Lock installation
Lock Installation in Hastings
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- 24-hour emergency cover
- No call-out charge
- Price agreed before work starts
Need a New Lock Fitted in Hastings?
B.T Locksmiths Hastings supplies and fits new locks on doors, windows, outbuildings and gates across Hastings, including British Standard and high-security locks where an insurer asks for them. There is no call-out charge.
The jobs we are asked about most: a door with no lock or only one, a policy that wants a higher-rated lock, a new or replacement door waiting for its locks, and an internal room, outbuilding or gate that needs securing. If an existing lock is the problem rather than a missing one, see lock replacement.
Replacing an Existing Lock or Fitting a New One?
Is there already a working lock in that position? If not, or if you want a different type or a higher standard, that is a fitting job. If you simply want the existing lock swapped for the same kind, it is a replacement.
When you need a lock fitted
Most installation work in Hastings homes is one of these: 1. A door with no lock at all, or just a nightlatch where your insurer expects a deadlock alongside it. 2. Moving to a British Standard or anti-snap lock. 3. A newly hung or replacement door that needs a compatible lock, cylinder, handles or other fittings. 4. Securing an office, internal room, shed, outbuilding or side gate. 5. Putting a second lock on a French or patio door.
A new lock may suit a door that lacks proper locking hardware, needs another lock, or must be key-controlled. We think about the door, its position and its use before talking through options, and check the frame too, so we know which lock types and positions may work. Material, thickness, construction and intended use determine the specification. A further lock may go on where the configuration permits and another locking point is called for, once the existing hardware, the room to fit it and any written requirements have been looked at. The full door and lock arrangement counts, not only the lock.
When a lock needs replacing instead
Lost keys, a new home, a worn-out lock or a forced door are replacement jobs, explained on our lock replacement page.
Is Your Lock Actually Meeting Your Insurance Requirements?
"Insurance approved" is a phrase people attach to their locks without ever checking it. Most believe they are covered, and a meaningful number are not.
Two quick checks you can do now
Mortice locks on timber doors. Read the faceplate on the edge of the door: a kitemark and BS number should be stamped on it. A five-lever description alone does not confirm that a mortice lock meets BS 3621, and lots of generic five-lever locks lack any certification, often fitted before you moved in. Trust the certification and product markings over the lever count; the number of levers alone does not confirm that a lock meets BS 3621.
Euro cylinders on uPVC and composite doors. Look at the cylinder face for a star rating or Diamond mark. A basic cylinder resists snapping poorly, and snapping is a common attack on these doors. Cylinders are produced in various sizes and security ratings, and depending on the product, certification may include a TS 007 star rating or an SS 312 Diamond rating. It must also be compatible with the lock and sized correctly for the door, with its security considered alongside the handles, protective hardware and the full locking system.
Before we suggest a lock
Which lock is right depends on the door's construction, location, intended use and how people need to come and go, so a lock that suits one door may not suit another. We take into account whether the door is timber, uPVC, composite or aluminium, whether it is external or internal, its thickness, frame and existing preparation, how users need to enter and leave, and whether an additional lock or a complete locking arrangement is required. Those details help establish which lock types, sizes and fitting methods may be suitable, and any written instructions from an insurer, landlord or managing agent should be reviewed before the product is chosen.
| Standard or rating | Broadly indicates | Note |
|---|---|---|
| BS 3621 | Tested, thief-resistant single-point lock using a key from both sides | Commonly connected with suitable external timber doors |
| BS 8621 | Tested, thief-resistant single-point lock using a key outside, with keyless exit inside | May be relevant where egress without a key is required |
| TS 007 / SS 312 | Ratings for cylinders and connected door hardware | The rating depends on the door and any documented requirement |
What applies depends on the complete door arrangement and how the property is used. The following section explains the extra consideration needed for fire doors, flat entrances and communal doors.
Have you received a security requirement in writing from someone? Send it to us before the installation. We can suggest options that may match what the specification states, and your insurer, landlord or managing agent must then confirm that the proposal meets their requirement. For more on cylinders, see our anti-snap locks guide and uPVC door locks page.
Which Standard Applies to Your Door: BS 3621, BS 8621 or PAS 3621?
