Safe installation
Safe Installation in Lancing
Call with your postcode for a current arrival estimate.
- 24-hour emergency cover
- No call-out charge
- Price agreed before work starts
Need a Safe Fitted Properly?
L.M.N Locksmiths Lancing fits home and business safes in Lancing, anchoring them to a solid floor or wall so they meet the maker's requirements and your insurer's. The grade you bought only counts if the safe is installed correctly, because an unfixed safe can be carried out of the building whatever it weighs.
There is no call-out charge.
Why Installation Decides if Your Insurance Pays
The rating depends on the fixing
A safe's cash rating indicates what an insurer would cover with valuables kept inside it. It is awarded on the basis that the safe is installed to the maker's specification, which for nearly all rated models means anchoring through the base or back into concrete or solid masonry.
What goes wrong
Safes sitting on a timber floor, standing loose in a wardrobe or fixed into plasterboard have not been installed to that specification. If one is removed during a burglary, the question of whether its rating applied may well come up at claim time. Most insurers require proper fixing, and an installation that falls short may affect your cover, but policies differ, so confirm your own requirements with your insurer.
What we need to know
Fitting depends on the safe's design, size and weight, the manufacturer's instructions, access through the property and the proposed position. We assess every enquiry on its own before confirming whether our safe installation service covers it. Please share what you can of the following: the make and model; approximate height, width and depth; approximate weight; the installation instructions or manual; whether the safe is already at the property; whether it is new, used or being moved from another position; the type of property; the floor it will go on; any stairs, narrow doorways or other access restrictions; the installation area itself; and the wall, floor or supporting structure around it. Not having every detail is fine.
We fit to specification into something that will hold, tell you plainly when a spot will not work, and confirm the method and final price before work begins. If the problem is a locked safe rather than a new one, safe opening is the service you need.
Where a Safe Should Be Fitted
A good position hides the safe, keeps it convenient enough to use every day, and puts it on a structure that can hold it. Rating and certification should be settled first, so the fixing suits the right safe.
Where it should not be put
Start by ruling places out. Avoid the obvious hiding place such as a bedroom wardrobe, anywhere in view of a window or door, a surface that cannot bear the weight, and damp areas that slowly damage the safe and what is in it.
Fixing to the floor
The most common method uses the manufacturer's fixing points to bolt the base into solid concrete. A suspended timber floor is not good enough.
Fixed to the wall
Solid masonry suits smaller safes and recessed wall safes; a stud wall or plasterboard never does.
Underfloor safes
Concealed beneath the floor and set in concrete, very hard to remove, and always planned work because the floor is opened.
Certification and your insurer
The rating of a safe describes the protection it has been assessed to provide, and the right rating depends on what you store, its insured value and your insurer's conditions. Safes tested and certified to the European standard EN 1143-1, which classifies burglary resistance in safes and related storage, may be assigned a resistance grade called a Eurograde, describing tested resistance. Even so, it does not automatically establish how much an individual insurer will cover. Different standards may apply to other products, and fire resistance is tested separately, so a fire-resistant label does not automatically mean a burglary grade. Look for the certification plate, check manufacturer, model, standard, grade and certifying organisation, and compare them with the documents or the certifier's product records where available. Marketing such as "high-security safe" proves nothing on its own. If certification is needed for insurance, ask your insurer whether it accepts the specific safe, certificate and rating before buying or arranging installation, and confirm what you will store, its total insured value, the rating and any installation conditions.
Cash Ratings and Eurograde, and What Your Insurer Is Asking For
A cash figure or a grade in your policy schedule is shorthand for a specific level of protection. The notes below translate it.
The cash rating and the valuables rating
Cash rating. This indicates the amount of cash an insurer may be prepared to cover when stored in a particular safe. Because insurers can set different policy conditions, this should not be treated as a fixed insurance limit.
