Call any time
Multipoint Lock Replacement Oxford uPVC Gearbox Repairs
Snapped gearbox, worn hooks or a discontinued strip? We measure backset, centres and faceplate, then fit a matching multipoint mechanism or just the centre case.
Get a multipoint lock price
Tell us what you need and we will call you straight back. Calling is quickest: 07520 644 595. Photos by WhatsApp: 07466 695655
Measured to the millimetre
Backset, PZ centres, faceplate width and locking point spacing all recorded.
Gearbox only when possible
If the hooks and rollers are sound, we swap just the centre case to save you money.
Discontinued strips matched
Modern equivalents sourced for obsolete mechanisms without recutting the door.
From £85 plus the part
Mechanism priced separately at £65 to £150 and agreed before we start.
We provide multipoint lock replacement in Oxford around the clock, fitting either a new gearbox or a complete locking strip from £85 to £125 plus the mechanism at £65 to £150. In the city we usually arrive within 10 to 30 minutes. Every mechanism is measured on the door before it is ordered or fitted, because a strip that is a few millimetres out will bind, wear quickly or leave a locking point unengaged.
This page goes into the mechanism itself. If you are not yet sure whether the lock is the problem, start with our uPVC door lock diagnosis guide.
Hooks, rollers, deadbolts and mushroom cams explained
A multipoint lock is a steel bar running inside the door edge, driven by a central gearbox. Fixed to that bar are the locking points that grip the frame. Different makers mix different types, and the mix tells us which replacement will fit.
| Locking point | How it engages | Common faults |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | Swings out and grips behind a keep when you lift the handle or turn the key | Hooks bend or stay out if the gearbox jams |
| Roller cam | Small rotating wheel that pulls the door tight against the seals | Flattened rollers, stiff handle, draughts |
| Deadbolt | Square or rectangular bolt thrown by the key at the centre case | Bolt sticks part way, key will not complete its turn |
| Mushroom cam | Mushroom shaped pin that slides into a slotted keep | Worn heads, keeps cracked, door rattles |
| Shootbolt | Bolt that fires up into the head and down into the threshold | Bent rods, especially on French and stable doors |
A typical single uPVC front door has a central latch and deadbolt plus two or four extra points. Composite doors and stable doors often carry more.
Gearbox replacement or the full multipoint strip?
Centre gearbox only
Chosen when the handle has gone floppy or the key no longer throws anything, but the hooks and rollers along the strip are straight and move freely. Several common makes allow the centre case to be unbolted from the bar and replaced on its own.
Cheaper part, quicker fit
Full mechanism
Needed when the faceplate is bent, the bar is cracked, several locking points are worn flat or the gearbox is a one piece design that cannot be separated. Also the safer choice on a mechanism that is already twenty years old.
Longest lasting fix
Adjustment and new keeps
If the mechanism works perfectly with the door open but binds when it is shut, the fault is alignment, not the lock. New keeps and a hinge adjustment cost far less than any part.
Try this first
We will tell you which of the three applies once we have tested the mechanism with the door both open and closed. If adjustment is enough, we say so.
How a replacement multipoint lock is measured
Mechanisms look alike but differ in ways that matter. These are the measurements we take before choosing a part.
- Backset. Distance from the faceplate to the centre of the spindle hole. Most uPVC doors use 35mm, many composite and timber doors use 45mm, and some older or aluminium doors use 25mm or 30mm.
- PZ centres. Distance from the centre of the spindle to the centre of the cylinder hole. 92mm is the most common on UK uPVC doors, with 62mm, 68mm and 85mm also found, especially on older or imported doors.
- Faceplate. Width (often 16mm or 20mm), overall length and whether the plate is flat or U channel.
- Locking point positions. Distance of each hook, roller or bolt from the spindle, so they meet the existing keeps in the frame.
- Spindle type. Whether the handles share one 8mm square spindle or use a split spindle.
Why the spindle detail matters
A split spindle lets the outside handle stay rigid while the inside handle can always open the latch. It is common on lever to lever doors where you want to stop someone outside pushing the handle down. Fitting the wrong gearbox for a split spindle setup can leave the door either unlockable or impossible to latch from outside.
Why the right part matters more than the price
Online listings make multipoint locks look interchangeable. In practice a strip with the right backset but locking points 20mm out will mean recutting the frame keeps, and a gearbox from a different family may not match your handle spindle height.
Makes we commonly identify on Oxfordshire doors include:
Where the original is discontinued, we look for a current mechanism with matching measurements. Usually this fits straight into the existing door and keeps. Occasionally the closest match needs small adjustments to the frame keeps, which we explain and price before doing anything.
Buying a mechanism yourself is fine if you are confident of the measurements, and we can fit a part you supply. If it turns out not to match, though, the visit still has to be charged, so a photo check first is worth doing.
Multipoint door lock problems that point to a worn mechanism
Some faults come from the door, others clearly from inside the lock. These signs point to the mechanism itself.
- A grinding or clicking feel inside the door when you lift the handle, even with the door open.
- The handle drops back down on its own after you lift it.
- Hooks stay partly out, or one locking point no longer moves while the others do.
- The key throws the deadbolt only on the second or third attempt.
- Visible cracks or rust staining on the faceplate.
If the key itself is stiff with the door open but the handle feels fine, the cylinder is a more likely culprit than the strip, and our euro cylinder replacement page covers that. A jammed mechanism with the door shut is an emergency job, and our locked out service will get it open first.
Fitting a new multipoint lock step by step
- Remove handles and cylinder. These come off first so the strip can slide out of the door edge.
- Unscrew and draw out the old mechanism. Fixings along the faceplate are removed and the bar is eased out without damaging the uPVC.
- Compare old and new side by side. Every locking point, the spindle and the cylinder hole are lined up before the new one goes in.
- Fit and secure. The new strip is screwed in place and handles and cylinder refitted.
- Adjust the door and keeps. Hinges and keeps are set so each point engages without force.
- Test from both sides. Handle, key and every locking point checked with the door open and closed.
A straightforward swap usually takes under an hour. If the cylinder is unrated, this is a sensible moment to fit a snap resistant one, covered on our TS007 cylinder upgrades page.
Multipoint locks in rentals and HMOs
Oxford has a large stock of rented houses, and failing multipoint locks are a common call from landlords and letting agents in areas such as Cowley Road, Jericho and Headington. A tenant who cannot lock the front door is a security and insurance problem that needs a quick, documented fix.
We can liaise with the tenant on access, send photos of the old mechanism and leave an itemised invoice for your records. Our guide for Oxford landlords and letting agents covers lock changes between tenancies too.
For everything else we do on homes and businesses, see our full Oxford locksmith services, or check the complete price list.
Multipoint lock prices in Oxford
Labour includes VAT, the mechanism is listed separately and the price is fixed before work begins.
| Service | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| uPVC multipoint mechanism replacement | £85 to £125 + mechanism £65 to £150 | Gearbox or full strip, measured and matched |
| uPVC door adjustment (dropped/misaligned) | £65 to £95 | Often the fix instead of a new mechanism |
| Lock repair | £55 to £85 | No fix, no fee |
| Door handle replacement | £55 to £85 + handle £25 to £60 | Matching spindle and backplate |
| Anti-snap cylinder upgrade (TS007 3-star) | £95 to £135 + cylinder £50 to £120 | Added while the door is apart |
Prices include VAT and labour. Parts are listed separately. See the full Oxford locksmith price list.
