Quick answer
After a break-in in San Diego: make sure everyone is safe and call the police before touching anything, photograph the damage for insurance, then call a locksmith the same day. The locksmith should rekey or replace every exterior lock (the intruder may have taken keys), repair or replace damaged locks and strikes, reinforce the door frame with a heavy strike plate and long screws, and secure sliding doors and windows. Consider a deadbolt upgrade or a smart lock. Action Locksmith San Diego handles break-in repairs 24/7; see emergency locksmith.
In this guide
The first hour
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1
Safety and police
Don't go in if you're not sure it's empty. Call 911 if anyone is inside or hurt; otherwise call the non-emergency line and get a report number. Insurance will need it.
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2
Photograph everything
The door, the frame, the window, the room. Before you clean up, before the locksmith arrives.
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3
Call the locksmith
A break-in is a same-day job. Tell the locksmith what was damaged and whether keys were taken, and get a price on the phone.
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4
Check what's missing
Keys, garage remotes, documents with your address, spare keys from the kitchen drawer. Each one changes what needs to happen next.
What the locksmith does the same day
- Rekeys every exterior lock, or replaces the damaged ones. If keys or a garage remote were taken, this isn't optional.
- Repairs or replaces the broken lock, latch and strike on the entry door.
- Reinforces the frame. Most forced entries split the jamb where the strike plate sits, not the lock itself. A heavy strike plate with 3-inch screws into the framing stops the next kick. A door jamb reinforcement kit goes further.
- Secures the slider: new latch, a secondary lock, a security bar, and an anti-lift stop so the panel can't be lifted out.
- Adds or upgrades the deadbolt to Grade 1 on the door that was hit, and on any door that only has a knob lock.
- Checks the garage service door and side gates, the second most common entry points after the front door and slider.
Rekey or replace after a break-in
If the lock survived and only the frame gave way, rekeying plus frame reinforcement is enough. If the lock was pried, drilled, or is builder-grade, replace it with a Grade 1 deadbolt. Either way, rekey every other exterior door too, because a thief who found a spare key on the counter will use it. The rekey vs replace guide covers the general rule; after a break-in, err toward replacement on the door that was attacked.
Stopping the second attempt
Burglars return to homes that were easy, often within weeks, and they tell others. The changes above raise the effort enough that most move on. Beyond locks: a keypad or smart lock so no spare is hidden outside, motion lighting at the entry that was used, and a camera at the front door. Keep valuables and spare keys out of sight from windows. If the entry was a window, have a locksmith add keyed sash locks or a window security film installer look at it.
Renters and property managers
Tenants should notify the landlord immediately and, in most leases, the landlord is responsible for repairs and lock changes after a break-in. Property managers in Mission Valley, Hillcrest and Pacific Beach call us for same-day post-break-in lock changes with the unit rekeyed and the entry hardware repaired on one visit. See property manager services.
Written by Mark Hanna, owner and lead locksmith of Action Locksmith San Diego (CA LCO License #7199). Published , last updated . Prices mentioned are typical San Diego ranges; see the prices page for details.
