Broken Key Extraction
A snapped key is one of those moments that can stop your entire day cold — whether it happens in the front door of your home off Whitlock Avenue, in the ignition of your car at the Marietta Square parking lot, or in the deadbolt of a commercial mortise lock at your office on South Cobb Drive. The fragment left inside the lock cylinder is often too deep and too slick to grip by hand, and every attempt to dig it out without the right tools risks pushing it further in or damaging the lock itself. Marietta Fast Locksmith specializes in this exact problem, dispatching a fully equipped mobile technician directly to your location — no towing, no leaving your property unsecured, no waiting until morning.
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week · Licensed, bonded & insured
Our trained, insured technicians arrive with professional extraction tools sized for every cylinder type, from residential door knob lock sets to high-security commercial mortise lock bodies, to automotive ignition columns. Once the fragment is out, we assess the lock and, in most cases, cut a working replacement key on the spot from our mobile key-cutting unit. That means a single call to (770) 202-1324 covers the crisis from start to finish — extraction, lock inspection, and a new key in your hand before we leave.
What we do
Available 24/7
Day, night, weekends and holidays — a real local locksmith answers and rolls a fully-stocked van.
Fast local response
Based in Marietta, we reach the Marietta area in well under an hour.
Insured & background-checked
Vetted technicians, up-front pricing, and no surprise add-ons when we arrive.
Damage-free entry
We pick and bypass locks the right way, so most lockouts are solved without drilling anything.
More about our work
Everything you need to know about how we help — at a glance.
Why Broken Key Extraction Demands the Right Tools and Training
The inside of a lock cylinder is a precision environment. The key cuts align spring-loaded pins or wafers to exact tolerances measured in fractions of a millimeter. When a key snaps — usually due to metal fatigue, a worn cylinder, or the torque of a stuck bolt — the broken fragment is under spring pressure from those same pins. Trying to remove it with a flathead screwdriver, a bobby pin, or super glue on a toothpick (all widely circulated home remedies) almost always makes the situation worse. The fragment gets pressed deeper, the cylinder's delicate pin chambers get scratched, and what was a straightforward extraction job becomes a full lock replacement. Our technicians use professional hook picks, extractor tools, and needle-nose jig sets matched to the specific cylinder profile — whether that is a standard pin tumbler in a Kwikset door knob lock, a double-bitted wafer cylinder in a filing cabinet, or the more complex cam arrangement inside a mortise lock cartridge.
Mortise lock bodies — common in older Marietta homes and throughout local commercial properties — present a particular challenge because the cylinder sits inside a mortise pocket cut into the door edge. The surrounding hardware limits the approach angle for extraction tools, and the cylinder itself must often be removed from the mortise body before work can begin. Our technicians are trained to disassemble and reassemble these units correctly so the lock returns to full working order, not just a patched state. That same precision thinking applies to automotive ignitions, where the broken key fragment sits inside a column-mounted cylinder surrounded by steering column components.
Mobile Broken Key Extraction for Cars, Homes, and Commercial Properties
One of the most common calls we receive is from a driver whose key snapped flush with the ignition housing — sometimes still in the on position, which leaves the vehicle electrically live and the steering column potentially unlocked. This is a roadside emergency, and our 24/7 mobile response means a skilled technician can reach most Marietta locations — from the I-75 corridor near the Big Chicken to the surface streets of the East Cobb neighborhoods — typically far faster than a tow truck. Once on scene, the technician extracts the fragment, inspects the ignition cylinder for wear, and if the cylinder is still serviceable, cuts a new key by code or by decoding the lock on-site. Many customers drive away without needing a dealership visit at all.
For residential calls, the scenario is often a homeowner locked out after a key failed in a front door deadbolt or a door knob lock, sometimes late at night. Our technicians carry extraction toolkits sized for the most common residential cylinder brands and profiles. After extraction, we also assess why the key broke — a dry or worn cylinder is frequently the culprit, and lubricating or rekeing the lock at that same visit prevents a repeat. Commercial property managers dealing with a broken key in a mortise lock on a storefront or office suite benefit from our commercial locksmith expertise: we understand that getting a business back into operation quickly has real financial consequences, and we treat those calls with the same urgency as a residential emergency. If you are facing any of these situations right now, call (770) 202-1324 — we answer 24/7 and dispatch immediately.
On-Site Key Cutting After Extraction — and When Lock Replacement Makes More Sense
Extracting the fragment is only half the job. You also need a working key, and our mobile units are equipped with precision key-cutting machines that duplicate or originate keys for residential, commercial, and most automotive applications without requiring a trip to a hardware store or dealership. After extraction, the technician measures the lock's existing key cuts by decoding the cylinder directly, then cuts a new key to those exact specifications. The result is a factory-correct key that operates the lock as smoothly as the original — often smoother, because worn keys frequently develop small deviations over time that stress the cylinder.
