Andrew The Locksmith Harrow

Andrew The Locksmith Harrow Locked Out? Let me help you. I also offer a wide range of Locksmith Services for the Locksmith Harrow and Greater London, England.

My name is Andrew and I am a Qualified Master Locksmith in Harrow. As well as a member of the Master Locksmith Association and fully qualified Master Locksmith who has many years experience. I can therefore guarantee that I will provide a reliable, high quality service with professional locksmith knowledge

Can you name the lock on your own front door?Most people cannot, and honestly, why would you? You did not choose it. A d...
10/08/2026

Can you name the lock on your own front door?

Most people cannot, and honestly, why would you? You did not choose it. A developer chose it, or the previous owner did, or a locksmith fitted whatever was in the van fifteen years ago.

It only becomes a problem when something goes wrong.

"How much to change a lock?" is probably the most common question I get, and it is a perfectly fair one. The trouble is I often cannot answer it, because the person ringing does not know what they are changing. Not the lock, and every so often not the door either. Plenty of people are not sure whether their front door is timber, uPVC or composite, and that is genuinely hard to tell if nobody has ever pointed it out to you.

Here is why it matters. If you cannot name the thing in your door, you cannot tell whether the person quoting you £355 for a "high security lock" has actually fitted one, or has slid in a £30 cylinder.

So I have written the guide I wish everyone had before they rang me. Two thirds of front doors come down to one of these:

Timber door: a mortice lock. Look at the metal plate on the edge of the door. A proper one is stamped BS3621 alongside the BSI kitemark, and that stamp is what most insurers actually ask for. Five levers on its own is not enough without it.

uPVC or composite: a euro cylinder. Rounded top where the key goes, smaller oval section underneath. One long screw in the door edge is all that holds it in, which is why it can usually be upgraded on its own without touching the door or the handles.

The guide covers eight more besides, including the ones nobody bothers writing about: bathroom and bedroom locks, DIN and metal door locks, garage, gate and roller shutter locks, and padlocks.

Full guide here: https://andrewthelocksmith.com/types-of-door-locks

Not sure what you have got? Send me a photo of the door edge and I will tell you straight, whether you end up using me or not.

Call Andrew: 073 7617 6366

Advertised "from £49". The bill came to £771. Here's the invoice, line by line.A customer in Kenton had his key. The doo...
31/07/2026

Advertised "from £49". The bill came to £771. Here's the invoice, line by line.

A customer in Kenton had his key. The door just wouldn't open with it. That's one of the most common calls I get.

He searched online, rang a "from £49" advert, and someone came out. This is what he was charged:

Call out charge: £49 "Emergency locksmith by drilling the lock": £180 New high security lock with 3 new keys: £355 Labour for installing the new lock: £59 Subtotal £643, VAT £128.60. Total £771.

Read that second line again, because it's the whole thing in six words. He was charged £180 for his lock to be drilled. Then £355 to replace the thing that had just been drilled. He paid a premium for the destruction, then paid again for the consequence of it.

And the £49? That's the call-out fee. It bought him a van arriving. Labour appeared twice more after that, once to destroy the lock, once to fit its replacement. Three labour charges, one visit, one door.

Here's what bothers me most: the order it happened in. A door that won't open with the right key has a long list of options before anything gets destroyed. Diagnose why it isn't turning. Pick it. On plenty of faulty cylinders you get the old one out with a single screw and slide a new one in.

I'll be honest with you, because I'd rather you trusted me than thought I was preaching. I drill too, in some situations. But only after every non-destructive method has failed, and you need to know exactly where and how to drill. Going for the drill first, before trying anything else, isn't a technique. It's a sales decision.

The one thing that actually protects you: get the full price written on the job sheet and sign it BEFORE the work starts. Not at the end. Look at the bottom of any locksmith's paperwork and you'll find a line like "I hereby agree to the prices and procedure before starting the job." That line exists for a reason, and it's meant to be filled in while you can still say no.

For the record, mine: £89 labour in standard hours, £99 evenings, £120 nights. No call-out fee, no VAT, and the price I say on the phone is what you pay.

