A safe that will not open is usually a failed lock or a forgotten combination rather than anything dramatic, and both are solvable. Where possible we open non-destructively, which keeps the safe usable.
Typical range: $200–$1500 CAD. Ranges are typical for the GTA and depend on the door, the hardware and the time of day. We confirm the price before dispatching.
Opening a locked safe
Non-destructive opening is the goal and it succeeds often — through manipulation on mechanical dial safes, or through diagnosis and bypass on electronic locks where the fault is in the keypad or the wiring rather than the bolt work.
Where the lock has genuinely failed internally, opening means drilling in a specific location determined by the safe's make and model, then repairing the hole and fitting a new lock. Done correctly by someone who knows the safe, the unit is fully serviceable afterwards. Done by someone guessing, it is scrap.
We require proof of ownership before opening any safe. That should not need saying, and we say it anyway.
Common faults
- Dead batteries on an electronic lock — check this first, it is free and it is the most common cause
- A forgotten or never-recorded combination
- Keypad failure on electronic locks
- A dropped or broken relocker triggered by an impact or a failed component
- Bolt work jammed through wear or lack of lubrication
- A mechanical dial drifting out of calibration, so the combination works only intermittently
Servicing
Safes are mechanical devices and they benefit from occasional attention. Lubrication of the bolt work, dial calibration, checking the door alignment and the hinges, and replacing the battery on an electronic lock before it dies rather than after.
A dial that has started to need the combination entered twice is drifting, and it will eventually stop working. That is the point to have it seen, not after it has locked you out.
Installation and anchoring
An unanchored safe under about 350 pounds can be carried out of a building by two people, and frequently is. Anchoring is what turns a safe from a portable container into a fixed one, and it is the step most often skipped.
We install and anchor into concrete or floor structure, advise on placement — out of sight matters, and so does the floor loading on upper storeys — and can arrange moving for heavy units.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you open a safe without damaging it?
Often, yes. Mechanical dial safes can frequently be manipulated open, and electronic lock failures are often in the keypad or wiring rather than the bolt work, which allows a bypass. Where the lock has genuinely failed, opening requires drilling in a precise location for that make and model, followed by repair and a new lock — the safe remains fully serviceable afterwards when it is done by someone who knows the unit.
I forgot my safe combination. What can I do?
Check first whether the manufacturer holds the original combination against the serial number — for many safes they do, and it is the cheapest route. If not, we can open it, and then set a new combination you choose. We will need proof of ownership before doing either.
My electronic safe lock is not responding. Is it broken?
Check the batteries first, before anything else. Dead batteries are much the most common cause and many safes give little warning. If fresh batteries do not help, the keypad or the wiring may have failed, which is usually repairable without drilling.
Should my safe be bolted down?
Yes, unless it is genuinely too heavy to move — and the threshold for that is higher than people assume, since two people can carry a 300-pound safe out of a house. Anchoring into concrete or floor structure is what stops the whole safe being taken away and opened elsewhere at leisure. It is a small part of the cost and it is the difference between a safe and a box.
Safes across the GTA
We provide safe opening, servicing & installation throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Pick your city for local detail, or call and we will tell you straight away whether you are in range.
Related services
Emergency Locksmith
Same-day help for lockouts, break-ins, failed locks and vehicles — 7 days a week, 8 AM to 11 PM, across the GTA.
High-Security Locks
Pick-, drill- and bump-resistant cylinders on patented restricted keyways, for doors where a standard cylinder is not adequate.
Lock Rekeying
Existing cylinders re-pinned to a new key — the fast, inexpensive answer to staff turnover, lost keys and taking over premises.