Which standard applies depends on the door and on how people need to leave the building. BS 3621 locks open with a key from both sides and are the common requirement on timber final exit doors. BS 8621 locks open with a key from outside but have a thumbturn inside, so nobody needs a key to get out, which matters in flats, HMOs and on escape routes. PAS 3621 applies the same thinking to multipoint systems on uPVC and composite doors. Requirements differ because no single standard binds every insurer: many large UK insurers take guidance from RISCAuthority, but each writes its own policy conditions. BSI certifies the lock, the insurer sets the rule, so read your own wording.
| Inside | Typical door | |
|---|---|---|
| BS 3621 | Key needed | Timber final exit door |
| BS 8621 | Thumbturn, keyless exit | Flat, HMO or escape-route door |
| PAS 3621 | Multipoint equivalent | uPVC or composite door |
When the door has a fire-safety role Locks fitted to fire doors, flat entrance doors and communal entrances must work with the door's fire and escape requirements. The installation must not prevent the door from closing correctly or affect how it resists the spread of fire and smoke. We have to preserve the fire and smoke resistance, the door, frame and essential seals, effective self-closing, keyless exit where needed and safe access for other occupants.
You may need approval first where the property is rented or leasehold, the flat is in a managed building, the door is a communal entrance or shared area, or it is a designated fire or escape-route door. Speak to the landlord, freeholder, managing agent or other responsible person before any alteration is arranged, and send us any approval, fire-door information or required hardware specification with your enquiry. Where the requirements are unclear, a competent fire-safety professional may need to advise.
Important: if a fire door, flat entrance or communal door is involved in the work, please make us aware. Our guide to types of door locks covers the wider range.
On Hastings Properties, the Locks We Fit
The lock types below cover most installation requests. Choosing a suitable lock for each involves considering the door material, room for fitting, how it operates and any confirmed security requirement.
Euro cylinders, with anti-snap upgrades
A euro cylinder operates within a compatible lock case or multipoint system, typical of uPVC, composite and some aluminium or timber doors. It must be correctly sized and compatible with the lock and protective hardware around it, and different security ratings are available where required. Multipoint systems lock the door at several positions; we can assess the compatible cylinders, handles and locking components in an existing one, with the scope depending on the door design and the compatibility of replacement components.
Internal, outbuilding and gate locks
Suitable bedrooms, offices, stockrooms and storage areas can be fitted with key-operated locks or privacy locks. Door construction, frequency of use, the privacy needed and who requires a key decide which. Outbuildings and side gates are worth locking because they can give cover to a rear door.
Mortice deadlock
These are fitted into the edge of suitable timber doors, with deadlocks, sashlocks and certified products for where a recognised standard is required. Thickness, construction, frame and fitting position must be checked first, and preparing the door is skilled work.
Rim locks and nightlatches too
Known to many as a Yale, a nightlatch is surface-mounted on the inside of a suitable door, and models provide different entry, exit and deadlocking functions. Whether it should be a primary or additional lock depends on the door, product specification and use; a final exit door generally has a mortice deadlock too.
Window locks
Some policies specify key-operated locks for accessible windows.
Start by describing the door, its position and the thing you want to protect. We talk through suitable options and give a price on the call from your description; that price stands unless the job differs on site, with any change explained before any work starts. Further reading: window locks, common types of door locks and.
Locksmith pricing
What Affects the Cost of a New Lock Being Fitted
Why can we not quote one figure for every lock fitting? Because the price depends on the lock, the door and the preparation the door requires, and a door with no existing provision takes longer than a simple swap since it has to be prepared first. What is fixed is that there is no call-out charge and the price is given on the call. You pay for the work carried out, any parts needed, and VAT. Rates outside Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm, are higher, but the call-out itself is never charged.
What goes into the price
The lock chosen: its type, size, security rating and any additional hardware. The door: its material, existing openings and the work needed on the door or frame. The installation: the number of locks and doors, how complex the fitting is and the appointment conditions, such as the time of day.
What to expect, from choosing to testing
- Tell us about the door: its material, location and intended use.
- Where you can, send photographs of the door, frame and existing hardware, along with any written requirements.
- Using your description, we give a price on the call and discuss suitable options; that price holds unless the job differs on site.
- An inspection is arranged if required.
- Before any work begins, we explain any change to the call price and ask you to approve all three: the lock specification, work and price.
- The lock is fitted in the agreed position, and we test the lock, keys, relevant hardware and door operation.
Locksmith pricing
Proof of What We Fitted, for Your Insurer
If you ever claim after a break-in, an insurer may ask what locks were fitted and whether they met the policy. Saying "the locksmith told me it was fine" is not evidence. A written record of the installation is, and it is just as useful later for maintenance, replacement parts and your property paperwork.
- Lock details: the available information about the lock, cylinder or hardware fitted.
- Keys and operation: the supplied keys handed to you and the lock's operation checked once the job is complete.
Keep the record with your policy documents so it is to hand if it is ever needed.
