Entry point securedBurglary Repair and Make-Safe in Manchester
After a break-in you need the property secure tonight and properly repaired this week. We do both, and we write it up in a way your insurer accepts.
- Secure tonight, repaired this week
- Paperwork your insurer accepts
- Locksmith and glazier, one call
Secure tonight, repaired this week
A burglary leaves two problems. The immediate one is a door or window that will not close. The slower one is a frame, a lock and sometimes a pane of glass that need replacing properly. Our locksmiths deal with the first on the same visit and organise the second, so you are not chasing three separate tradespeople while trying to sleep.
If it is happening now, the emergency locksmith page is the one you want. This page explains what happens next.
What a forced door usually needs
On a uPVC or composite door, the cylinder has often been snapped and the multipoint strip bent. We replace the cylinder with a three-star anti-snap unit and either realign or replace the multipoint mechanism. On a timber door in a Chorlton or Prestwich terrace, the frame has usually split around the keep. We refit the keep on longer fixings, sleeve the split, and fit a British Standard deadlock with a London bar where the frame will take one.
Rear doors, patio doors and ground-floor windows are the other common entry points. Where glass has gone, our own glaziers board up that day and glaze on the return visit.
The part people forget
Whoever broke in may now have your keys, the car key, or the spare that hung in the hall. We change the locks on every door that key opened, not only the one that was forced. Our guide on what to do after a break-in walks through the first 24 hours, including crime reference numbers and photographs for your claim. If you find yourself locked out rather than broken into, the locked out at night guide is the better read. Everything else our Manchester locksmiths do is on the main page, and 07343 065023 reaches a person at any hour.
Broken into right now?
Call 101 for a crime reference, then call us. Our emergency locksmith secures the door at any hour.
Call 07343 065023What to do after a break-inWhat we do on the first visit
The make-safe visit is about leaving you secure, not selling you a new door.
- 01Check the property is safe to be in and that nobody else is inside
- 02Photograph the damage before anything is moved, for your claim
- 03Re-secure the forced door or window so it locks tonight
- 04Replace snapped or compromised cylinders and locks from van stock
- 05Board up broken glazing through our own glaziers
- 06Check the other doors and ground-floor windows for weaknesses
- 07Measure for any frame, door or glass that needs ordering
- 08Leave you with a written note of what was done and what comes next
From break-in to full repair
Most burglary repairs follow the same four stages.
- Stage 1
Make safe
Same day, any hour. The entry point is secured, compromised locks are replaced and glass is boarded.
- Stage 2
Assess and quote
We measure what needs replacing, price it in writing and send it to you or your insurer within a working day.
- Stage 3
Repair
Frame repairs, replacement doors and glazing are fitted, usually within two working days of approval.
- Stage 4
Write-up
You receive an itemised invoice, before and after photographs and a short description of the repair for your claim.
After a break-in you want the house secure tonight and the paperwork right for the insurer. We do both.
Working with your insurer
Home insurers do not need a thick report after a burglary. They need a crime reference number, photographs, and an itemised invoice from a business they can verify. We provide all three as a matter of routine, and we hold the permanent repair if your insurer wants their own assessor to visit first.
For landlords and letting agents managing several properties, we can invoice the agency directly and copy the tenant, which keeps the claim moving without the tenant chasing paperwork.
Related locksmith services
The services most often booked alongside a burglary repair.
- Emergency Locksmith24-hour emergency locksmith across Manchester and Greater Manchester. Lockouts, snapped keys and break-in make-safe, with a locksmith on the way within 45 minutes and the price agreed first.within 45 minutes
- 02Lock Changes and RekeyingLock changes and rekeying across Manchester for new homeowners, landlords and anyone who has lost track of a key. British Standard locks, keyed-alike options, insurer-compliant.
- 03uPVC Door Lock RepairuPVC and composite door lock repair across Manchester: multipoint gearbox replacement, realignment, snapped cylinders and floppy handles, usually fixed in one visit without a new door.
- 04Security UpgradesHome security upgrades in Manchester: anti-snap cylinders, British Standard deadlocks, window locks, door reinforcement and a plain assessment of where your home is weak.
Ask me anythingQuestion 01 of 05Question 02 of 05Question 03 of 05Question 04 of 05Question 05 of 0501Should I call the police before I call you?
Yes, if you have not already. Ring 101, or 999 if you think someone is still inside, and get a crime reference number. Your insurer will ask for it and so will we when we write up the repair. Try not to touch the point of entry until the police have said they do not need to examine it, then call us and we will make the property safe.
02Can you come the same day?
For the make-safe, yes, at any hour, through our emergency locksmith. The permanent repair is usually booked within two working days, sooner if a frame or door needs ordering and we can measure on the first visit. Where glass is involved, our glaziers board up on day one and return to glaze once the unit is made.
03Will you deal with my insurance company?
We provide an itemised invoice, a short written description of the damage and the repair, and photographs taken before and after. That is what most home insurers ask for on a burglary claim. If your insurer wants to appoint their own assessor first, we can make safe now and hold the permanent repair until they have visited. Our insurance work page explains the process.
04Do I have to change every lock in the house?
If keys were taken, or you cannot be sure they were not, we recommend changing or rekeying every lock those keys opened, including the back door, the garage and any outbuildings. If nothing was taken and the entry was forced, replacing the damaged lock is usually enough. We will tell you honestly which situation you are in rather than selling you locks you do not need.
05What about the back door and windows?
Most of the break-ins we attend on the 1930s semis of Sale, Didsbury and Cheadle came through the back, where a long garden and a low fence hide the intruder from the street. While we are on site we check the rear door, patio door and ground-floor windows and tell you what is weak. Fixing those is covered on the security upgrades page.
Get the property secure
- Make-safe at any hour
- Priced within a working day
- Insurer-ready write-up
After a break-in you want the house secure tonight and the paperwork right for the insurer. We do both.
