Locksmith Caen
Caen lost 60% of its housing in 1944. The centre that looks old is a 1948-1963 reconstruction: pierre de Caen on the façades, but post-war doors and locks, designed around a single point. Genuinely old doors are concentrated in Le Vaugueux, on place Saint-Sauveur and rue Écuyère. Around them, the estates of the 1950s-70s run on entirely different mechanics.
Call now — 06 49 65 85 10
What the local building stock actually changes
The centre of Caen was rebuilt between 1948 and 1963: neo-Haussmannian blocks of five to six storeys, pierre de Caen façades, post-war joinery. The original door frames there are narrower than today's standards, and a multi-point lock cannot be fitted without adapting the doorway.
To the south, la Guérinière (1955-1961) and la Grâce de Dieu (1961-1964); to the west, the eight Chemin Vert towers, built in 1969-1970 and refurbished through to 2023, on rue de Bourgogne and rue de Champagne. Recent multi-point locks, entrance halls on interphone and Vigik.
Landmarks
- Château de Caen
- Abbaye aux Hommes
- Abbaye aux Dames
- Mémorial de Caen
- Bassin Saint-Pierre and the marina
- CHU Côte de Nacre
Neighbourhoods covered
- Saint-Jean
- Le Vaugueux
- Vaucelles
- Chemin Vert
- La Guérinière
- Venoix
The jobs we're called out for most here
- Replacing a single-point lock on a flat entrance door in a Reconstruction block.
- Adjusting a multi-point lock that no longer engages at the top, in a refurbished Chemin Vert tower.
- Cylinder change when a student studio near campus 1 is re-let at the September intake.
Our prices in this area
The same prices as everywhere else in our service area: travel is already included, and it's the arrival time that varies between areas, never the price.
| Door opening | €110 incl. VAT |
| Lock replacement | €140 incl. VAT |
| Door reinforcement | €1,070 incl. VAT |
| Multi-point lock | €420 incl. VAT |
| Securing after a break-in | €180 incl. VAT |
How a call-out works
- 1
You call or message
Describe the door and the situation. On the phone, or in writing on WhatsApp, you get the price of the job and a realistic arrival time for your street — not an unverifiable promise.
- 2
The tradesperson comes and assesses
On site they check the lock type and the state of the door, confirm the least destructive method available, and have the amount agreed before touching anything.
- 3
Work, invoice and guarantee
The job is done, tested in front of you, and billed at the agreed amount. The invoice itemises hardware and labour — the document your insurer or landlord will ask for.
What doesn't change, whatever the area
Reachable at any hour
By phone or on WhatsApp, day and night, weekends and public holidays included. You describe the situation, we answer.
Coverage is confirmed before anyone travels
From your postcode and your description, we tell you what we can do and how soon — before anybody sets off.
The amount is settled before the job
You know what you'll pay before anyone travels, and that is the figure you settle.
Everything is in writing before we start
A detailed quote before work, whatever the amount, under the French regulations of 24/01/2017.
Guarantee on installations
Every installation is guaranteed. Exact terms are given with your written quote.
What we do in the area
Frequently asked questions
My façade is stone — does that mean my lock is old?
No, and this is the most common confusion in Caen. In the city centre, dressed stone fronts a building rebuilt after 1948. The door and the lock date from the post-war years: often a single point, in a frame narrower than today's standards.
Can I change the appearance of my street-facing door in the centre?
Caen has been a site patrimonial remarquable since 2021, across 712 hectares covering the old centre, the classical city, the rebuilt city and the faubourgs. Altering how a street-facing door looks requires a déclaration préalable and sign-off from the Architecte des Bâtiments de France. Replacing the cylinder does not.
In a Chemin Vert tower, only the top point no longer locks.
On the eight Chemin Vert towers, refurbished through to 2023, this fault is almost always a matter of adjustment rather than replacement: a leaf sagging on its hinges, or a misaligned linkage. The diagnosis is made with the door open, before any part is ordered.
I have an old door in Le Vaugueux — does everything need replacing?
Rarely. In Le Vaugueux, spared in 1944, the leaves are those of timber-framed houses; on place Saint-Sauveur, those of the 18th-century classical hôtels particuliers. In both cases the original lock case can often be kept and only the cylinder changed. A modern standard-sized body damages the leaf.
Worth reading before you call
Our guides are written to be useful even if you end up calling someone else.
Other towns we cover
Your town isn't on the list?
The list above isn't exhaustive. Call us or enter your postcode: we'll confirm straight away whether we cover you, and at what price.
Need a locksmith in the area?
Call us directly for an emergency, or describe what you need to get an estimate before any work begins.