Key Snapped in Your Lock? Professional Extraction From £59 — 24/7, No Call-Out Fee
Last updated: June 2026
Stop. Don’t touch it.
The single most important thing to do when a key snaps in a lock is nothing.
Every attempt to extract it yourself — tweezers, a screwdriver, a pin, another key — risks pushing the broken piece deeper into the cylinder or scoring the internal pins.
What starts as a straightforward £59 extraction job can turn into a full cylinder replacement within minutes of a bad DIY attempt.
Call us instead. We remove broken key fragments across Birmingham, the West Midlands, Telford, Luton, Milton Keynes, St Albans and the South West using specialist extraction tools — cleanly, quickly, and without damaging the lock in the vast majority of cases.
📞 Call 07486 889391 — 24/7, no call-out fee, fixed price on the phone
💬 WhatsApp a photo of the lock — instant assessment, confirmed quote
Prices — Broken Key Extraction
| Job | Price |
|---|---|
| Broken key extraction — standard cylinder | From £59 |
| Extraction — deep fragment or difficult lock | From £79 |
| Extraction + cylinder replacement (if needed) | From £59 + cylinder |
| Out-of-hours supplement | +£20–£30 |
Fixed price given before we travel. No call-out fee at any time. If extraction fails through no fault of your own, we’ll quote a fair price for cylinder replacement before proceeding — you never pay for a result we couldn’t deliver.
Why Keys Break in Locks — and What It Means for Your Lock
Worn or Weakened Key Metal
Keys are stamped from brass or nickel silver blanks and wear with every use. The thinnest point — the first cut from the bow — is where fatigue fractures develop. A key that’s been in daily use for 5–10 years may be near the end of its life. If the broken key was visibly worn or bent, the lock itself is usually undamaged.
A Stiff or Dry Lock Cylinder
If the lock itself is stiff — requiring force to turn — the key is working against extra resistance on every use. This accelerates metal fatigue and is the most common reason a relatively new key snaps. After extraction we always test the cylinder for stiffness and advise if it needs servicing or replacing. A stiff cylinder that isn’t addressed will break the next key too.
Cold Weather
Metal contracts in cold temperatures, which increases brittleness. Keys are significantly more likely to snap in winter — particularly in early morning when both the key and lock are cold. If your key snapped on a cold morning, the lock is likely fine; the metal simply became too brittle under the extra torque.
Forcing a Key That Doesn’t Quite Fit
A slightly worn cylinder, a cylinder that’s been changed without cutting a new key to spec, or a key cut from a poor-quality copy blank — all can create a key that technically turns but puts lateral stress on the blade. That lateral load is what snaps keys.
Lock Misalignment — uPVC and Composite Doors
On uPVC and composite doors, a dropped door puts the cylinder under lateral stress every time the key is turned. If your key snapped in a uPVC or composite cylinder, there’s a good chance the door has also dropped on its hinges — and that misalignment will continue to stress and break keys until the door is realigned. We check for this during every uPVC extraction visit and advise honestly.
How We Remove the Key — The Extraction Process
Step 1 — Assess the Fragment
We examine how far the fragment has gone, what lock type it’s in, and which extraction technique is safest. A fragment visible at the cylinder face requires a different approach from one recessed several millimetres in.
Step 2 — Non-Destructive Extraction
Using professional-grade broken key extractor hooks, we engage the key’s cut profile inside the cylinder and draw it cleanly out. No drilling, no damage to the cylinder pins. This works in the vast majority of cases — Euro cylinders, rim cylinders, and most mortice locks.
For deeply recessed fragments or cases where the key has rotated inside the lock, we use additional techniques including pick tools to free the key’s wafer position before extraction.
Step 3 — Cylinder Assessment
Once the key is out, we test the cylinder. If it’s stiff, worn internally, or was already near end-of-life (which is often what caused the break in the first place), we’ll tell you honestly and quote for replacement before proceeding. If it’s fine, the job is done.
Step 4 — New Cylinder if Needed
Where the cylinder needs replacing — whether due to wear, stiffness, or damage from a prior DIY extraction attempt — we carry all common cylinder sizes and grades on the van. Standard cylinders and 3-star anti-snap TS007 upgrades available same visit.
