If anyone inside is at risk, call 999 first. Otherwise check every door and window without climbing or forcing anything, ring whoever holds a spare key, and ask your landlord if you rent. If none of that works, get one fixed price from a locksmith before anyone sets off.
Start with the people. A child, a vulnerable adult or a pan left on the hob on the other side of the door changes how fast you need help, so say so the moment you ask for it. Then spend ten minutes on the free routes: the back door, the side door and any window a housemate may have left open. Leave the climbing, the forcing and the broken glass out of it.
Next, think about who has a key. A partner, a parent or a neighbour you trust may hold a spare. If you rent, many landlords and letting agents keep one, and they may have an out of hours number. Home emergency cover sometimes includes a lockout call out, so check your policy before you end up paying twice.
If you need a locksmith, ask for one total price to get you in, how they plan to open the door, and what happens if it cannot be opened without drilling. The Master Locksmiths Association reports complaints about advertised call out fees as low as £49 that grow once the job starts, so a vague answer is a reason to try someone else.
Have something ready that ties you to the address, such as a driving licence, a bill on your phone or a neighbour who can vouch for you. Locksmith guides say a careful locksmith will ask for proof that you live there, often once you are back inside, and that one who never asks is a warning sign rather than good service.
With us, you send the job through the form or the chat on this site, any hour, day or night, and the fixed price comes back before we set off. A lockout opened without damage is £95 on weekdays from 8am to 6pm, £130 in the evening and at weekends, and £150 at night from 10pm to 8am, including travel and up to one hour on site.
