the latch is holding it, it is almost always a quick, clean opening. If it is deadlocked with the key inside, tell the locksmith that; it changes how they will open it.
Do not do these
Do not force the door. Shoulders and screwdrivers split frames, and a split frame is a joiner’s job on top of a locksmith’s.
Do not ring the first number with a big advert. Some national lines take your call, then sell the job to whoever is nearest at whatever price they name on arrival. Ask for a fixed price on the phone, including any call-out charge, and ask whether the person coming is employed by the company you rang.
What it should cost
In Coventry we charge £79 to open a door in the daytime in the city, with no separate call-out fee. Evenings add £30 and overnight £60. If the lock has to be drilled, the new cylinder is part of that price, and we will tell you before we start.
While you wait
Stay somewhere warm and visible. If you have children or anyone vulnerable with you, or a pan on the hob inside, say so when you ring. It moves you up the list, and it should.