Half a key in your hand, half in the lock. Stop there. The next five minutes decide whether this stays a small job, and we would like to be the ones who take it from here.
Lake Forest Locksmith
Keys rarely snap on a lazy Sunday. They snap when you are late, the lock is stiff, and you lean on the turn a little too hard. What matters now is what you do not do: do not push the fragment deeper with a second key, do not flood the lock with glue on a toothpick (the internet's worst idea), and do not keep wiggling what is left. Each of those turns a clean extraction into a lock replacement.
Our extractors are thin, hooked tools that slide beside the fragment, catch the key's own cuts, and walk it out the way it went in. House locks, padlocks, mailboxes, and car ignitions across Lake Forest and Laguna Hills give up their broken pieces this way every week, usually in minutes, with the lock working afterward as if nothing happened.
What's included
Removing the fragment is half the job. Leaving you a lock that works and a key that will not snap again is the other half.
Honest pricing
| Service | Typical price range |
|---|---|
| Extraction, house lock Fragment out, lock tested | $75 to $110 |
| Extraction, car ignition Delicate work, steering column care | $95 to $150 |
| New key cut from fragment Standard key, decoded from the pieces | $15 to $45 |
| Lock service with extraction Clean and lubricate the cylinder | $25 to $40 |
| Cylinder replacement, if truly needed Only when the lock is already damaged | $45 to $90 plus hardware |
Price hinges on where the key snapped and whether anything was pushed in after it. A clean snap at the shoulder is the cheap version; a fragment driven deep by a second key takes longer. We quote after seeing it, before starting. You will never hear that the whole lock must be replaced until we have tried to save it, and shown you why if we cannot.
How it works
Leave the fragment exactly as it sits. If part sticks out, resist the pliers unless it slides out with zero force.
Light, magnification, and a probe tell us the fragment's depth and angle.
The right hook profile slides in along the key's cuts and grips the blade.
Slow, steady pressure. Most pieces come out whole in a few minutes.
We cut a fresh key from the fragment's cuts, test it in your lock, and service the cylinder so the new key turns like butter.
Why keys snap around here
Half the snapped keys we pull in Lake Forest are hardware-store copies of copies, each generation a little softer and a little more wrong. The other half are honest keys in locks that have not seen lubricant since the house was built, common in the older streets of Laguna Hills and the Village manors in Laguna Woods, where a stiff turn becomes a daily habit until the blade gives up.
Trailhead padlocks at Whiting Ranch and bike locks at the Sports Park snap too, grit and weather do that. Wherever yours broke, the fix includes the cause: a properly cut key, a serviced cylinder, and a word about the graphite that keeps it smooth. Two minutes of prevention, years of easy turns.
Call now and a licensed Lake Forest tech can be on the way, with the price locked in before we start.
Why choose us
Keep exploring
Emergency Locksmith 24/7Learn more →
House Lockout ServiceLearn more →
Car Lockout ServiceLearn more →
Lock RekeyingLearn more →
Smart Lock InstallationLearn more →Part of our Emergency Locksmith services, or see all locksmith services in Lake Forest.
Where we work
Our mobile techs are based in Lake Forest and cover ZIP code 92630, from Baker Ranch and Portola Hills to the Saddleback foothills and Whiting Ranch, plus these nearby communities:
Inside our coverage, we work every neighborhood, including:
Good questions
If a good length sticks out and slides with gentle pressure, fine. The moment it resists, stop: forcing it bends the fragment and wedges it against the pins, doubling the job.
Usually, yes. Extraction is non-destructive, and we test the lock with a fresh key before we leave. If the cylinder was already worn out, we will show you and quote a replacement separately.
Yes. The fragment carries the cut pattern, and we decode it to cut a fresh key. Bring us both halves if you have them.
It is more delicate, not hopeless. Ignition extraction runs $95 to $150 because the work is slower and the parts less forgiving. We do it without pulling the column apart in most cases.
Usually. Glue makes the fragment sticky and the job slower, and we charge fairly for the extra time. Tell us on the phone so the tech brings solvents.
Cut keys from the original, not from a worn copy; lubricate locks yearly with graphite; and replace any key that starts needing a wiggle to turn. That wiggle is the warning.
Licensed, local, and on call 24/7, Lake Forest Locksmith, at your door when you need us.