Windows and doors
Locks, handles and hinges
Whether this needs a licence in Ireland
No licence required
Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer
Locks, handles and hinges: what the job involves
Repairing or replacing the hardware on windows and doors that has stopped working: handles, hinges, friction stays, gearboxes, multipoint locks and cylinders, and adjusting doors that have dropped. Work on locks is licensed locksmith work in Ireland.
Also asked for as: locksmith · uPVC door lock repair · door will not lock · window handle replacement · euro cylinder
How the job is usually done
- Diagnose: a door that will not lock is often a dropped door or misaligned keep, not a broken lock.
- Adjust the hinges and keeps first, and lubricate the mechanism.
- Identify the hardware by make and measurement: cylinder size, gearbox backset and centres, stay length.
- Replace the failed part — cylinder, gearbox, multipoint strip, handle, hinge or friction stay.
- Upgrade cylinders to anti-snap ones where wanted, and fit window restrictors or locking handles where suitable.
- Test every window and door opens, closes and locks smoothly, and hand over keys.
Locks, handles and hinges: what is included
Usually included
- Diagnosing the fault
- Adjusting the door or sash
- Fitting the replacement part
- Testing and handing over keys
Usually not included — agree it separately
- Replacing a whole door or window
- Replacing misted glass
- Smart locks needing wiring or an app set-up, unless agreed
Materials and who supplies them
- Replacement cylinders, gearboxes, handles, hinges and stays — the tradesperson usually supplies them to match
- Anti-snap cylinders to TS 007 three-star or SS312 Diamond, if upgrading
How long it takes
Usually an hour or two; parts for older uPVC systems may need ordering, which means a second visit.
When to book
Fix a stiff lock early; forcing a key in a failing gearbox is how a five-minute adjustment turns into a locked-out call-out.
Locks, handles and hinges: the rules in Ireland
What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.
Since 1 February 2017, anybody who in the course of business installs, opens, repairs or services locks on premises must hold a Private Security Authority locksmith licence. Hiring an unlicensed locksmith is itself an offence.
Applies to: the tradesperson and the homeowner who hires them
Private Security Services Act 2004 — Private Security Authority · psa-gov.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
Exempt from the licence: a window and door installer working on locks they fitted, within the documented warranty period; a carpenter fitting a lock as part of hanging a door; and lock work done as part of installing uPVC doors or windows. Handles, hinges and friction stays that are not locks are not licensed work.
Applies to: the tradesperson
Private Security Authority — Information Note on Locksmiths (PSA 58.1, June 2022) · psa-gov.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
When windows are replaced, bedroom windows should still work as escape windows as far as practicable: an opening section of at least 0.33 m², at least 450 mm high and 450 mm wide, its bottom no more than 1,100 mm above the floor, and fastenings that open without a key.
Applies to: the installer and the homeowner
Building Regulations Part B — Technical Guidance Document B Volume 2, 1.3.7.1 and 1.3.7.2 · gov.ie · Checked 9 October 2026
What locks, handles and hinges costs, and why
What jobs on Talqero came to
Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.
What affects the price
- How many doors and windows, and which parts have failed
- Matching parts for discontinued uPVC systems
- Security grade of replacement cylinders and locks
- Emergency or out-of-hours call-out, such as a locked-out household
- VAT: supply-and-fit windows and doors are usually charged at the reduced 13.5% building-services rate, but if the materials are more than two-thirds of the price Revenue’s two-thirds rule applies the standard rate to the whole job
- VAT: building work on a home is charged at the reduced rate of 13.5% by a VAT-registered business — unless the materials come to more than two-thirds of the price, when Revenue’s two-thirds rule applies the goods rate to the whole job. Ask whether a quote includes VAT.
Paperwork to ask for at the end
- A receipt naming the parts fitted, with the cylinder’s security rating
- The key card for any restricted-key cylinder
- The PSA licence number of the locksmith, for lock work
Safety
- Window locks and restrictors are good for children’s rooms, but every bedroom needs an escape window that opens without a key.
- Keep the key for a locked window near it, out of reach of small children.
- A thumb-turn on the inside of the front door helps everybody get out quickly in a fire.
Locks, handles and hinges: before you hire
Questions to ask a tradesperson
- Are you PSA-licensed as a locksmith?
- Is it an adjustment, or does a part need replacing?
- What security rating is the cylinder you are fitting?
- Is VAT included?
What you can do yourself
Lubricating locks and hinges, tightening handle screws and adjusting a uPVC door’s hinges with an Allen key are safe homeowner jobs.
What to put in your task
- What is not working?
- What are the doors or windows made of?
- How many doors or windows need work?
- Is the house unsecured or are you locked out now?
Photos that help
- The door or window, whole, from inside
- The edge of the door showing the lock faceplate and the keeps on the frame
- The cylinder from both sides, or the faulty hinge or stay close up
Locks, handles and hinges by county
Choose your county for locks, handles and hinges close to home.
- Locks, handles and hinges in Dublin
- Locks, handles and hinges in Cork
- Locks, handles and hinges in Galway
- Locks, handles and hinges in Kildare
- Locks, handles and hinges in Limerick
- Locks, handles and hinges in Meath
- Locks, handles and hinges in Tipperary
- Locks, handles and hinges in Donegal
- Locks, handles and hinges in Wexford
- Locks, handles and hinges in Kerry
- Locks, handles and hinges in Wicklow
- Locks, handles and hinges in Mayo
- Locks, handles and hinges in Louth
- Locks, handles and hinges in Waterford
- Locks, handles and hinges in Clare
- Locks, handles and hinges in Kilkenny
- Locks, handles and hinges in Westmeath
- Locks, handles and hinges in Laois
- Locks, handles and hinges in Cavan
- Locks, handles and hinges in Offaly
- Locks, handles and hinges in Sligo
- Locks, handles and hinges in Roscommon
- Locks, handles and hinges in Monaghan
- Locks, handles and hinges in Carlow
- Locks, handles and hinges in Longford
- Locks, handles and hinges in Leitrim
Windows and doors
Need locks, handles and hinges? Describe the job.
Post it once, free. Professionals near you reply with their own price and when they could start. You choose, and pay them directly.
Questions about locks, handles and hinges
Does locks, handles and hinges need a licence in Ireland?
No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.cru.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.
Why will my uPVC door not lock?
Most often the door has dropped on its hinges, so the hooks and rollers no longer line up with the keeps. Adjusting the hinges or keeps usually fixes it. If the handle will not lift at all, the gearbox inside the door has likely failed.
Does a locksmith need a licence in Ireland?
Yes. Locksmiths must be licensed by the Private Security Authority, and the PSA publishes a register to check. A window and door installer working on locks they fitted, within the warranty, is exempt.
What is an anti-snap cylinder?
A common burglary method snaps a standard euro cylinder to open the lock. Anti-snap cylinders are designed to break at a sacrificial line and keep the lock working. Look for a TS 007 three-star or SS312 Diamond mark.