Locksmiths in Portsmouth tend to be chosen in a hurry, often on a doorstep in the rain with a phone on 9 per cent battery. That is a poor moment to work out who is honest, and it matters, because the figure on an advert and the total on an invoice can turn out to be distant relatives.
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To take some of the panic out of it, Portsmouth And went through about fifteen firms serving the city’s PO postcodes and cut them down to five that genuinely work here. We read each firm’s Google Maps card directly, then added Checkatrade, Trustpilot and Which? Trusted Traders where they helped, looked up real prices wherever a firm was willing to publish them, and ran every name through the same weighted criteria, with reviews counting for the most.
A warning about money before you read on. Only two of these five put useful figures in public, so where a firm publishes nothing we say so and give an indicative band instead of guessing. On 2026 estimates from ServicePriceHub, opening a locked door or replacing a standard lock in Portsmouth usually falls between about £85 and £190, with nights and weekends costing more. Whoever you call, agree a total before any work begins.
This is a living list that will be revisited as the reviews and prices move. It runs in rank order, starting with the best.
1. Surelock Homes Locksmith
No firm in the city comes close to the weight of feedback behind Surelock Homes. The Google Maps card for this family business on Clive Road in Fratton shows 5.0 from 1,014 reviews, all of them at five stars when we checked, and the topics Google picks out are quick response, mentioned in 81 reviews, and lock replacement, mentioned in 80. It has traded since 2006 and says it has no link to any national chain. Customers talk about same-day visits, engineers who explain the fault, and stubborn uPVC doors that have beaten someone else.
It also gives away more on money than most. A dropped uPVC door can be realigned for £70 to £90 in about half an hour, rekeying a standard front door usually comes in under £100, and there is no call-out fee or weekend premium. One June 2026 Trustpilot reviewer put a total bill at about £82, and another said the price was roughly a quarter below a rival’s quote. Pensioners, NHS staff, emergency workers, disabled customers and charities can ask for a discount as well.
In its favour
- The biggest Google review book in the city, with no low scores;
- uPVC and multi-point lock expertise;
- no call-out charge and the same rates at weekends;
- worked examples of prices on its website;
- discounts for pensioners, NHS staff and others.
Against it
- Google lists closing at 8pm early in the week, 6.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm on Sundays, so it is not an all-night service;
- no full price list for lockouts or new locks;
- a 2022 Trustpilot review said one repair was not properly fixed.
The strongest record in Portsmouth, and the first number to try for a sulking uPVC door in the daytime.
2. Amberley Security
Amberley Security trades from a proper shop at 185-187 Copnor Road, which already sets it apart in a trade where plenty of firms amount to a mobile number and a van. Google Maps shows 4.9 from 267 reviews, with reasonable cost mentioned in 18 of them, and its Which? Trusted Traders profile describes it as vetted and approved by the Master Locksmiths Association. Alongside everyday lock work it handles alarms, CCTV and access control, so a break-in repair can turn into a wider security job without a second contractor.
Price is what keeps it so close to the top. Most rivals leave their rates off the page, whereas Amberley’s emergency service lists £75 within hours and £100 out of hours inside Portsmouth, VAT included, with a standard replacement cylinder typically around £20. Harder jobs move on to a time charge of £100 for the first 30 minutes and £50 for each extra half hour, or £160 for the first hour and £80 per extra half hour at night. Counter customers can also get a common Yale key cut for £8, or three for £21.
Recent reviewers mention quick visits, a temporary fix followed by a return trip with the right part, and a uPVC door cured without replacing anything. The firm backs that with a lifetime workmanship guarantee.
In its favour
- Published call-out prices with VAT included;
- a staffed shop as well as 24-hour emergency cover;
- strong Google score, with reviews as recent as this month;
- a lifetime workmanship guarantee;
- repairs locks where it can before replacing them.
Against it
- Complicated jobs switch to a time charge that adds up quickly;
- the website does not define where within hours ends;
- its published prices may not be current, so confirm them when you call.
The one to save in your phone before anything goes wrong, thanks to a price you can read in advance.
3. EA Locksmiths
Google Maps gives EA Locksmiths 5.0 from 318 reviews, of which 317 are five-star and one is a single star. Run by Eddie, who customers name again and again, it works from Lord Montgomery Way in PO1 and covers lockouts, burglary repairs, boarding up, snapped keys, uPVC doors and windows, and car locks too. If your problem is a failing car key rather than a front door, it could save a trip to a local garage. Response time comes up in 42 reviews, and recent ones describe an arrival in about half an hour, entry without damage to the lock, and a clear explanation of the fix from Eddie and his apprentice.
What holds it back is price transparency. EA promises no VAT and no call-out charge, and it offers student and pensioner discounts, but it publishes no actual figures. The indicative range for a standard lockout or lock change is therefore the 2026 Portsmouth estimate of about £85 to £190, not a price from EA itself, so ask for the total before work starts. Eddie belongs to the Guild of Master Locksmiths, which is a separate body from the MLA, so check what any membership means if your insurer asks.
In its favour
- A near-flawless Google score on more than 300 reviews;
- fast arrivals, often inside about half an hour;
- no call-out charge and no VAT;
- car locks as well as homes;
- student and pensioner discounts.
Against it
- No price list, so you rely on a phone quote;
- its website offers 24-hour call-outs while Google lists set hours, so check late at night;
- a small team may have less capacity at busy times.
A very safe call for a lockout, as long as you agree the figure first.