Full write-up with the whole breakdown: https://andrewthelocksmith.com/why-locksmiths-advertise-49-then-charge-300

How to avoid a rogue locksmith, from someone who gets called in to clean up after them.The Master Locksmiths Association...
19/07/2026

How to avoid a rogue locksmith, from someone who gets called in to clean up after them.

The Master Locksmiths Association logged 402 rogue locksmith reports in 2025, up 66% since 2021. And it's getting worse, not better: reports between January and March 2026 were up 147% on the same period the year before.

Almost every one starts the same way: someone's locked out, googles a locksmith, and rings the first "£39" advert without realising it's a national call centre, not a local tradesman.

Here's what to watch for:

"From £39" prices. Bait. Nobody sends a skilled locksmith to your door for that. The real bill gets built once they've arrived and you're committed. The trade even has a name for it, a "49-er".
No price and no name on the phone. A genuine locksmith gives you a figure or a range. A rogue one dodges it and just wants your address.
Straight for the drill. Most locks open without being destroyed. Drilling means a lock sale, which means profit.
"Police approved" badges. The police don't approve locksmiths. If someone claims it, that tells you everything.

And the single best thing you can do: find a genuine local locksmith now, check they're a Master Locksmiths Association member (the trade's main professional body), and save the number. The scam runs on panic. If you're not searching in a panic, there's nothing to exploit.

I'm a Master Locksmiths Association member, DBS checked, no call-out fee, and I quote a clear price on the phone. Put my number in your phone before you need it.

Full post here: https://andrewthelocksmith.com/how-to-avoid-a-rogue-locksmith-uk

What's the best lock for a front door? It depends on your door, and here's why that matters.There's no single "best" fro...
10/07/2026

What's the best lock for a front door? It depends on your door, and here's why that matters.

There's no single "best" front door lock. The right one depends entirely on the door you've got:

Timber (wooden) door → a BS3621 five-lever mortice deadlock, paired with a British Standard nightlatch (ERA and Yale both make good ones). Look for the Kitemark stamp. Prefer one key for the whole door? I can fit a British Standard euro mortice deadlock kit with a euro cylinder instead.
uPVC or composite door → a TS007 3-star or Sold Secure Diamond anti-snap euro cylinder. I fit Apecs AP as my go-to, with Yale and ERA as solid alternatives.

Here's the bit that catches people out. I got called to a composite door in North Harrow after a break-in nearby. Beautiful door, only a few years old. Inside it was a cheap, unrated euro cylinder, the kind developers fit to save money. That's the exact part a burglar snaps in seconds.

I changed just the cylinder that afternoon. Same door, same handles, same everything you can see. The one part that mattered was the one you couldn't.

And that's the money-saving bit: on a uPVC or composite door you rarely need a whole new mechanism or door. Upgrading just the cylinder to a 3-star anti-snap one usually does the entire job, for a fraction of what a "lock seller" will try to charge.

Not sure if your lock is up to standard? Send me a photo or give me a ring.

Full post here: https://andrewthelocksmith.com/best-front-door-lock-uk

How much does a locksmith actually cost? Here are the real numbers.Most people have no idea what a locksmith should char...
03/07/2026

How much does a locksmith actually cost? Here are the real numbers.

Most people have no idea what a locksmith should charge, which is exactly how the dodgy ones get away with it. So here's an honest guide for a straightforward job in normal working hours:

- Simple lockout, no damage: £80–£150
- Change a Yale lock: £80–£120
- Change a uPVC euro cylinder: £100–£150
- Change all locks (2 doors + windows): £300–£400
- Out-of-hours call-outs cost more, that bit's genuine

Here's the important part: when someone quotes you £39 on the phone, that's not the price. It's bait. A lady in Wealdstone called me last winter after a locksmith quoted her £45 then charged her £320. He drilled out a perfectly good lock she never needed replacing.

The way to protect yourself is simple. Know the rough range, and use a locksmith who gives you a clear price before they leave to come to you. If they won't put a number on it until they're at your door, that's the setup.

I don't charge a call-out fee and I don't charge to travel. I quote you on the phone, and that's what you pay. When I can pick a lock rather than drill it, I do, because it saves you the cost of a lock you didn't need.

