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Independent locksmith in Sheffield, you speak to Sam
- No call out fee
- No VAT to pay
5.0 on Google 200+ reviews
5.0 on Google 200+ reviews
About Sam Gregory, Independent Locksmith in Sheffield
Sam Gregory is the independent locksmith who owns Prime Locksmiths and does every job himself, across Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Chesterfield and Worksop. He has worked in the trade since 2022 and has completed over 2,000 jobs on homes, rented properties, shops and offices. There is one locksmith in this business, so the person who answers the phone is the person who arrives at the door and the person who stands behind the work afterwards.
- Independent locksmith working in Sheffield since 2022
- DBS checked and fully insured
- Over 2,000 jobs completed across South Yorkshire
- No call out fee and no VAT on any bill
- 12 month parts and labour warranty on every repair
- Rated 5.0 on Google from 200+ reviews.
- Sam answers the phone himself, 24 hours a day.
- Non destructive entry first, so most locked doors open without damage.
- If Sam cannot fix it, you pay nothing.
How Sam Became a Sheffield Locksmith
Sam Gregory came into locksmithing from the building trade rather than from a family firm. Four stages took him from commercial facades to a locksmith van in Sheffield.
- Locks interested him long before he worked on them, which is the part most locksmiths have in common and the reason the trade stuck.
- He worked as a curtain wall installer, fitting the aluminium and glass facades on commercial buildings, which is where doors, frames and fixings became familiar.
- He trained as a locksmith, where the door and window mechanisms were ground he already knew and the lock work was the new skill.
- He started Prime Locksmiths in 2022 and has completed over 2,000 jobs since, most of them in Sheffield and Rotherham.
Before becoming a locksmith, Sam worked as a curtain wall installer, so alongside the uPVC and composite doors on houses he takes on aluminium shopfront doors as a commercial locksmith in Sheffield, which is a small part of the work rather than the main part.
That background decides how the work is done. A fitter who has hung commercial doors reads a dropped door, a worn hinge and a keep that has moved out of line as adjustment work, so the first question on a door that will not lock is whether the door can be brought back into line rather than whether a new mechanism can be sold.
Training, Checks and Insurance Sam Holds
Locksmithing is not a licensed trade in the United Kingdom, which means anyone may advertise as a locksmith without training, a check or insurance. Sam holds four things a customer can ask any locksmith for.
- Locksmith training completed before he started trading, so the trade was learned on a course rather than picked up on the job.
- A DBS check, which is the criminal record check carried by people who work inside other homes.
- Full public liability insurance, which covers damage to the property while the work is being done.
- A 12 month parts and labour warranty on every repair, with no fix and no fee if the job cannot be completed.
Ask for those four before any locksmith starts work, whoever you call. A locksmith who carries them will say so on the phone in a sentence.
What Sam Promises on Every Locksmith Job
Six commitments apply to every job, whether it is a lockout at two in the morning or a lock change booked for next week.
- Give the price on the phone before setting off, so the figure you agree is the figure you pay.
- Check proof that you live at the property before a locked door is opened, using a bill, a tenancy agreement or photo ID with the address.
- Open the door without damage wherever the lock allows it, and keep drilling as the last resort.
- Repair the part that failed where a repair will hold, instead of replacing a whole mechanism or a whole door.
- Carry the common cylinders, gearboxes, mechanisms and handles on the van, so most jobs finish in one visit.
- Take payment once the door opens, locks and works, and stand behind it for 12 months.
The Work Sam Turns Down and Why
An honest list of what a locksmith does not do is as useful as the list of what he does, because it saves a wasted call out. Sam turns down four kinds of work.
- Boarding up broken glass, which is glazing work, so a glazier is the right call after a window is smashed.
- Work in Doncaster, which sits outside the area Sam can reach and still give an honest arrival time.
- Replacing a door or a full mechanism when the fault is a dropped door or a keep out of line, because the adjustment costs less and lasts.
- Fitting a lock a customer has bought that is the wrong size or standard for the door, until the right one is on the van.
Sam also puts right work left by an unqualified fitter, which usually means a cylinder of the wrong length standing proud of the handle, a mechanism forced into a keep that was never adjusted, or a lock fitted at an angle. That work is quoted like any other job, with the price given on the phone.
