Locksmith Service

Break-In & Burglary Repair

A break-in is one of the most violating experiences a Raleigh homeowner or renter can face. Whether it happened overnight in a Five Points bungalow or mid-day at an apartment near NC State, the immediate priority is the same: get your door re-secured fast so you can feel safe again. Raleigh Pro Locksmith dispatches trained, insured technicians around the clock — we come directly to your address, assess every point of forced entry, and restore your security the same day.

Call (919) 324-1731 Get a fast quote

Open 24 hours, 7 days a week · Licensed, bonded & insured

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Most people assume they need a contractor after a burglary, but a skilled mobile locksmith handles the lion's share of the repair work — damaged door frames, bent or broken lock cylinders, kicked-in deadbolts, and compromised strike plates — often in a single visit. We carry a full inventory of residential hardware on every truck, so there's no waiting on parts. If you've just discovered a break-in, call (919) 324-1731 right now and we'll have a locksmith en route within minutes.

What we do

Available 24/7

Day, night, weekends and holidays — a real local locksmith answers and rolls a fully-stocked van.

Fast local response

Based in Raleigh, we reach the Raleigh area in well under an hour.

Insured & background-checked

Vetted technicians, up-front pricing, and no surprise add-ons when we arrive.

Damage-free entry

We pick and bypass locks the right way, so most lockouts are solved without drilling anything.

What Actually Breaks During a Forced Entry (and Why It Matters for Repair)

Understanding how burglars get through doors explains why a thorough burglary repair goes far beyond just swapping a lock. The most common forced-entry method is a kick-in: one or two blows to the door near the knob or deadbolt causes the strike plate screws — usually only ¾" long on builder-grade hardware — to rip straight out of the door jamb. The lock itself may look intact while the frame around it is completely destroyed. A second common method targets the door knob lock directly: twisting, prying, or using a hand tool to shear the knob mechanism. This is why properties relying on a knob lock alone are especially vulnerable — a knob lock was never designed to be a primary security device.

Mortise lock assemblies, common in older Raleigh homes and historic districts like Oakwood and Boylan Heights, present a different failure mode. The cast-iron pocket inside the door can crack under lateral force, and the long face plate can bend, leaving the entire lock body loose in the door. Our technicians are experienced with mortise lock repair and replacement, including sourcing compatible bodies for doors where cutting a new bore isn't an option. Whatever the entry method, we document every failure point so nothing gets missed.

Our Break-In & Burglary Repair Process: What to Expect When We Arrive

When our mobile locksmith arrives — day, night, or weekend — the first step is a full security assessment of every exterior door and any accessible windows with locking hardware. We check the door frame and jamb for splits or crush damage, measure strike plate depth, test hinge integrity, and inspect the lock cylinder for signs of picking, bumping, or forced rotation. We then walk you through exactly what needs to be repaired or replaced and confirm the price before any work begins. You'll never get a surprise invoice from us.

Repair work typically includes: reinforcing or replacing the door jamb with a solid-wood or steel-reinforced insert, installing 3" structural screws through the strike plate into the wall stud, upgrading to a heavy-duty ANSI Grade 1 deadbolt, and rekeying or replacing the lock cylinder so any keys that may have been taken during the break-in are immediately invalidated. Where the door itself is damaged beyond what hardware can fix, we'll tell you plainly and coordinate the scope so your door is at least temporarily secured while a carpenter addresses the slab.

Burglary Repair Services We Provide — Full Scope

Raleigh Pro Locksmith is equipped to handle every task involved in re-securing a home or business after a break-in. Our services include: (1) emergency door re-securing same day, (2) door frame and jamb repair, (3) strike plate replacement with deep-set 3" screw installation, (4) deadbolt lock replacement, (5) knob lock replacement, (6) lever handle lock replacement, (7) mortise lock repair and replacement, (8) mortise lock cylinder re-keying, (9) single-cylinder deadbolt installation, (10) double-cylinder deadbolt installation, (11) keypad and smart lock installation post-burglary, (12) Schlage and Kwikset Grade 1 hardware upgrades, (13) door hinge replacement and reinforcement, (14) hinge bolt installation, (15) door frame reinforcement kit installation, (16) sliding glass door lock repair and bar-lock installation, (17) patio door pin lock installation, (18) garage entry door lock upgrade, (19) re-keying all locks to a single master key, (20) broken key extraction from damaged cylinders, (21) lock cylinder replacement, (22) high-security cylinder upgrade (pick-resistant, drill-resistant), (23) door viewer (peephole) installation or upgrade, (24) chain lock and door reinforcement bar installation, (25) temporary security boarding coordination while permanent repair is arranged, (26) business and commercial door lock repair after forced entry, (27) key control consultation — advising on restricted keyways so future key copies require authorization.