If you're in Harrow, Wealdstone, Pinner, Kenton, Stanmore, Ruislip, Northolt, Watford or nearby, ring me and just ask.

Full post here: https://andrewthelocksmith.com/locksmith-cost

Can the police help if you're locked out of your house? Here's the honest answer.Short version: no, not for a standard l...
27/06/2026

Can the police help if you're locked out of your house? Here's the honest answer.

Short version: no, not for a standard lockout. Police won't come to open your door. That's not what they're there for. The exception is when someone inside is in danger: a child alone, an elderly person not responding, a medical emergency. In those cases, they can and will force entry.

For a normal lockout (keys inside, snapped in the lock, left behind) you need a locksmith.

The problem is what happens next. Stressed and in a hurry, most people search "emergency locksmith" and click the first result. That's how rogue operators get you: low quote on the phone, doubled at the door, drill before they've tried anything, new lock you didn't ask for.

I've picked up the pieces from situations like that more times than I care to count.

What I'd recommend: find a local locksmith with real, recent Google reviews and an actual verifiable address. Check whether they're MLA-registered (Master Locksmiths Association). Ask for a price before they leave.

And if you're in Harrow, Pinner, Kenton, South Harrow, Northolt, or anywhere nearby, call me. I'll give you a clear price on the phone. No surprises when I arrive.

Full post here: https://andrewthelocksmith.com/can-the-police-help

Locked out of your house? Here's what you should — and shouldn't — do.I recently got a call from a woman in Kenton who'd...
19/06/2026

Locked out of your house? Here's what you should — and shouldn't — do.

I recently got a call from a woman in Kenton who'd been standing outside her front door for over an hour. She'd already called an "emergency locksmith" she'd found on Google. They told her the lock needed drilling for £350. Cash only. She didn't have it. They left.

I picked that lock in under two minutes. Standard front door. Not a scratch on it.

This happens more than you'd think. A lot of the results that come up on Google for "emergency locksmith" aren't local tradespeople — they're call centres that quote low on the phone and hike the price once they're at your door.

If you're ever locked out, here's what I'd tell a friend:

Check for a spare key first — with family, a neighbour, or your letting agent
Don't try to force the door — it usually makes things worse and more expensive
When you call a locksmith, ask for a price upfront — if they won't give one, that's your warning sign
Look for someone with real local reviews and an MLA (Master Locksmiths Association) membership

I've written a full post on this if you want the detail: https://andrewthelocksmith.com/locked-out-of-house

I'm Andrew — local locksmith covering Harrow, Kenton, Pinner, Wembley, and surrounding areas. No call-out fee. Clear pricing. No surprises.

📞 073 7617 6366

Most people have never heard of lock snapping. Burglars are counting on that.I was called to a house in South Harrow aft...
09/06/2026

Most people have never heard of lock snapping. Burglars are counting on that.
I was called to a house in South Harrow after a break-in. The family had locked their back door every single night — standard uPVC door, nothing unusual about it. A burglar snapped the euro cylinder lock in seconds and walked straight in.
When I arrived, the outer part of the cylinder was on the floor. The rest of the lock was still in the door. Technically intact. Completely useless.
Lock snapping accounts for roughly 1 in 4 domestic burglaries in England and Wales. It requires no lockpicking skill, no specialist tools — just a pair of pliers and 30 seconds.
How do you know if your door is vulnerable?
Check your front door. If it has a euro cylinder (the key goes in the middle), look at whether any part of the barrel sticks out beyond the door face. If it does — even a few millimetres — there's enough to grip and snap.
Most standard uPVC doors fitted in the last 20 years have this lock. If you haven't had it upgraded, the odds are it's a basic cylinder with no anti-snap protection.
The fix is straightforward: upgrade to an anti-snap cylinder. Look for TS007 3-star or SS312 Diamond Standard ratings. It's typically a £60–£80 job, and it makes the whole attack fail at the first step.
I've written a full post on this explaining how snapping works, what to look for, and what to get: https://andrewthelocksmith.com/lock-snapping
I'm Andrew — local locksmith covering Harrow and the surrounding area. No call-out fee if you just want me to take a look.
📞 073 7617 6366

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