Will insurance cover emergency locksmith work?

Many home policies include emergency make-safe cover after a burglary. Keep the itemised invoice and the photographs, and check with your insurer before authorising major replacement.

How fast can you secure a property overnight?

Emergency make-safe work runs 24 hours from Collingwood, with typical inner-north arrival between 20 and 40 minutes.

After a break-in: the order to do things in

Repeat burglaries often happen within weeks, through the same entry point. The order you do things in matters.

27 May 2026 6 min readBy Collingwood Locksmith Solutions

Break-ins are the calls we take most seriously, because the second visit is a real risk and it usually uses the same entry point. Here is the sequence we recommend.

1. Don't go in alone if anything feels wrong

If the property may still be occupied, stay outside and call 000. Nothing inside is worth the risk, and police attendance also starts the report you will need for insurance.

2. Photograph before you touch

Photograph the forced door, the damaged lock, the tool marks and the entry point from both sides before anything is repaired. Insurers ask for this and locksmith invoices alone are rarely enough evidence.

3. Make it secure tonight

Emergency securing — boarding, temporary locks, a replacement cylinder — is a separate step from the permanent repair, and it is the one that matters at 1am. Get the property closable and lockable, then plan the proper fix in daylight.

4. Assume every key is compromised

Keys are one of the most commonly taken items and they are rarely reported. Rekey every external lock, not just the damaged one. If a car key or a work key was in the house, deal with those too.

5. Fix the entry point properly

Whatever they used will be used again. A kicked door needs a reinforced strike into solid framing, not the same two short screws. A snapped euro cylinder needs an anti-snap replacement. A jemmied window needs window locks, not a promise.

6. Get the paperwork right

Ask your locksmith for an itemised invoice with hardware makes, models and standards listed. That single document tends to be the difference between a smooth claim and a long argument.

The short version

01Call 000 first if the property may still be occupied.
02Photograph damage before any repair.
03Secure tonight, repair properly in daylight.
04Rekey everything — stolen keys are rarely reported.
05Get an itemised, insurer-ready invoice.

FAQ

Questions people ask us about this

Will insurance cover emergency locksmith work?: Many home policies include emergency make-safe cover after a burglary. Keep the itemised invoice and the photographs, and check with your insurer before authorising major replacement.
How fast can you secure a property overnight?: Emergency make-safe work runs 24 hours from Collingwood, with typical inner-north arrival between 20 and 40 minutes.