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Door Lock Repair Oxford No Fix No Fee From £55
Key stiff, handle floppy or latch not catching? We find the cause first and fix it on the first visit wherever parts allow. If we cannot fix it, you do not pay for the repair.
Describe the fault for a repair price
Tell us what you need and we will call you straight back. Calling is quickest: 07520 644 595. Photos by WhatsApp: 07466 695655
No fix, no fee
If the repair does not work, you are not charged for the repair labour.
Cause found before parts
We check door alignment, keys and keeps before blaming the lock.
Key won't turn from £45
Cleaned, lubricated and realigned for £45 to £75.
Send a video first
A short WhatsApp clip of the fault often lets us quote the exact fix.
Our door lock repair service in Oxford fixes stiff keys, loose handles, uPVC handles that won’t lift and latches that won’t catch, from £55 on a no fix, no fee basis. We usually reach OX1 to OX4 within 10 to 30 minutes and fix most faults on the first visit without replacing the whole lock.
A cheap repair depends on a correct diagnosis. A lot of locks that feel broken are actually fine, and the real problem is the door, the keep or a worn key. The table below matches each symptom to its likely cause, the fix and the price.
Door lock symptoms, causes, fixes and prices
| Symptom | Likely cause | Usual fix | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key stiff or won’t turn | Grime in the pins, worn key, door pressing on the bolt | Clean, lubricate, realign keep | £45 to £75 |
| Key turns, bolt doesn’t move | Broken cam or tail bar, failed gearbox | Replace the failed part | £55 to £85 + parts |
| Handle loose or drooping | Loose fixings, worn spindle, tired return spring | Tighten, new spindle or handle | £35 to £55 |
| uPVC handle won’t lift | Dropped door, hooks hitting keeps | Adjust hinges and keeps | £65 to £95 |
| Latch won’t catch | Door has moved, strike plate out of line | Reset strike and hinges | £55 to £85 |
| Key snapped in the lock | Worn or cracked key forced | Extract and test lock | £45 to £75 |
All prices include VAT and labour, with any parts quoted separately before fitting. If the fault turns out to be the door rather than the lock, it may be better handled under our door and frame repair service, and we will tell you which.
Key won't turn or feels stiff
This is the most common repair call we take. Before you ring, try two things: use the spare key, and push or lift the door while turning. If the spare turns smoothly, your everyday key is worn and simply needs replacing. If pushing the door helps, the bolt is binding on the keep and the door needs adjusting, not the lock.
If neither helps, the pins inside the cylinder are usually gummed with dust or old oil. A dry PTFE or graphite lock lubricant is safer than household oil, which collects grit over time. Please do not force the key: a cracked key that snaps inside the lock adds an extraction job.
When we attend, we strip and clean the cylinder or lever lock, check the key profile, and reset the keep so the bolt runs freely. Most stiff locks come back to life for £45 to £75. A lock that is left to get worse is one of the classic reasons people get locked out, so it pays to deal with it early.
Key turns but the door won't lock or open
If the key spins freely or turns without moving the bolt, the link between cylinder and lock has failed. On a euro cylinder that is usually the cam, the small lever in the middle of the cylinder. On a multipoint door it can be the gearbox behind the handle.
- Broken cam: the cylinder is replaced; the rest of the lock stays. A standard cylinder costs £25 to £40.
- Failed gearbox: replaced as a single unit where the brand allows, which is cheaper than a full strip. Full detail on our multipoint gearbox repair page.
- Nightlatch not retracting: a worn connecting bar or a cracked follower inside the latch body.
Stuck outside because of it?
If the failure has left you unable to get in, call it in as a lockout. Our emergency lockout service opens the door first, then the repair is quoted separately.
uPVC handle won't lift and latches that won't catch
uPVC and composite doors expand in summer sun and shrink in winter, and the hinges slowly drop under the weight of the door. When that happens, the hooks and rollers along the edge stop meeting their keeps, so the handle fights you or refuses to lift. Forcing it is the fastest way to break a gearbox.
The repair is usually an adjustment: hinges reset to lift the door back into the frame, and keeps moved a few millimetres. That costs £65 to £95 and saves a £65 to £150 mechanism. Our uPVC door lock page covers the cases where the mechanism has already failed.
A useful test before calling: with the door open, lift the handle and turn the key. If everything moves smoothly with the door open but jams when it is shut, the lock is healthy and the door alignment is the culprit. If it is stiff even with the door open, the mechanism itself is worn, and we will quote for the gearbox or strip instead of an adjustment.
On timber doors, a latch that won’t catch is usually the strike plate. Old Oxford houses settle, painted doors swell, and the latch tongue ends up just above or below the opening. Moving or filing the strike plate fixes it.
Why we repair before we replace
Plenty of locksmiths replace a lock the moment it misbehaves. It is quicker for them, but it is not always right for you. A new lock fitted to a door that has dropped will start sticking again within weeks, because the cause is still there.
Our order of work is simple: check the key, check the door, check the keep, then check the lock. Only after those four do we talk about new parts, and we show you the worn or broken piece when we do. That is also why repairs are no fix, no fee. If we cannot fix the fault, you do not pay for the repair.
When replacing is the better call
If the lock is badly worn, forced in a break-in, or below the standard your insurer expects, a repair is false economy. Then we will recommend a same day lock change or an anti-snap cylinder upgrade and explain why.
Lock repairs beyond the front door
The same diagnosis-first approach applies to every lock around the house and workplace:
- Sliding and French doors with jammed hook bolts: see patio door lock repair.
- Window handles that spin or won’t lock: window lock repair at £45 to £75 plus parts on our window locks page.
- Keypad and smart locks that stop responding: £75 to £145.
- Garage door locks seized by weather: £75 to £125.
- Shop doors and panic bars: handled by our commercial door repair team.
Not sure which service you need? Our list of Oxford locksmith services sets everything out by category.
Lock repair prices
Prices include VAT and labour, with parts listed separately and agreed before fitting.
| Service | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Lock repair | £55 to £85 | No fix, no fee |
| Key won’t turn (clean, lubricate, align) | £45 to £75 | Most common repair |
| Loose handle | £35 to £55 | Fixings or spindle |
| uPVC door adjustment (dropped/misaligned) | £65 to £95 | Hinges and keeps reset |
| Door won’t close or latch | £55 to £85 | Strike and hinge work |
| Door handle replacement | £55 to £85 + handle £25 to £60 | Matched backplate size |
| Broken (snapped) key extraction | £45 to £75 | Lock tested afterwards |
Prices include VAT and labour. Parts are listed separately. See the full Oxford locksmith price list.
