Locked out of your house? What to do in the first 10 minutes

Being locked out is stressful, and it always seems to happen at the worst time: a January night, a phone at 4 percent, a pot left on the stove. Here is a calm order of things to do, from the people who answer these calls in Minneapolis and the suburbs every week.

Step 1: Make sure no one is in danger

If a child is alone inside, someone inside needs medical help, or something is cooking on the stove, call 911 first. Emergency services can act faster than any locksmith in those situations. Otherwise, take a breath: a lockout is an inconvenience, not an emergency, and you have time to do this right.

Step 2: Check every way in (safely)

Walk around the house before you call anyone:

• Every door: back door, side door, the door from the garage into the house
• The garage: the code pad by the overhead door, or the opener in your car
• Ground-floor windows that are already unlocked. Do not climb anything or force a screen you cannot replace.
• A door code or lock app you may have forgotten about

Step 3: Think of everyone with a key

A partner, a roommate, family nearby, a neighbor you trust, a dog walker. If you rent, your landlord or building manager may be able to let you in, especially during business hours. Many apartment buildings in Minneapolis have a maintenance or on-call number posted in the lobby.

Step 4: Do not break a window

It feels like the fast option. It rarely is. A replacement window plus labor usually costs more than a lockout call, there is broken glass to clean up, and in a Minnesota winter your house is open to the cold until the glass is replaced. Kicking the door is worse: it splits the frame, which is a carpenter's job, not a locksmith's.

Step 5: Call a locksmith, and ask the right questions

When you call, a real local locksmith should:

• Answer with a business name, not just "locksmith"
• Give you a price on the phone before driving out, based on your lock and the time
• Tell you when they can be there
• Ask you to prove you live there when they arrive

The Minnesota Attorney General's Office warns about out-of-state call centers posing as local locksmiths and raising the price on arrival. Its consumer brochure recommends getting a detailed estimate and asking for the business name and location. Our guide on avoiding locksmith scams goes deeper.

Step 6: Wait somewhere safe and warm

A neighbor's porch, a coffee shop, your car if you have the car key. Keep your phone on so the locksmith can call when they are close. Late at night, stay somewhere well lit.

What happens when the locksmith arrives

1. Ownership check. Photo ID with the address, a lease or a bill. If it is all inside, the check happens right after the door opens.
2. Opening the lock. Most standard locks open with picks or bypass tools, without damage. A broken or high-security lock may need more work, and you should hear that, with the price, before it starts.
3. Securing it again. If your keys are lost rather than locked inside, do not stop at "I'm in."

If the keys are lost, not just inside

Lost keys may be in someone else's pocket, especially if they were on a ring with your address or your car key. While the locksmith is there, it is worth asking for:

• A new deadbolt: the lost key no longer fits, and you get new keys with the lock
• A plan so this does not happen again

How to never do this again

• Leave a spare with someone nearby you trust
• Use a lockbox with a code, not a fake rock or the doormat
• Save a locksmith's number in your phone and somewhere not in your phone

If you are locked out right now anywhere in Minneapolis, St. Paul or the nearby suburbs, call or text 763-600-3529. We give you a price on the phone and come to you, 24/7. See our house lockout service.