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Residential lockout

This is emergency work. Call (202) 900-5625. It is outside the grand opening discount.

House entry after a lockout, identity first, drill last

A residential lockout confirms the resident, then tries a non-destructive method. A replacement cylinder is offered only if the hardware failed or the method would destroy it. The door is resecured. If the lock failed, that is explained. No identification, a drill used too early, an unlocked window used in an unsafe way, and an ignored alarm stop or reroute the visit.

Call from the door if you are locked out of a home you can show you live in. Commercial after-hours entry is the other lockout. If a key is broken off in the cylinder, say that, because extraction may be the real task.

A failed deadbolt explained, and an alarm that is not ignored

Identity check, the least destructive entry that works, and a resecured door are the visit. A new master system is not. The identity check and a non-destructive-first rule are the policy. We do not climb through a window because it is slightly open if that puts someone at risk or leaves the house worse.

Row houses with a front and a basement door often have the resident locked out of one and holding the key to the other. We ask before any tool touches the cylinder. Alarms are called out so we are not the reason a siren runs for an hour. If the deadbolt is the thing that failed, we say so and quote the repair instead of pretending the lockout fixed it.

Frequent questions

What identification do you ask for at a house?

A photo ID plus something that ties you to the address: a lease, a utility bill, mail, or a person inside we can see who confirms you. A ride-share drop-off is not a tie.

When is drilling actually the method?

After a non-destructive attempt will not work, or the cylinder is already ruined, and you have agreed. It is not the first tool out of the bag because drilling is faster.

Why not use the unlocked window?

If reaching it means a climb or a broken screen, it is a worse plan than working the door. We also will not leave that window as the way the house stays 'secure.'

What does resecuring include if the lock failed?

The door is not left unlatched. If the old cylinder cannot lock, a temporary or replacement cylinder is quoted before we go. Walking away from an open house is not the end of a lockout.

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