There are situations where extraction reveals that the lock itself needs attention beyond a new key. A cylinder that allowed a key to break is sometimes exhibiting advanced wear — tight pins, a corroded plug, or a housing crack. In those cases, our technician will explain the condition honestly and recommend whether rekeying, cylinder replacement, or a full lock upgrade is appropriate. For commercial clients, this might mean upgrading from a standard cylindrical lock to a higher-security mortise lock configuration that better suits a busy entry point. For residential customers, it might mean installing a new Schlage deadbolt with a fresh key set. Whatever the recommendation, we confirm an exact up-front price before any additional work begins — no surprises on the invoice.
What Determines the Cost of a Service Call in Marietta, GA
Pricing for a broken key extraction and replacement visit depends on several factors that our dispatcher reviews with you before a technician is sent. The type of lock matters significantly: extracting a fragment from a basic door knob lock cylinder is a different scope of work than removing one from a high-security commercial mortise lock with restricted keyways, or from an automotive ignition with a transponder chip component. Time of day is another factor — emergency locksmith calls in the middle of the night carry a different labor consideration than a daytime appointment. Travel distance from our nearest available technician to your location within the Marietta service area also contributes to the final quote, as does whether any parts — a new cylinder, a transponder key blank, or replacement hardware — are needed to complete the job. We communicate all of these elements clearly over the phone and confirm the exact price before our technician begins work. There are no hidden fees added after the fact, and you are never pressured to approve additional services you did not ask for.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to what our customers ask most. Still unsure? Just call.
Is there a mobile locksmith in Marietta, GA that can come to my car or home right now?+
Yes — Marietta Fast Locksmith operates 24/7 as a fully mobile service, meaning our technician comes to wherever you are, whether that is a residential driveway, a parking deck off Roswell Road, a commercial property on Franklin Gateway, or the side of the road. You do not need to transport a damaged lock or a stuck vehicle anywhere. Call (770) 202-1324 and a dispatcher will confirm your location and send the nearest available technician.
What proof do I need for a locksmith before they will extract a broken key?+
Ownership or authorized-occupant verification is a standard and necessary step for any responsible locksmith. For residential calls, a government-issued photo ID matching the address on the property is the most common form of proof. For vehicles, registration or title documents are typically requested. For commercial properties, a business ID or authorization letter from the property owner works well. Our technicians will confirm what documentation is needed when you call, so you can have it ready on arrival. This process protects both you as the customer and the integrity of the property.
What are some good locksmiths in Marietta, GA for emergency situations?+
When evaluating any locksmith for an emergency, look for a local mobile operation with verifiable training, insurance, and a published local phone number — not a national call center that re-dispatches to unknown contractors. Marietta Fast Locksmith is based in the Marietta area, staffed by trained and insured technicians, and dispatches directly from our own team. We specialize in time-sensitive calls including broken key extraction, lockouts, and mortise lock service. You can reach us at (770) 202-1324 any time, day or night.
How much is a locksmith per hour, and how is my job priced?+
Most locksmith jobs — including broken key extraction — are priced as a flat-rate service rather than strictly by the hour, because the scope of the work is defined upfront. The factors that shape your final quote include the type of lock or ignition involved (a commercial mortise lock differs in complexity from a standard door knob lock), the time of day, travel distance to your Marietta location, and any parts required such as a new cylinder or a transponder key blank. Our dispatcher walks through these factors with you on the call and confirms an exact price before the technician begins any work. Nothing is added to your bill afterward without your approval.
What is a locksmith call out fee and does Marietta Fast Locksmith charge one?+
A call out fee — sometimes called a trip or dispatch fee — is a charge some locksmiths apply to cover the cost of sending a technician to your location, separate from the labor and parts for the actual job. Whether and how this fee applies varies by provider and situation. When you call us at (770) 202-1324, our dispatcher will explain all components of your quote upfront, including any dispatch-related charges, so you have a complete picture of the total cost before anyone is sent out. Transparency at the quoting stage is a core part of how we operate.
Can a broken key always be extracted without damaging the lock?+
In the majority of cases, a trained technician using proper extraction tools can remove the fragment without harming the cylinder — this is our default goal and the outcome we achieve most of the time. Damage-free extraction depends on factors like how deep the fragment is lodged, whether the key broke cleanly or shattered, and the condition of the cylinder. If the cylinder shows significant pre-existing wear or corrosion, we will tell you honestly and recommend the most practical path forward, which could be cylinder replacement rather than risking further damage. We will never recommend additional work just to increase the invoice — our technicians explain conditions clearly so you can make an informed decision.