Valuables rating. This applies to items such as jewellery, watches and other high-value possessions. The accepted valuables limit may be higher than the cash rating, but insurers can calculate it in different ways, so do not assume a standard multiplier will be accepted under every policy.
| Cash rating | Valuables rating | Eurograde | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Describes | Cash cover in that safe | Cover for jewellery and watches | Tested burglary resistance |
| Set or confirmed by | Your insurer | Your insurer | Certification, accepted by your insurer |
Eurograde under EN 1143-1
EN 1143-1 is a European standard used to test and classify safes for burglary resistance, and a certified safe may be given a resistance grade commonly called a Eurograde.
Not every safe sold is actually certified
A sales description is not enough, because only independent testing and a certification label show that a grade was actually awarded. Ask your insurer to confirm the cash rating needed for what you plan to keep, and have them confirm the level directly before you choose a safe.
Installation of a Key Safe
When someone you love needs carers calling in, the front door can become the hardest part. A key safe solves that: a compact, code-locked box on the outside wall holding a door key, so carers, relatives or an agency can get in without the person inside having to answer.
Where it goes and how it is held matter more than the box itself. Keep it out of sight from the road, and fix it into solid brick or stone rather than render or the mortar between bricks, because a key safe is only as strong as what it is fixed to. Care providers and some insurers expect a police approved model built to a recognised standard.
Key safes are also handy for: - holiday lets - trades who need access while you are out - shared or family access
Councils and housing associations sometimes arrange one as part of a care package.
The Safes We Fit
These are the main categories of safe we install.
- Home safes for keeping cash, jewellery and paperwork
- Commercial and cash-handling safes for shops, offices and licensed premises
- Fire rated safes protecting documents and data
- Wall safes and underfloor safes
- Deposit safes that accept takings without the door being opened
How the position is chosen A suitable position has to work with the safe's design, weight and intended use, and with what the manufacturer's instructions say, which may specify how it is positioned or fixed. Before installation starts we consider the surrounding structure, the access route and the conditions in the area, because the construction and condition of the wall, floor or support decide whether the spot will work. Only then is a fixing method selected.
The safe also has to travel safely through the building. Stairs, narrow doorways, tight corners, floor loading and limited working space may rule a position out, so do not move a heavy safe into place before the route and area are confirmed as suitable. Leave room to open and use it freely, and think about damp and heat if documents or digital media will be stored. The right spot balances installation needs, access and use.
Locksmith pricing
How Much Does Safe Installation Cost?
Two safes of the same model can cost different amounts to fit, simply because the houses they are going into are different. The price depends on the safe, the access, the position chosen and the work required, and with that much variation between models and properties we do not publish a standard figure.
Five things decide it:
Provide the make, model, dimensions, approximate weight and proposed position if you know them, and send photos of both the safe and the spot. You get the price on the call, and there is no call-out charge. You pay for the work carried out, any parts needed, and VAT. Rates outside Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm, are higher, but the call-out itself is never charged.
Dimensions and weight
which may mean extra handling, a second technician or moving equipment, and which dictate how the safe is moved through the property
Access
including stairs, narrow entrances, restricted parking, tight corridors and the distance from the vehicle to the position
The supporting structure
assessed against the safe's installation requirements, with fixings, materials and working time depending on safe and structure
The installation type
where a small home safe bolted to concrete is the quickest and an underfloor safe set in concrete is the most involved
Whether the safe is new
since used or relocated safes differ from a new unit with its original instructions and fixings, and missing information may require further checks before the work is confirmed
Locksmith pricing
We Can Fit It If You Have Already Bought a Safe
A safe that is still sitting in its packaging, or standing loose in a cupboard, is not protecting much. If you bought yours from another supplier, we can fit it to the manufacturer's specification, wherever it came from. Contact us before moving it to its intended position, and pass on the details in the checklist above about both the safe and the property. We review that information and confirm whether installation is available for the model and the property in question. We will also tell you, before starting, if the chosen position will not take the safe or if the safe is not suitable for what your insurer has asked for.
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
When You Call, What Happens?
Three steps take a safe from enquiry to fitted.
Enquiry.
