Burglary repairs
Burglary Repairs in Farnborough
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- 24-hour emergency cover
- No call-out charge
- Price agreed before work starts
Been Broken Into? Here Is What Matters First
Think someone may still be inside, or that the property is unsafe? Do not go in; call 999. When you know it is safe, ring the police before anyone else, including us.
After that, Wilds Locksmiths Farnborough repairs the damage and makes the property secure again, 24 hours a day. You are welcome to call for advice before the police have finished, so you know what happens next, but nothing is done at the entry point until the police say it may be. If they cannot attend that night, ring 101 and ask whether the property may be secured now.
First, Before You Touch Anything
After a break-in, the first instinct is to check what is missing and start clearing up. Give it a little time. Forensic evidence is easiest to recover in the first hours and is destroyed by handling, so the less that is moved, the better.
Six things to hold off on
- Touching the point of entry, such as a forced door or broken window.
- Moving anything the intruder could have dropped.
- Crossing glass or debris near the entry point.
- Using the bathroom, where intruders sometimes go and may leave evidence.
- Handling drawers, handles or surfaces that have clearly been disturbed.
- Taking close-up photographs; stand back and take them from a distance.
Why the photos matter
A record of the entry point and each affected room helps the police and supports your insurance claim. For the wider picture, see the full guide to what to do after a burglary.
What We Repair After a Break-In
Every forced entry is different, but the damage tends to fall into a few familiar groups. Forced entry can affect the lock, the door and the hardware around it, and each is dealt with as follows.
Locks and their cylinders
Typical damage includes snapped cylinders, drilled locks and broken mortice cases. The replacement is either equivalent or upgraded, depending on the door and what your policy specifies. If keys that open the property were stolen, the affected locks may need changing even if they were not damaged, so those keys no longer work.
Door frames and doors
Damage around a lock frequently reaches the keep, strike plate, door edge or frame. Replacing the lock without dealing with that would leave the weak point. Where a carpenter or door specialist is needed for major joinery or structural repair, the door is made secure in the meantime.
uPVC door and composite door mechanisms
The cylinder is not the only casualty: the multipoint mechanism can be damaged too, even when nothing looks wrong. A door that shuts may nevertheless require attention.
Windows and window locks
Locking mechanisms, handles and forced sashes are within scope. Broken glass or a damaged sealed unit needs a glazier, and we will tell you that directly.
Boarding up where it is needed
Temporary boarding closes the opening when a permanent repair cannot be finished immediately, with follow-up work arranged once it is secure.
At What Point Can You Secure the Property?
Can you secure the property before the police arrive, or should you wait? There is no single answer, because three pressures pull against each other. The police want the scene left untouched. Your insurer will expect that nobody leaves the property open overnight. And intruders sometimes come back to the same property for what they could not carry the first time.
Start with the police. Ask them directly whether forensics are attending, when they expect to attend, and when it will be all right to work on the entry point. If they are coming soon, waiting is worthwhile. If they cannot get to you until the next day, ask the police non-emergency line whether the property may be secured now; only start work when the police allow it.
The reason to ask first is practical: a locksmith handling a door, with or without gloves, can disturb marks at the entry point. Most insurers expect to be told promptly, so check your policy wording in the meantime.
Security Upgrades After a Break-In
A break-in is an unwelcome test, but it does reveal how the property's security held up, and that is useful information to act on whenever you are ready. Start with the entry point. Forced entry may damage the lock, the cylinder, the keeps, the frame or a mix of them, and reviewing the complete entrance tells you whether one replacement part will do or whether the hardware around it also needs work.
Match the standard to the attack. Where a timber door was forced, BS 3621 is the standard to look at: suitable timber doors may use qualifying locks certified to it, and some policies specify it. Where a cylinder was snapped on a uPVC or composite door, look for TS 007 ratings, which euro cylinders and compatible security hardware may carry, or SS 312 Diamond certification, which qualifying cylinders may carry. These ratings apply to particular products or combinations of hardware, rather than certifying the complete door or guaranteeing that every policy is satisfied.
Nothing more extensive is automatically required, and a like-for-like replacement is fine if you prefer it. Part of the cost may be covered by the claim. If your insurer, landlord or managing agent has a written requirement, get them to confirm the specification in writing before you choose a lock for compliance. Read BS 3621 door locks explained or anti-snap locks explained for more.
Locksmith pricing
What Do Burglary Repairs Cost?
The honest answer is that it depends, and here is on what. Burglary repair costs turn on the damage, the entrance affected and whether the work is immediate or follow-up:
- The type and extent of the damage.
- Repair or temporary securing.
- Locks, cylinders and other components.
- Sourcing compatible replacement parts, if needed.
- Normal working hours versus out of hours.
We give you a price on the call. That price is based on your description and stays the same unless the job turns out different on site; you are told about any change before work starts. There is no separate call-out fee, and the bill is for the labour, parts and work agreed with you. You pay for the work carried out, any parts needed, and VAT. Rates outside Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm, are higher, but the call-out itself is never charged. Claiming on insurance?
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
Repaired Properly Afterwards, Secure Tonight
Late at night, aim for a secure home, with work starting only after police permission. The entrance’s condition determines whether the initial visit might include repairing it straight away, replacing a component or fitting temporary boarding. Some damaged doors and windows can be put right on that visit. For other entrances, temporary security is put in place pending suitable parts being located or separate work on the glazing, door or frame being organised.