Why a Mobile Locksmith Is the Right First Call After a Break-In in Raleigh

After filing a police report — which you should always do before touching anything — your next call should be to a mobile locksmith, not a big-box hardware store. A trained locksmith doesn't just sell you a deadbolt; we install it correctly in a compromised door, verify the frame can actually hold it, and make sure the locking points align so the bolt throws fully every time. We also rekey immediately, which matters enormously: in many residential burglaries, the intruder does not break in at all — they use a key that was hidden outside, left in a vehicle, or copied from one taken in a prior visit. Rekeying costs a fraction of replacing all your hardware and closes that vulnerability instantly.

Raleigh Pro Locksmith operates 24/7 and covers the full metro — from North Hills and Brier Creek to downtown and the neighborhoods along Western Boulevard. Our trucks are stocked with the hardware inventory needed to complete most jobs in one visit, and our insured technicians are background-checked. If you're a renter, we can work alongside your property manager or handle the repair independently and provide a full written summary of work completed. Call (919) 324-1731 any time — we answer every call live, around the clock.

Frequently asked questions

How fast can you get to my home in Raleigh after a break-in?+

We dispatch immediately upon your call and aim to reach most Raleigh addresses within 30–60 minutes depending on your location and traffic. We're a mobile locksmith service, so a technician comes directly to you — no waiting at a shop. We answer 24/7, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

Will you be able to fix my door the same night, or will I have to wait?+

In the vast majority of cases, yes — we complete the repair in a single visit. Our trucks carry a broad inventory of residential lock hardware, strike plates, reinforcement kits, and deadbolts. If the door frame damage is severe enough to require carpentry beyond locksmith scope, we'll temporarily secure the door that night and clearly explain what additional work a carpenter needs to complete.

How much does break-in and burglary repair typically cost?+

Costs vary depending on how many doors were compromised, what hardware needs replacing, and the extent of frame damage. A straightforward deadbolt replacement with strike plate reinforcement is a very different job from repairing a mortise lock in a historic-district door or re-securing three entry points. We provide a clear, itemized estimate before we start any work — you'll always know the exact price up front, with no surprise charges added after the fact.

Should I rekey my locks even if the burglar didn't take any keys?+

Yes, and here's why: you can't know with certainty what the intruder accessed while inside. Keys hanging by the door, a spare in a kitchen drawer, a car key fob with a house key attached — any of these could have been pocketed. Rekeying is fast, affordable, and immediately invalidates any unauthorized copies. We strongly recommend rekeying every exterior lock as part of every burglary repair, even when it seems like keys weren't taken.

The knob lock on my back door was broken off entirely — is that repairable or does the whole door need replacing?+

In most cases the door itself is fine — it's the hardware that failed. A knob lock that's been sheared or pried off can be replaced with a new knob or lever set, and we'll assess whether the bore hole in the door was damaged in the process. We can also use the opportunity to upgrade that entry point with a proper deadbolt, since a knob lock alone provides minimal security against forced entry regardless of brand.

My front door has an old mortise lock — can you repair that style, or will I need a whole new door?+

We're experienced with mortise lock repair and replacement, including the older cast-iron and steel-body mortises common in Raleigh's historic neighborhoods. In many cases the mortise pocket in the door is undamaged and we can install a compatible replacement mortise lock body or rekey the existing cylinder. We'll inspect the pocket and face bore carefully before recommending a full replacement — the goal is always to preserve your existing door where structurally sound.

Locked out or need a lock fixed? We are on the way.

Open 24 hours, 7 days a week · Insured, background-checked technicians · Up-front pricing

(919) 324-1731