Send the make, model, dimensions and approximate weight if known, or a photo; say whether the safe is new, used, already at the property or being relocated; and tell us where it is going and about any stairs, narrow doors, tight corners or other restrictions on the route.
Assessment.
We review the information and explain whether we need further details or an on-site assessment, confirming the proposed position and required work before installation begins.
Price.
We price from what you describe on the call; the price stands unless the job differs on site, with changes explained before work starts.
Should you need to make a claim, the installation is precisely what an insurer may enquire about.
Safe Installation Across Lancing
Safe fitting is booked work, and we do it for homeowners, landlords, shops, offices and licensed premises across Lancing.
The visit can be in North Lancing, South Lancing or Lower Cokeham, anywhere in BN15 or the parts of BN43 around Lancing, and in Sompting, which has its own page. Around 23,000 usual residents live in the area (Census 2021, ONS, output areas approximated to the built-up area), and North Lancing is mostly houses.
If you are choosing a position before the safe arrives, ring first and we can talk it through.
See all areas we cover.
Emergency and planned locksmith services
Book a Safe Installation in Lancing
Call 01903 377061 to book a time; we can advise on where to put the safe before it is even delivered. There is no call-out charge, and the price is agreed before work starts.
- Phone: 01903 377061
- Booked work: Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm
01903 377061
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a safe have to be bolted down?
Most rated safes need to be. Their cash rating is granted on the basis of correct installation as specified by the manufacturer, which normally means anchoring into concrete or solid masonry. Without that, a safe can be taken away in one piece, however much it weighs. Most insurers require fixing, but conditions differ, so confirm with your insurer what applies to your policy.
What cash rating do I need?
Match the safe to your insurer's written requirements before you buy or install it. Your insurer may require a valuables rating or accepted certification; it can also stipulate a resistance grade and cash rating. Contents, total insured value and policy conditions determine what is needed. Have it confirm the cash rating for the sum you intend to store. This rating describes potential cash cover in a particular safe, rather than a fixed insurance limit, because conditions vary between policies.
What is a Eurograde safe?
Put simply, it is a safe with a certified burglary-resistance grade under the European standard EN 1143-1. Grades run upwards from 0, and a higher grade means the safe held out against a longer, more determined attack in independent testing. Grade 0 or 1 suits most homes; Grade 2 or 3 is common in retail and hospitality. Check with your insurer about high-value stock. A grade does not, on its own, tell you the sum an insurer will agree to cover.
My safe says "security safe" on it. Is that certified?
Not on that wording alone. Plenty of safes are sold with a manufacturer's own label or star rating but no independent certification to EN 1143-1 or EN 14450, and they carry no recognised cash or valuables rating however well built they look. To check yours, find the certification plate or label and confirm it names a standard and an independent testing body.
Can you fit a safe I have already bought?
In most cases, yes. We fit safes bought from other suppliers to the manufacturer's specification, once we have reviewed the details of the model and the property and confirmed installation is available. Contact us before shifting it into position. If the chosen spot cannot take it, or the safe falls short of your insurer's requirement, we raise that before any work.
Where is the best place to put a safe?
A good position balances concealment, a solid fixing and convenience. Solid concrete flooring is usually the ideal base. Keep away from obvious hiding places, from anywhere that can be seen through a window or door, and from damp. And keep it reachable: a safe that is a struggle to open is a safe that tends to be left unlocked.
Can you fit a key safe for a carer?
The box should sit where it cannot be seen from the street and be fixed into solid masonry, never render or a mortar joint. Some insurers and care providers require police approved models, so confirm what the care package asks for first.
How much does safe installation cost in Lancing?
It depends on the size and weight of the safe, the fixing method, what the floor or wall is made of, access to the room, and whether it is a straightforward bolt-down or an underfloor installation. Tell us the make and where it is going when you ring, and the price is agreed on the call before work starts, with no call-out charge.
Still have a question or need urgent assistance? Call 01903 377061, tell us what has happened and receive a current arrival estimate.