After that comes the permanent job, once the police are done, your insurer knows and any parts have been sourced. Before either stage you are told which one you are at and what it involves. Any extra repair, part or return visit is talked through separately, and the work and its price are confirmed before the next stage starts. For more, see emergency boarding up and lock replacement.
Locksmith pricing
Insurance Claim Paperwork
A burglary claim usually rests on a small bundle of documents. Requirements do vary, so check your policy, contact your insurer promptly and ask which evidence your claim needs. Most insurers will want:
- the police crime reference number;
- photographs taken in line with what the police advised;
- correspondence from the insurer;
- invoices for both the temporary securing and the completed repairs.
Put it with the crime reference number and photographs so everything is in one place. Where your insurer requests particular information about the damage, the repair or the locks fitted, tell us before work begins. Remember that your insurer will decide what is covered under the policy. For more on what to expect from a locksmith, see how to choose a trustworthy locksmith.
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
Burglary Repairs Across Farnborough
Break-in repairs are attended for homeowners, tenants, landlords and business premises across Farnborough, since a property cannot sensibly be left open overnight. The area is every postcode in GU14, from South Farnborough, North Farnborough and North Camp to Cove, Fox Lane and West Heath. Cove is mostly houses, and North Camp has a high share of private renting (Census 2021, ONS; indicative). Farnborough is a built-up area of around 60,700 usual residents (Census 2021, ONS).
Report a burglary to Hampshire Constabulary on 101 or at hampshire.police.uk, and get a crime reference before you claim on insurance. For context, Hampshire Constabulary recorded 143 burglaries mapped to the Farnborough built-up area from September 2025 to August 2026 (data.police.uk).
| Recorded by police in Farnborough (Sep 2025 to Aug 2026) | 12 months | Monthly average | Highest month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglary | 143 | 12 | Jul 2026 (19) |
| Criminal damage and arson | 266 | 22 | Apr 2026 (32) |
Source: Hampshire Constabulary records published on data.police.uk (OGL v3), Sep 2025 to Aug 2026. Counts are anonymised records mapped inside the Farnborough built-up area, not a measure of the risk to any one home.
What Happens When You Make a Call
Nothing about the call is complicated.
- Let us know what has been damaged, and whether the police have said work may begin, as their permission is needed before the entry point is touched.
- We quote a price on the call and give you an honest idea of arrival, we aim to be with you in around 30 minutes, though it can take longer depending on where our nearest locksmith is.
Emergency and planned locksmith services
Call Wilds Locksmiths Farnborough
Call 01252 493213 when you are ready. We answer 24 hours a day, there is no call-out charge, and you can ask what happens next even if the police have not finished.
- Phone: 01252 493213
01252 493213
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I call the police or a locksmith first?
The police, always. Call 999 if the break-in may still be in progress, someone could be inside or anyone is in immediate danger; otherwise report it through the police non-emergency route. They give you a crime reference number for your insurer. Ask whether the damaged entrance must stay untouched before repairs or boarding, and tell them if the property cannot be secured. Then call us: the line is open 24 hours, so you can ring for advice before they have finished.
Can I secure my door before the police have been?
Check with the police before you do. When forensics are due soon, wait for them, since repairing a door means handling it and that can disturb marks at the entry point. When the police cannot come until the next day, call the police non-emergency line to ask whether you may secure the property now. Do not begin securing it until they say you may.
Will my insurance cover the repairs?
Cover is possible, but your insurer will make the decision on your claim. Report the damage promptly and find out which details or authorisation it needs. Your policy terms, the circumstances and the necessary repairs all matter. Retain permitted photographs alongside your crime reference, insurance correspondence and invoices for repairs.
Do I need to change my locks if nothing was damaged?
Yes, if the intruder left with any keys. Those keys still open the door, damaged lock or not, and anyone holding them can come back. That makes changing the affected locks worthwhile, and the same goes for locks whose spare keys were kept in the house where the intruder could reach them. If all keys are present and no lock was forced, your locks may be fine, and you will be told so.
Can everything be fixed the same night?
Sometimes, but it does not have to be. With police permission, some entrances can be repaired on the first visit; others are secured with a temporary lock or boarding so the property is safe to leave and sleep in. The permanent work comes later, once the police are done and parts have been sourced. Before anything starts, you hear which stage it is and what it costs.
Could they come back?
It does happen, so secure the property promptly once the police permit work. Intruders sometimes return to the same address within days, particularly when there were items they could not carry the first time. That is a practical reason to have the entry point properly repaired rather than left temporarily boarded for weeks. It is not a reason to be alarmed tonight.
My uPVC door was forced but it still closes. Is it damaged?
Possibly. A door that still shuts can still have a damaged mechanism. With forced uPVC doors, the multipoint mechanism inside is often affected even if the door and frame appear intact, and the fault can surface days later as a handle that will not lift. If the door was forced at the lock, assume the mechanism took the strain and get it looked at.
What if the frame is damaged as well as the lock?
Usually the two go together: a door forced at the lock tends to split the frame around the keep. Replacing just the lock would leave the weak point untouched. A frame that can be repaired is done in the same visit. A frame that needs more than a single visit allows is handled in stages, securing the property first and completing it later, with a carpenter or door specialist where major joinery is involved.
Still have a question or need urgent assistance? Call 01252 493213, tell us what has happened and receive a current arrival estimate.