Lock replacement
Lock Replacement in Woking for Front, Back and Internal Doors
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- 24-hour emergency cover
- No call-out charge
- Price agreed before work starts
Need a Door Lock Replaced in Woking?
Woking Locksmith supplies and fits replacement locks for front doors, back doors, internal doors and communal entrances across Woking, [CLIENT TO CONFIRM: whether stock is carried for first-visit completion; if so, "usually in a single visit"]. There is no call-out charge.
Most people come to us for one of three reasons: they have just moved in, their keys have been lost or stolen, or a lock has worn out or been damaged. Before anything is ordered, it is worth knowing that the whole lock may not need changing. The fault is often confined to the cylinder, the barrel or the case inside the door, although some doors do need a new multipoint mechanism or a full lockset. If the lock has failed and you cannot get in or secure the door tonight, see emergency lock replacement.
Which Part of the Lock Actually Needs Replacing?
What most people call "the lock" is usually three separate parts, and often only one of them has failed. A fault in one part does not mean the whole system needs replacing, so finding the failed part first avoids paying for components that are still safe and working.
The cylinder, or barrel
This is the part your key goes into. A euro cylinder is the usual type fitted to uPVC, composite and aluminium doors. It is the part changed most often, and the quickest and cheapest job: a new cylinder gives you a new set of keys while the mechanism and the rest of the door hardware stay as they are. Availability of keyed-alike or thumb-turn versions varies with the door and the chosen product. More in types of door locks explained.
The lock case or mechanism
This is the working body of the lock inside the door. On a timber door that means a mortice lock case; on uPVC and composite doors it is a gearbox linked to a multipoint locking strip. Changing it is more work than swapping a cylinder, and it is the answer when the inner workings have failed but the cylinder is still fine. uPVC mechanisms are covered in full on our uPVC door locks page.
The whole lockset
Now and then the case, cylinder, handles and keeps all need replacing together. That usually happens when a door has been forced, when the lock is obsolete and parts are no longer made, or when the door is being brought up to a security standard. It is the least common of the three, so do not assume it is what you need. See burglary repairs or.
When Should You Replace a Lock Rather Than Repair It?
Some lock faults can be resolved without fitting a replacement. A repair, an adjustment or one smaller part can often bring back reliable operation; the answer depends on which part has failed, how badly anything is damaged and whether the lock is still secure. If you are weighing it up, read lock repair or replacement, which do you need.
Replacement is usually the right call
- Your keys are lost or stolen and you do not know where they are.
- You have just moved in and want the old keys to stop working.
- The lock is worn and the key has to be jiggled before it turns.
- The door has been forced or the lock damaged.
- Your insurer has asked for a particular lock standard.
Repair is often enough
- The lock works when the door is open but not when it is shut, which usually points to alignment rather than the lock.
- The locking mechanism still engages, even with a loose handle.
- The key is stiff but still turns.
- The door has dropped a little on its hinges.
These are usually repair or adjustment jobs and cost less than a replacement.
Locks We Replace on Woking Homes and Businesses
Different doors use different locking systems, and the right replacement depends on the door, the hardware already fitted and which part has failed. Woking's housing spans every era (VOA CTSOP 4.1, 31 Mar 2026): 6.2% of homes date from before 1900, 16.1% from 1900 to 1939, 42.7% from 1945 to 1982, 22.4% from 1983 to 2008 and 11.8% from 2009 on. As a tendency, older timber doors are where mortice locks and nightlatches turn up, and newer homes lean towards uPVC or composite doors with multipoint locks, but the door in front of you is what decides it. [CLIENT TO CONFIRM: lock brands carried; no brand is claimed until confirmed.]
Euro cylinders
Common on uPVC, composite and aluminium doors, in standard and high-security anti-snap versions. Swapping the cylinder gives you new keys and leaves the rest of the mechanism alone. Size matters: a cylinder that sticks out too far from the door weakens security. Keyed-alike and thumb-turn options may suit some doors. See anti-snap locks explained.