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
Lock Fitting Across Hastings
We fit locks for homeowners, landlords, letting agents and business premises across Hastings. It is booked work: we arrange a visit, look at the door and agree what should go on it before anything is cut.
Visits take in Old Town, West Hill, St Leonards Green, Bohemia, Broomgrove and Hollington, along with every postcode in TN34, TN38, TN37 and TN35 and the parts of TN33 around Hastings. The built-up area had around 91,800 usual residents at the 2021 Census (ONS).
Doors differ by street. Of 40,761 households, 36.0% are flats, 22.5% terraces, 21.8% semi-detached and 19.4% detached (Census 2021, ONS TS044), and Old Town, West Hill and St Leonards Green all have a high share of flats nearby, so communal entrances and flat front doors are a regular part of the work. Age matters as well: 34.9% of homes were built before 1900 and 15.6% from 1900 to 1939, against 5.4% from 2009 on (VOA council tax property stock, 31 March 2026), so older timber doors that take a mortice lock are common.
Hastings has 16 conservation areas, among them Hastings Town Centre, Cornwallis Gardens and Warrior Square (planning.data.gov.uk, October 2026). That status bears on replacing a door rather than fitting a lock to it; the national dataset does not say whether any Article 4 direction restricts doors or windows, so ask the council before changing a door.
Not sure your street is covered? See all areas we cover.
The Job: How It Works
Booking a lock fitting involves three simple stages.
- Let us know what the door is, where it sits, what you want to secure and whether your insurer has asked for anything specific, sending any written requirements you have.
- Together we choose a suitable lock and price the job during the call from your description; an inspection can follow if needed, and the price holds unless the job differs on site, with any change explained before work begins.
- Before we leave, you get the keys and a record of exactly what was fitted.
Cycling the lock in both positions is a deliberate check: it shows up alignment problems that could otherwise strain the lock from its first week.
Emergency and planned locksmith services
Book a Lock Fitting in Hastings
Choose a time that suits you, and while we are there we can check your existing locks against what your policy asks for. There is no call-out charge, and you hear the price before any work starts.
- Call 01424 571056
- Or send the details through our contact page
01424 571056
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my lock meets my insurance policy?
You can usually tell in under a minute. Look for a kitemark and BS number on the faceplate of a mortice lock, or a star rating or Diamond mark on the face of a euro cylinder on a uPVC or composite door. If you find no marking at all, assume the lock does not meet the standard. After that, check exactly what your policy wording requires.
I have a five-lever lock. Is that enough?
That depends on its certification, not its levers. The number of levers alone does not confirm that a lock meets BS 3621. Generic five-lever mortice locks are widely sold in DIY shops without the kitemark, and many are fitted by previous owners or budget refits. Look for the kitemark and BS number on the faceplate; without them, treat the lock as uncertified.
Can you fit a lock to a door that does not have one?
Yes. The main difference from a replacement is preparation: the door has to be cut for a mortice lock or bored for a cylinder, depending on what is being fitted and what the door is made of. That adds time compared with swapping an existing lock. Composite doors need particular care, as they are easy to damage, which is why this is not a DIY job.
What is the difference between BS 3621 and BS 8621?
The main difference is keyless exit. BS 3621 applies to thief-resistant single-point locks that need a key from both sides. BS 8621 applies to thief-resistant single-point locks keyed from outside with keyless exit from inside, generally via a thumbturn, which suits escape routes in flats and HMOs. For multipoint locks on uPVC and composite doors, PAS 3621 is the equivalent. The door, property use, fire strategy and means-of-escape requirements determine the right lock.
Why do different insurers ask for different locks?
Because there is no single standard every UK insurer follows. Many of the largest insurers take guidance from RISCAuthority, but each one sets its own policy conditions, so two similar houses can be asked for different locks. Read the security section of your policy wording, and if anything is unclear, ask your insurer to confirm in writing. Send us that wording and we can discuss products that may match it.
Will you give me proof of what was fitted?
Yes, in writing.
Should I buy the lock myself and just pay you to fit it?
It can backfire. If you already have one, mention it and send the details. If not, we would rather advise on the right lock for the door before you spend anything.
How much does it cost to have a new lock fitted in Hastings?
It depends on whether the door is already prepared or needs cutting, the lock type and security rating, the door material, how many doors are involved and when the visit takes place. Weekday visits between 7am and 6pm are charged at the normal rate, with evenings, weekends and bank holidays higher. There is no call-out charge and the price is given before work begins.
Still have a question or need urgent assistance? Call 01424 571056, tell us what has happened and receive a current arrival estimate.