What Locksmith Work Costs
Nobody can quote a lock they have not seen — but anybody can explain what the quote depends on.
Call (408) 418-0044
A published figure for locksmith work is nearly always a figure for the easiest possible version of it, which is why the one you find rarely survives contact with your actual door. What can be described honestly, and in advance, is the set of variables that decide where a particular job lands. Once you know those, a quote given on the phone becomes something you can interrogate rather than something you have to accept.
Five of them do most of the work: what kind of key is involved, whether a working key already exists, what grade of hardware is going on or coming off, whether a key is being originated or duplicated, and how many openings are in scope. Almost every unpleasant surprise on a locksmith invoice traces back to one of those five being different from what was described on the phone.
The five variables that move the number
- Key type. A flat mechanical blade, a transponder head, a remote head key, a laser-cut blade and a proximity fob are five different parts and five different procedures, and they are nowhere near each other.
- Whether a working key exists. Duplicating from a key in your hand is a short job. Originating one from the lock or the vehicle is a longer one with more steps and a mandatory ownership check.
- Hardware grade. A light residential knob set and a heavy commercial mortise lock are different objects with different lifespans, and the door decides which is appropriate rather than the budget doing it.
- Origination against duplication. The same distinction applies to doors as to vehicles: cutting to an existing key is not the same work as reading a lock and cutting to code.
- Number of openings. Rekeying several cylinders during one visit is nothing like several separate visits, and counting every door, gate and side entrance up front is what keeps it that way.
How to get a quote you can actually rely on
- Describe the door or the vehicle rather than naming the service you assume you need.
- Count every opening you want touched, including gates, garages and side doors.
- Say whether any working key exists before anything else is discussed.
- For a vehicle, give the year, make and model without waiting to be asked.
- Ask what would change the figure once somebody is looking at the lock, and what happens if it does.
If what you really want is a way to judge whether the person at your door is behaving properly, that is a different question with a page of its own. see the safety checklist.
Common questions
Why will nobody quote a firm figure over the phone?
Because the two things that matter most cannot be seen down a phone line: the true condition of the lock, and whether the description matches the object. A figure given before that is either padded to cover the worst case or destined to change on arrival, and neither one serves you well.
Why does a car key come to so much more than a house key?
Because it is not really the same product. A house key is cut metal. A car key is cut metal plus an electronic chip that has to be introduced to the vehicle, often plus a radio remote, and the equipment that does the introducing is expensive and specific to the model.
Is rekeying less than changing the locks?
Almost always, because the hardware stays where it is and only the pins inside it change. Replacement earns its place when the lock is worn out, damaged, or too light for the door it is fitted to. Ask which one applies to yours before agreeing to either.
What should I be told before work starts?
What is being done, whether anything will be drilled or cut, what hardware is going on, how many keys you finish with, and what happens to the figure if the diagnosis changes at the door. All of that belongs before a tool comes out.
How much does a locksmith cost?
It depends on the five variables above more than on which locksmith you call: key type, whether a working key already exists, hardware grade, origination versus duplication, and how many openings are involved. A rekey on an existing cylinder and originating a lost transponder car key from scratch are not close to the same job, so a single number quoted without knowing those specifics is a guess, not a quote. Call (408) 418-0044, describe the actual door or vehicle, and get a figure based on your situation rather than an average.
Related locksmith services
Describe the lock or key problem
A short description of what happened gets the right tools out for the job.
Call (408) 418-0044