Questions We Are Asked Most Often

Not as a starting point. Non-destructive methods are attempted first on both locks and safes, and drilling is treated as a last resort rather than a default.

Where a safe does have to be drilled, it is drilled to a known point, repaired afterwards and returned to working order wherever the unit allows.

You speak to the engineer. Deanes is a field service run by the person who attends, so the number on this site reaches the engineer directly. Work is not passed to a subcontractor.

Emergency lockout response is charged from £80. The figure that applies to a particular job is confirmed on the call, before an engineer is dispatched, so there is no surprise on arrival.

In most cases, yes. Lost keys, forgotten combinations, flat electronic locks, jammed boltwork and failed time locks are routine safe engineering problems rather than reasons to scrap a unit.

The make, model and lock type determine the method, so it is worth having those details to hand when you call.

Yes. Safes reached through probate, executry or house clearance are a regular part of the work. Proof that you are entitled to access the safe and the property is required before any work begins.

Ask three questions before anyone is dispatched: is that price the final price including parts, labour and VAT; will non-destructive entry be attempted before drilling; and is the person on the phone the person who will attend.

The pattern reported by the BBC, the Guardian and the Master Locksmiths Association is consistent — a very low headline price, an unnecessary drilling charge, and a bill several times the quote.

Flat batteries, failed keypads and failed solenoids are routine. Many units have an override route, and where they do not, the lock is opened and replaced.

It is worth noting the make and model before calling, as that determines the approach.

The make, the model, the type of lock — key, dial or electronic — and where the safe is situated. A photograph of the front of the safe and its lock is often the fastest way to convey all of it.

Those details decide the method, the tooling and the time required, which is what allows a price to be given honestly on the call.

Yes, and it is regular work. Safes reached through probate, executry, house clearance or a property purchase are attended routinely.

Proof of entitlement to the safe and to the property is required before any work begins, without exception.

Yes. Servicing, lock changes, combination changes, boltwork adjustment, repair after attempted forced entry, and relocation or installation of units are all part of the work.

Attendance depends on where you are across Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire, and on the time of day. An honest estimate is given on the call, rather than a headline figure that cannot be met.

Non-destructive entry is attempted first. Most lockouts can be resolved without destroying the lock, which is why the method matters more than the speed of the first swing.

Where a lock genuinely cannot be opened without damage, that is explained before it happens, along with what replacing it will involve.

Proof that you are entitled to access the property. That is a protection for you as much as a requirement on us, and it is the reason a legitimate locksmith asks.

Yes. Vault doors, strongroom gear, heavy boltwork and time locks are a distinct discipline from domestic safes, and they are part of the work here.

Time lock failure is one of the recognised reasons a vault engineer is called out. The unit, the movement and the failure mode determine the approach, so those details are needed on the call.

Where the site allows it, arranging attendance outside trading hours is usually preferable for everyone. It is worth raising on the first call so it can be planned rather than improvised.