What I do on an emergency burglary repair
A break-in is two jobs: one tonight (secure the house), one for the insurance claim (paperwork the assessor can use).
Tonight’s job is straightforward on arrival. Depending on what’s happened:
- Lock attack (snapped cylinder, forced Yale, bumped mortice), remove damaged lock, fit a BS Kitemark 3★ anti-snap cylinder or equivalent mortice replacement, rekey you with two or three fresh keys.
- Frame damage (split timber around the strike plate, bent UPVC frame), refit the strike plate, reinforce the jamb where possible, or board the door to the frame if the mechanism is unrecoverable for tonight. In that case we book a joiner for the morning.
- Broken glass panel in the door, I can secure with plywood board-up so the door functions until a glazier arrives.
- Smashed window, I don’t do glazing, but I’ll board the opening so the house is secure overnight and recommend a local glazier.
The insurance job is about the paperwork. I’ll leave you with an itemised invoice: what I found, what I replaced, part details and serial numbers where relevant, time on-site, photos. Most home insurers accept that directly as proof of the emergency repair. Keep the police crime reference number paired with the invoice for your assessor.
Priority order on arrival: (1) get you inside safely, (2) make the property lockable, (3) walk you through what’s been done, (4) paperwork. I don’t leave until the door locks and you’ve got working keys.
The call-out rate applies at the relevant time of day. Parts (replacement cylinder, replacement mortice, boarding materials) are charged at cost with fitting included. No emergency surcharge beyond the standard pricing bands.