4. Croma Locksmiths, Southsea
Be clear what you are getting here. This is not an independent local locksmith but the Southsea branch of Croma Locksmiths, the core locksmith business of Croma Security Solutions Group PLC, a company with its head office at Whiteley that also sells security systems and fire services. The shop itself does have deep roots in the area. It began in 1970 as Bicknells of Southsea, became Access Key and Lock, and was bought by Croma in 2015.
For a customer, the group backing mostly shows up as stock and range. At 21 Highland Road you can get keys cut while you wait, buy uPVC parts and mortice locks over the counter, and have an obsolete lock looked at on a workbench. Master key systems make it a natural supplier for landlords with student houses or small businesses with several doors.
Google Maps gives 4.9 from 113 reviews, with 108 at five stars, three at four and two at one, and recent reviewers praise knowledgeable staff, a hard-to-find uPVC handle in stock and a well-priced key safe fitting. Croma quotes each job and publishes no prices, so the £85 to £190 Portsmouth estimate for a typical lock job is only indicative here. Yelp lists weekday hours of 8.30am to 5pm with weekends closed, although the branch advertises a 24-hour emergency call-out.
In its favour
- A real high-street shop with a long local history;
- bench repairs for obsolete and antique locks;
- master key systems and commercial work;
- keys cut while you wait;
- the stock and resources of a larger security group.
Against it
- Part of a corporate group, not an independent;
- no published prices;
- a smaller review book than the leaders;
- listed shop hours exclude weekends.
The pick for old locks, master keys and anything that needs a person behind a counter.
5. LockFit Portsmouth
LockFit is a national brand that sells franchises, so the name above the van is not home-grown, but the Portsmouth operation reads like one tradesman with a good reputation. Its Google Maps card shows 5.0 from 101 reviews, every one at five stars, and reviewers keep mentioning John by name. Checkatrade adds 9.96 out of 10 from 34 reviews over 12 months, with membership dating from May 2022, and the listing confirms a Portsmouth base, though the card shows no public address. Recent reviews are only months old, and they talk about punctual visits, tidy work and doors left working properly, with lock replacement mentioned in 13 reviews and door realignment in three.
There is no public price list. The brand promises fixed prices and no call-out charge, and Google flags transparent pricing in three reviews, but you will need a quote, so the £85 to £190 city estimate is indicative only. One reviewer also mentions a one-year guarantee on the work. The card lists 24-hour opening, which is worth confirming at night if you are relying on one person.
In its favour
- Spotless Google score with recent reviews;
- no call-out charge under the brand’s terms;
- strong on uPVC repairs and door realignment;
- a one-year guarantee reported by a reviewer.
Against it
- No published prices;
- a franchise brand, and we could not confirm the local operator’s terms;
- no public address on its Google card;
- a smaller review book than the top three.
A tidy, dependable option for a planned repair or a new lock.
Five locksmiths in Portsmouth compared
| Rank | Locksmith | Base | Price | Score (out of 10) | % (out of 100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surelock Homes | Fratton | £70-90 door realignment, rekey under £100 | 9.4 | 94% |
| 2 | Amberley Security | Copnor | £75 in hours, £100 out of hours, inc VAT | 9.3 | 93% |
| 3 | EA Locksmiths | City centre (PO1) | Indicative £85-190, no VAT or call-out fee | 9.0 | 90% |
| 4 | Croma Locksmiths | Southsea (Croma Security group) | Indicative £85-190, quote on request | 8.8 | 88% |
| 5 | LockFit Portsmouth | Portsmouth (mobile, LockFit brand) | Indicative £85-190, no call-out charge | 8.7 | 87% |
The marks on a ten-point axis (out of 10)
Where the reviews and prices part company
Google stars on their own barely separate these firms. Three of the five sit at 5.0 and the other two at 4.9, so the useful differences lie elsewhere. Volume is the clearest of them, stretching from 101 reviews for LockFit to 1,014 for Surelock, which is why a single perfect score means far less than a perfect score held over hundreds of jobs. Recency matters too, so check that the praise you are reading is fresh.
Money reveals a sharper divide. Amberley and Surelock put figures online, and the entry prices they show for a straightforward job sit between about £70 and £100. The other three leave you to ask, which does not mean they are dearer, only that you cannot compare them from the sofa. Published rates are also starting points, since complicated jobs, new parts and late hours can lift the bill well above them.
The structure of the businesses differs more than the reviews suggest. Surelock and EA are local independents, Amberley is a family-run shop, LockFit trades under a franchise brand, and Croma is a branch of a corporate security group. Availability varies as well, so check whether a firm is really answering at night before you rely on it. Choosing a favourite on a calm afternoon will serve you far better than searching in a panic at midnight.
How the marks were reached, and what they leave out
Each firm’s mark out of ten came from one weighted formula adapted for locksmith work. Reviews and reputation made up 35 per cent, quality of work and customer service 25, value and the openness of pricing 15, consistency and recency across the review record 15, and scope, availability and credentials the remaining 10.
Star averages and review counts were read directly from each firm’s Google Maps card in October 2026, with Checkatrade, Trustpilot, Which? Trusted Traders and Yelp used for extra detail. We only ranked firms that work from Portsmouth or Southsea, and left out names based elsewhere that simply cover the city. We checked the real published prices on each firm’s own website, and where none existed we used ServicePriceHub’s February 2026 Portsmouth estimates, clearly marked as indicative. We compared the open information and did not book, test or visit any of these locksmiths.
This is an editorial snapshot and not an official ranking, and the order may change as feedback builds. Before you hire anyone, confirm a current price and hours, ask for the total in writing if you can, and check any accreditation with the body concerned, especially if your insurer specifies a lock standard. New keys are also worth budgeting for after a house move, a job that fits neatly alongside booking one of the city’s removal firms.