Where Sam Works Across South Yorkshire
Sam reaches every area he covers within 30 minutes or less, unless he is already on a job, in which case he tells you the longer time when you call. He travels up to 45 minutes for a job.
The work splits between Sheffield and Rotherham, with Barnsley, Chesterfield, Dronfield and Worksop making up the rest. Sheffield jobs run from Hillsborough, Walkley and Crookes in the north west, where many terraces still have wooden doors on mortice locks and night latches, out to Mosborough and Killamarsh in the south east, where the newer estates are almost all uPVC and composite doors on multipoint mechanisms.
Prime Locksmiths Reviews From Sheffield Customers
Prime Locksmiths holds a 5.0 rating on Google from 200+ reviews, and the points customers raise most often are the price given before the job, new door handles fitted well, front door repairs and the absence of a call out fee.
The reviews themselves sit on the Prime Locksmiths Google profile, where every one of them was left by a customer in Sheffield or Rotherham, and recent jobs are posted on Instagram and Facebook.
Send Sam the job details
For jobs that are not urgent, send Sam the details here. If you are locked out now, call or WhatsApp him instead.
Locksmith Work Sam Covers From Sheffield
Sam carries most parts on the van, which makes mechanism replacement in Sheffield a one visit job in most cases. The same van stock covers cylinders, handles, gearboxes and night latches, so a lock change rarely needs a second appointment either.
Home lockouts, lost keys and snapped keys, with the phone answered 24 hours.
New cylinders, mortice locks and night latches after a move, a lost key or a tenant leaving.
Rotherham town, Rawmarsh, Maltby, Dinnington, Wickersley and Bramley.
Questions Customers Ask Before Booking Sam
Short answers on who comes out, what Sam holds, what he charges and how quickly he arrives. If your question is not here, call Sam on 07842 685254.
Who comes out when I call Prime Locksmiths
Sam Gregory comes out. Prime Locksmiths is one locksmith, so the person who answers the phone is the person who arrives, and no part of the job is passed to a subcontractor.
How long has Sam been a locksmith
Sam has worked as a locksmith since 2022 and has completed over 2,000 jobs across Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Chesterfield and Worksop.
Is Sam trained and insured
Yes. Sam trained as a locksmith before he started trading and carries full public liability insurance, which covers damage to the property while the work is being done.
Is Sam DBS checked
Yes. Sam is DBS checked, which is the criminal record check carried by people who work inside other homes, and he is happy to show it at the door.
Does Sam work on his own
Yes. Sam works alone, which is why the price, the arrival time and the parts are settled on the first call rather than passed between an office and a fitter.
What does Sam charge for a locksmith visit
Sam gives you the price on the phone before he sets off, with no call out fee and no VAT, and quotes are free. The guide on how Sam prices a job explains what moves the figure up or down.
Why is there no VAT on the bill
Prime Locksmiths is one locksmith working on his own and is not registered for VAT, so no VAT is added. A VAT registered firm adds 20 percent to the same bill.
How quickly can Sam get to me
Sam reaches every area he covers within 30 minutes or less, unless he is already on a job, in which case the wait is a little longer and he tells you the honest time when you call.
What work does Sam not take on
Sam does not board up broken glass, which is a glazing job, and he does not cover Doncaster. He also declines to replace a mechanism when adjusting the door will fix the fault.
Can I see reviews from customers in Sheffield
Yes. Prime Locksmiths holds a 5.0 rating on Google from 200+ reviews, and the reviews from Sheffield customers cover lockouts, uPVC door repairs, lock changes and handle upgrades.
Can I book Sam for work that is not urgent
Yes. Lock changes, handle upgrades, key safes and door adjustments are booked in advance, usually within a few days, and the price is given when the job is booked.
Does Sam work for landlords and letting agents
Yes. Sam changes locks between tenants, cuts spare keys and repairs doors in rented homes across Sheffield and Rotherham, and invoices the landlord or the agent directly.
What happens if a repair fails after Sam leaves
Every repair carries a 12 month parts and labour warranty. Sam returns to put it right and charges no call out fee for the second visit.
Does Sam fit locks a customer has bought
Yes, as long as the lock is the right size and standard for the door. Sam checks the measurements on the phone first, because a cylinder of the wrong length is the most common part bought by mistake.