Usually a tired, thin or bent key, a stiff lock, or a bit of both, often made worse by turning the key and pulling the door at the same time. A key that is getting hard to turn, or one that is visibly bent, is a warning sign. Get a spare cut before it lets you down.

23/07/2026

How to Get a Broken or Snapped Key Out of a Lock

Q: How much does it cost to remove a broken key?

It is a straightforward job, so it sits at the lower end of my rates. My labour starts at £89 in standard hours, and I will give you a fixed price before I start, with no VAT to add. If a new key needs cutting, I will tell you that up front too.

Q: Can I still use the lock after the key is removed?

In most cases, yes. Once the broken piece is out and you have a fresh key cut, the lock works as before. If your old key snapped because the lock was stiff or worn, I will flag it so it does not happen again.

Q: Can you cut a new key if mine has broken in half?

Yes, as long as I can read the cuts on the broken pieces. Hang on to both halves and bring them to me, and I can usually cut you a working replacement from those.

Short answer: If your key has snapped off in the lock, stop turning it straight away. Forcing it only pushes the broken piece deeper. If part of the key is still sticking out, you can often grip it with fine pliers or tweezers and ease it straight out. But if the key has broken off flush or dropped inside, or the lock won’t turn, that’s the point to stop and call me, because the wrong move here is what turns a quick extraction into a new lock. I remove snapped keys without damaging the lock, with no call-out fee, across Harrow and Greater London.

A word of warning, from last week

Last week I got called out to a customer in Pinner who’d snapped their key in the door, watched a few videos online, and decided to try the superglue trick: dab glue on the broken stub, stick it to the piece in the lock, pull it out. What actually happened is the glue went everywhere inside the mechanism, the lock was ruined, and a job that should have been a five-minute extraction turned into a full lock replacement, and a harder, longer one for me on top.

I’m telling you this first because it’s the most common way people turn a small problem into an expensive one. So before you try anything: please don’t reach for the glue.

Why keys snap in the first place

Keys don’t usually break out of nowhere. It’s normally one of these:

A worn or cheaply cut key that’s gone thin and weak over time.
A key that’s already bent. A bent key is a weak key, and it’ll go at the bend.
A stiff or dry lock that needs more force than it should, so the key takes the strain.
Turning the key while pulling the door or lifting the handle at the same time.

Worth knowing, because if your key snapped, the lock itself may be part of the reason, and it’s worth having that looked at once the key’s out.

First, stop. Don’t make it worse

A few things not to do:

Don’t keep turning or forcing it. That drives the broken piece further in and can jam the mechanism.
Don’t use superglue. You saw what happened above. It’s all over the internet as a clever trick, and it’s the fastest way to glue the broken key inside your lock and write the whole thing off. Please don’t.
Don’t poke at it with anything that might break off too, like a matchstick or a cocktail stick. Now you’ve got two things stuck in there.

If the door’s unlocked and you’re not shut out, take your time. A snapped key is annoying, not an emergency, as long as you don’t rush it and make it worse.

How to get it out yourself, if it’s an easy one

If a decent bit of the key is still sticking out past the face of the lock, you’ve got a fair chance of doing this yourself.

Fine-nose pliers or tweezers. Take hold of the part that’s sticking out with needle-nose pliers or sturdy tweezers, and pull straight out, slow and steady, in line with the way the key goes in. Don’t twist it. Twisting just drags the broken piece deeper and makes it harder to reach.

A thin, stiff piece of metal, if you’re careful. If the key is only just proud and there’s a sliver to work with, you can sometimes slide a thin, strong piece of metal into the keyway alongside the broken key. Catch it against the cuts and ease them both out together. A coping saw or jigsaw blade is ideal: thin, stiff, and toothed to grip. Here’s the part that matters. Whatever you use has to be a proper hard piece of metal that won’t bend or snap itself. A soft wire or a flimsy paper clip is worse than useless. It will break off inside and leave you with two bits stuck instead of one. A firm paper clip at a push, but if there’s any doubt it’ll hold, don’t. That’s exactly when to give me a ring.

Beyond those two, if there’s nothing left to grip, if the key’s snapped off flush with the lock or dropped down inside, that’s a job for the proper tools, and forcing it is how a good lock gets wrecked.

When to give me a ring

Give me a call if:

The key has snapped flush with the lock or dropped down inside, with nothing to grab.
The lock won’t turn or feels jammed.
It’s your only way in and you’re now locked out.
You’ve had a careful go and it hasn’t budged. Better to stop than force it.

No shame in any of it. I’ve got the proper tools to get a broken key out cleanly, and getting me out early is almost always cheaper than pushing on and needing a whole new lock.

Will you need a new lock?

Usually not. A broken key in a lock is nearly always an extraction job, not a replacement. The lock’s fine, there’s just a piece of metal in the way. Get it out cleanly and you carry on with the same lock and a freshly cut key.

The main time you do end up needing a whole new lock is when it’s already been damaged trying to DIY it, glue especially, exactly like the customer in the story above. Left alone and done properly, the lock usually comes through it fine.

Here’s how I work it: I’ll get the broken piece out without wrecking the mechanism, check why the key snapped in the first place, and cut you a new key from the broken pieces if I can read the cuts. No call-out fee, a fixed price I agree with you before I start, and no selling you a lock you don’t need.

Broken key in a lock: FAQs

Can you get a broken key out without damaging the lock?
Almost always, yes. With the right tools and a bit of patience, the broken piece comes out and the lock is unharmed. The damage usually only happens when a key’s been forced deeper first, or someone’s had a go with glue, which is why it’s best to stop early rather than fight it.

How much does it cost to remove a broken key?
It’s a straightforward job, so it sits at the lower end of my rates. My labour starts at £89 in standard hours, and I’ll give you a fixed price before I start, with no VAT to add. If a new key needs cutting, I’ll tell you that up front too.

Can I still use the lock after the key’s removed?
In most cases, yes. Once the broken piece is out and you’ve a fresh key cut, the lock works as before. If your old key snapped because the lock was stiff or worn, I’ll flag it so it doesn’t happen again.

Why did my key snap?
Usually a tired, thin or bent key, a stiff lock, or a bit of both, often made worse by turning the key and pulling the door at the same time. A key that’s getting hard to turn, or one that’s visibly bent, is a warning sign, get a spare cut before it lets you down.

Can you cut a new key if mine has broken in half?
Yes, as long as I can read the cuts on the broken pieces. So hang on to both halves and bring them to me, and I can usually cut you a working replacement from those.

Snapped key in your lock in Harrow? Don’t force it, and please don’t glue it. Call Andrew the Locksmith or get in touch, and I’ll get the broken key out cleanly, cut you a new one, and check why it happened. No call-out fee, no VAT, and a fixed price before I start, covering Harrow and Greater London.