Mortice locks
Set into the edge of a timber door, with the whole case inside the door rather than on its face, and opened with a long-shanked key. Some timber final-exit doors use five-lever mortice locks certified to BS 3621. Required standards vary, so check your insurance policy. A different-sized case can mean carpentry to the door.
Nightlatches
Fitted to the inside face of many timber doors and often called a "Yale lock", although Yale is a brand name, not the name of every nightlatch. If the rest of the latch is in good condition, the rim cylinder on the outside can often be changed by itself. On a front door, a basic nightlatch on its own rarely satisfies an insurer. See types of door locks explained.
Composite door locks
Composite doors typically pair a euro cylinder with a multipoint mechanism, as uPVC doors do, but the slab is denser and hardware sizes differ. The right part depends on the existing hardware, its measurements and what has failed; often the cylinder can be changed without touching the long mechanism. Internal timber doors are a separate case, using mortice latches, sashlocks or privacy locks chosen for how the room is used.
Multipoint mechanisms
A long locking strip in the edge of a uPVC or composite door that secures it at several points. Replacing the whole mechanism is a bigger job than changing its cylinder, and the new one must match the existing hardware.
Changing the Locks After Moving Into a New Home
Moving in is a good moment to think about who can get into the property. You cannot know how many copies of the old keys were cut, or whether previous owners, tenants, letting agents or tradespeople still have some. Changing the external cylinders makes every old key useless and puts you in control of the new set, usually in one visit.
Many homes have two to four external cylinders. Where the doors take compatible locks, keyed-alike cylinders may be available, so one key works the front door, the back door and the side door. That is a good reason to do all the doors at once rather than one at a time. Renting rather than buying? With 23.4% of Woking households renting privately, 12.3% renting from a social landlord and 63.2% owning (Census 2021 TS054), check your tenancy agreement before any lock is changed; a like-for-like cylinder is usually the simplest route to a lock your landlord will accept. Call 01483 377197 to book.
Replacing Locks After Lost or Stolen Keys
Losing a key does not always mean a new lock. To decide, consider whether the key was stolen, where it went missing and whether someone could connect it with your address. If the keys are genuinely unaccounted for, the risk is not the lock; it is that someone you do not know may hold a key that still opens it.
Cutting another key gets you back in but does nothing about the missing ones, which still work. On doors with a separate cylinder, changing that cylinder may be all that is needed: every key for the old cylinder stops working and you get a fresh set. If you are also shut out right now, see locked out and lost your keys.
Security Standards Your Insurer May Expect
Some home insurance policies specify the type or security standard of lock needed on external doors, and requirements vary by insurer, policy and door type. For a suitable timber final-exit door, a policy may specify a mortice lock or nightlatch certified to BS 3621. A five-lever lock is not automatically BS 3621 certified, so look for the standard marking. Many uPVC, composite and aluminium doors use euro cylinders instead, and recognised anti-snap ratings include TS 007 3-star and SS312 Diamond. Any replacement must suit the door itself as well as its handles and locking system.
"Insurance approved" is shorthand, not a promise every insurer accepts the same lock. A product can be certified to a recognised standard, but your insurer decides what its own policy requires, so read your policy wording or ask the insurer before choosing. [CLIENT TO CONFIRM: whether British Standard or insurance-rated locks are fitted as standard.] More in BS 3621 and insurance-approved locks explained and anti-snap locks and lock snapping.
Locksmith pricing
What Affects the Cost of a Lock Replacement
The price comes down to the parts and the work. A cylinder swap usually costs less than a new lock case or a full multipoint mechanism. [CLIENT TO CONFIRM: whether a replacement starting price can be published, including VAT.] The main factors:
- which component is being replaced: cylinder, case or full mechanism;
- the security rating you choose;
- the door type and its existing hardware;
- how many doors or locks are involved;
- the time of day: normal hours are Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm, and evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays are charged at a higher labour rate.
There is no call-out charge, and you are given a price on the call from what you describe; if anything on site changes it, you are told before work begins. 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.
Call 01483 377197 for a price
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
How the Job Works
- Tell us the door type and what has happened, or send a photo of the lock if you are not sure.
- We confirm which part needs replacing and give you a price.
