Locked out of the house

What to do while you're standing outside

Walk around once and try every door you can reach from the ground: the back slider, the garage keypad, the walk-in door on the garage. Then think about who holds a spare: a relative, a neighbor or the property manager.

Nothing? Call us. We answer 24/7 from our Meridian base, cover homes from Caldwell and Star to Eagle and Kuna, and tell you when we can be there. Skip the tricks from online videos: a plastic card won't move a deadbolt, and breaking a window swaps a locked door for a glass repair and a real chance of a deep cut.

Call 911 first if someone inside needs help

A child alone inside, someone who needs medical care, a pet in a house that's getting too hot or too cold, a burner left on: each is a 911 call before it's a locksmith call. Emergency crews can force a door when someone inside is in danger. Tell us too; those calls get priority from us, but 911 comes first.

Knob, deadbolt or keypad: which one is locked?

The lock that caught you decides how the door gets opened, so it's our first question.

• Knob or lever only: the slanted latch snaps shut by itself as the door swings closed, usually after someone pressed the inside button.
• Deadbolt: it locks only when someone turns it, never on its own. A thrown deadbolt has no spring to slip past and takes more careful work.
• Keypad or smart lock: often a dead battery. Look for a hidden keyhole or battery contacts under the keypad first; our smart lock and deadbolt page explains both.

Your locksmith uses entry tools and methods chosen to avoid damage. If a lock is broken inside and nothing else will open it, you hear what can be done and what it costs before anything is drilled or replaced.

Proof that you live there

Before we open a home, we need photo ID plus proof that it's yours: that address on the ID itself, or your name on a lease or a utility bill. The same rule stops a stranger from talking a locksmith into opening your door.

Once you're back inside

Keys locked inside and keys lost are two different problems. Keys that went missing still fit your locks, and whoever finds them may know where you live, so think about rekeying.

Was the car key on that ring too? Car keys are the bulk of what we do, so one visit can also cover a car key made from scratch. We can cut a spare house key on the key cutting machine in the service vehicle, for someone you trust rather than the doormat.

Step by step

1. 1
   CallAddress, door, which lock, and anyone or anything inside.
2. 2
   Price firstExplained by phone before the locksmith drives out.
3. 3
   Proof at the doorPhoto ID, plus this address on it or on your lease or a utility bill.
4. 4
   Open and checkWe make sure the lock still works before we leave.