We don’t offer key cutting — but if you need a new cylinder, we’ll fit one with new keys included.
Don’t Try These — Common DIY Mistakes That Make It Worse
| DIY attempt | What actually happens |
|---|---|
| Pushing the fragment with a pin or screwdriver | Drives it deeper; may jam it past the shear line |
| Gripping with tweezers | Usually too wide; scratches the cylinder face; rarely grips the key’s cut surface |
| Super-gluing to a thin rod | Glue bonds to the cylinder; now you have a glued rod inside the lock |
| Wiggling with pliers | Scores the brass; mushrooms the broken end; makes professional extraction harder |
| Trying another key | Pushes fragment further in and can score the pins |
If you’ve already tried one of these — be honest with us when you call. It changes the technique we use. We won’t charge you more for the honest answer; we’d rather know what we’re dealing with before we arrive.
When Extraction Isn’t Possible
In a small number of cases — usually where a prior DIY attempt has damaged the cylinder internally, or where the fragment has rotated 90 degrees inside a high-security lock — extraction alone isn’t viable. In these cases we replace the cylinder. We’ll always confirm this before proceeding and quote you a fair price. Cylinder replacement from £49 plus parts.
The honest position: if we attempt extraction and can’t complete it through no fault of your own, we don’t charge for the failed attempt — we quote for the cylinder and proceed only if you agree.
Areas Covered — Broken Key Extraction
Birmingham & West Midlands — Central Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield, Solihull, Dudley, Walsall, Black Country & West — Wolverhampton, West Bromwich, Oldbury, Tipton, Stourbridge, Halesowen, Great Barr
Shropshire — Telford, Wellington, Madeley, Newport
Home Counties — Luton · Milton Keynes · St Albans
South West — Bath, Bristol, Swindon & Gloucestershire — Bristol (BS7–BS37), Bath (BA1–BA15), Swindon & North Wiltshire (SN8–SN16), Gloucester, Cheltenham & Cotswolds (GL1–GL54)
Not sure if we cover your postcode? Call 07486 889391 — we’ll confirm in seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you remove a broken key without replacing the lock?
Yes, in the vast majority of cases. We use specialist extraction hooks that remove the key fragment without touching the cylinder’s internal pins. The lock is tested after extraction — only replaced if it was already failing before the key broke.
How much does broken key extraction cost?
From £59 for a standard Euro cylinder. Deeply lodged fragments or more complex lock types cost from £79.
Fixed price given on the phone before we travel. No call-out fee at any time.
How long does it take?
Most extractions take 15–30 minutes on-site.
The assessment and extraction itself is typically under 20 minutes. If a cylinder replacement is also needed, add another 20 minutes.
I’ve already tried tweezers — does that matter?
Tell us when you call. A prior attempt changes the approach we use but doesn’t necessarily make extraction impossible.
Be honest with us — it’s more helpful than not mentioning it.
My key broke in a uPVC door — is the lock damaged?
Not always. But on uPVC and composite doors, a broken key is often a symptom of a dropped door putting lateral stress on the cylinder.
We check the door alignment during every uPVC extraction visit and advise if a hinge adjustment is needed.
Leaving the misalignment unfixed will break the next key too.
Can you come out at night or on weekends?
Yes — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. A modest out-of-hours supplement of £20–£30 applies.
What if the extraction doesn’t work?
If we can’t extract the fragment through no fault of your own, we don’t charge for the failed attempt.
We quote for a cylinder replacement and proceed only with your agreement.
Do you replace the cylinder if needed?
Yes — we carry standard and anti-snap cylinders in all common sizes on the van. If extraction isn’t viable, a same-visit cylinder replacement is available from £49 plus parts.
Key Stuck Right Now?
Stop attempting DIY extraction and call us — the sooner you do, the more likely we can save the cylinder.
📞 07486 889391 — 24/7 including bank holidays
💬 WhatsApp a photo of the lock for instant assessment
From £59 · No call-out fee · No damage to the cylinder · 24/7 · DBS checked