- A technician [PROVIDER PACK: DBS check status] arrives, inspects the lock, fits the new one and checks the door works properly.
- You receive the full set of new keys.
[CLIENT TO CONFIRM: whether stock is carried; if not, say "usually completed in one visit" rather than promising it.] Questions first? Contact us.
Lock Replacement Across Woking
We replace locks for homeowners, landlords, letting agents and business premises across Woking, at a booked time that suits you. The Woking built-up area had around 75,700 usual residents at the 2021 Census (ONS), and its households break down as flats 29.4%, detached 27.3%, semi-detached 24.2% and terraced 19.0% of 30,440 (Census 2021 TS044), so communal entrance locks are part of the work as well as house doors. We cover both postcode districts, GU21 and GU22 (ONSPD Feb 2026, 1,835 live postcodes), from Knaphill through Horsell to Mount Hermon. Mount Hermon has a high share of flats and much private renting (Census 2021, output areas around the area), which often means a landlord's sign-off before a cylinder is changed.
Woking has 14 conservation areas (planning.data.gov.uk, Oct 2026), among them Old Woking, Mount Hermon, Horsell and Woking Town Centre; no Article 4 direction touching doors or windows is recorded there, which means unknown rather than none. Conservation status affects a replacement door, not the lock fitted to it.
Three towns are also served from Woking, each with its own page:
- Lock replacement in New Haw
- Lock replacement in Sheerwater
- Lock replacement in West Byfleet
[CLIENT TO CONFIRM: genuine coverage areas.] [PROVIDER PACK: coverage confirmation.] See all areas we cover.
Emergency and planned locksmith services
Book a Lock Replacement in Woking
Got a worn, damaged or unsuitable lock, or keys you cannot account for? Ring to book a time that suits you; the locksmith looks at the existing lock, confirms the replacement and the price, and explains any agreed work before starting, with no call-out charge.
Call 01483 377197 · Contact us [CLIENT TO CONFIRM: whether WhatsApp is offered and on which number]
01483 377197
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a whole new lock or just a new barrel?
Often just the barrel. On uPVC, composite and aluminium doors the part the key goes into is usually a euro cylinder, and changing it alone gives you a working lock and a fresh set of keys. The full mechanism only needs replacing when its internal parts have failed.
How long does it take to replace a door lock?
It depends on the lock. A euro cylinder swap is usually quickest, a mortice lock takes longer because the case sits inside the door, and a full multipoint mechanism takes longest of the three. [CLIENT TO CONFIRM: typical job durations before publishing a time.]
Should I change the locks when I move house?
It is worth doing. You cannot know how many keys exist or who has them, from previous owners to tradespeople, letting agents and former tenants. If the existing mechanisms work well, changing the external cylinders may be enough to stop the old keys working. If you know exactly where every key is, a change may not be needed.
I have lost my keys. Do I need the lock replaced or just new keys cut?
If the keys were lost away from home or stolen, a new cylinder is the secure answer. A newly cut key gets you in but the old keys still work, and someone unknown may be holding them.
Will a new lock meet my home insurance requirements?
It depends on your policy. Some home insurance policies specify BS 3621 locks for suitable timber external doors, or a suitably rated cylinder on uPVC and composite doors. Requirements vary by insurer, so check your policy wording first.
What is an anti-snap lock and do I need one?
An anti-snap cylinder is built to resist lock snapping, where the barrel is broken to get in. Recognised ratings include TS 007 3-star and SS312 Diamond. Whether you need one depends on your door and what your insurer asks for. See anti-snap locks explained.
How much does it cost to replace a door lock in Woking?
It depends on the part being replaced, the security rating, the door, the number of locks and the time of day. A cylinder is usually the least expensive and a full multipoint mechanism the most. There is no call-out charge, and you get a price on the call before any work.
Can you replace locks on a rental property between tenancies?
Yes. Changing external cylinders between tenancies is routine and can be booked around the changeover date. Landlords and letting agents with several Woking properties can arrange the work across multiple addresses.
Still have a question or need urgent assistance? Call 01483 377197, tell us what has happened and receive a current arrival estimate.