Locksmith Price List & Costs

A locksmith is usually the best option whether you need to change or modify the locks on your home, or if you get locked out accidentally. It is crucial to select a trustworthy locksmith to ensure the safety of your family and belongings. Experts recommend checking a locksmith’s credentials and asking about the change locks cost before hiring them.

How much is a locksmith might vary depending on the complexity of the lock, the type of key required, the time of day, and the location. 

Change locks cost vary widely based on a number of factors. Some of the top ones include the lock’s brand, model, and security level, as well as any additional fees, such as service calls.

In this post, we’ll discuss the typical services provided by locksmiths, factors affecting the emergency service, and how much does a locksmith cost in the UK.

Let’s dig in! 

How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Locksmith?

You should always get a detailed estimate from a locksmith before you hire them for any job, no matter how small. Also, it’s a good idea to shop and compare prices to ensure you’re getting a reasonable answer for how much does a locksmith cost. 

The cost of calling a Locksmith will vary depending on the specific service you require. Due to the varying parts and quality frequently associated with upgrading, the cost of updating your locks to greater safety models or making sure that each of your locks is insurance compliant could be far greater than the cost of simply having your locks changed.

The normal locksmith hourly charge could change if you call them in the middle of the night. A locksmith would typically charge you £65 or more per hour during normal business hours. Due to the lack of an industry standard, the cost of hiring a locksmith might go either way. 

Most lock-related services, such as change locks cost, can be finished within an hour, however, repairs may take longer.

Prices to Change Locks

Lock replacement costs vary widely based on a number of factors, including the lock’s brand, model, and security level, as well as any additional fees, such as service calls. Replacement of a mortise lock, for example, can cost anywhere from £115 up to £85 for the cylinder alone.  

All general locks, including those on doors, door handles, windows, etc. can be changed for an estimated cost similar to that mentioned in the table below:

Lock Type	Estimated Cost
Changing a Rim Cylinder Lock	from £70
Replacing a Garage door lock	from £80
Fit a uPVC Door Handle	from £90
Changing all Property Locks	from £350
Changing a Mortice lock* (deadlock or sashlock)	from £115

Factors Affecting The Price Of Changing Locks

How much is a locksmith might be affected by a number of variables. Here are the top factors:

• How far it is for the locksmith to get to you (your address route) 
• Brand of your lock
• Lock standard being changed ( British Standard or Non-BS standard )
• The time of day
• What day it is (eg. weekday, public holiday, weekend)
• Use of specialized machinery 
• Labour involved
• Lock picking and key duplicating time

Most professional and major locksmith companies can’t compete with the low prices of independent locksmiths. So, keep that in mind. 

Prices To Unlock House And Open Door

Unlocking and opening a locked door can cost as little as £70, although this can vary depending on the lock and door being opened. Some door varieties may feature multiple locks and hence necessitate the manipulation of two locks rather than one.

See the below table for an estimate of the cost to have a locksmith open your door, make new keys, and extract broken ones:

Lock Type	Estimated Cost
Remove broken/snapped key to open door	Around £70
Locked out – unlock house & open door to gain entry	Around  £70
Replace lost keys to house	Around £80
Gaining Entry	Expect an average hourly rate
Emergency Boarding Up	Around £200

Call estimates from locksmith services are typically nonbinding but can be obtained from many businesses. After seeing the lock in person, they will have a better idea of what they should charge for it.

Factors Affecting The Price Of Unlocking A House And Opening The Door

The change locks cost can vary depending on the following factors:

• What kind of lock and door is being opened
• Number of locks
• Size of the locks
• Make and model of the lock

How Much Do Different Locksmith Jobs Cost?

It’s not uncommon for locksmiths to charge an hourly rate on top of the cost of the actual locks and other supplies used in a job. There are locksmiths who have standard rates for common services. 

A callout fee is common, and it may increase if the service is required outside of normal business hours or is urgent. A locksmith’s rates will vary greatly from one task to the next because of the breadth of services they provide.

While some locks, like a standard euro cylinder or a night latch, are simple and can be opened in seconds, others, like a deadbolt, might take minutes or even hours to open. Some other examples are listed below:

1. Cost of a Euro-Cylinder Lock

For uPVC doors, a replacement euro cylinder lock may be purchased for as little as £20, which is far less than the cost of a new high-security anti-snap cylinder. It’s possible to spend as little as £50 on replacing an anti-snap cylinder, though the exact sum will depend on the make and model of the lock.

2. Replacement of Mortise Locks

Mortice locks, which may be necessary for your wooden door, can cost anywhere from £45 and up, on top of the labour cost charged by your locksmith. While British Standard locks are more expensive, they are almost certainly insurance-compliant. A three-lever mortice lock is less expensive than a five-lever one, but it is generally exclusively used on internal doors.

3. Changing Night Latch

The cost of replacing a night-latch (also known as a “Yale Lock”) can be kept to a minimum by swapping out simply the cylinder. A security upgrade may need to replace the night latch entirely, which will increase the price.

Locksmith Labour Rates And Call Out Fees

Time spent onsite resolving an issue is billed at a labour rate, as opposed to a simple “call out” fee.

Typically, a how much is a locksmith hourly rate will only cover their time spent working on the job and not the cost of any necessary supplies. It’s often helpful to ask the locksmith this question to get a better idea of how much everything will cost.

A reliable locksmith will provide detailed pricing estimates, detailing everything that will be charged for and what will not.

On the other hand, simply going to a customer’s home or business is what a “call-out fee” covers. This is in addition to the cost of fixing or replacing the faulty item. In the case of a locksmith, for instance, you might pay for them to come out and assess the situation, but then pay even more if you want them to actually fix the issue. 

The vast majority of reputable locksmiths will not charge you a call-out fee.

Price To Repair Locks

It can cost as little as £45 to fix a broken internal door lock and as much as £65 to fix a broken outside door lock. The cost to repair a lock will be determined by the specific type of lock, the availability of replacement components, and the amount of time required to complete the repair.

Here are some estimated prices you can expect:

• Repair Internal Door Lock (Bedroom/Bathroom) – £45
• Repair uPVC Gearbox – £65
• Repair Door Handle – £40
• Repair Patio Door Lock – £65
• Repair Garage Door Lock – £55

Price For Changing A Door Lock

Without including installation fees, the cost of a new lock for a uPVC door can begin as low as £20 for a simple cylinder lock.

You can expect to pay the following for a new set of locks for your doors, without having to pay extra for labour:

Types of Doors	Lock Type	Estimated Price
uPVC doors	Budget Euro Cylinder Lock	from £20
uPVC doors	Anti Snap Euro Cylinder Lock	from £50
uPVC doors	Multi-Point Locking Mechanism	from £220
Wooden doors	BS3621 Night Latch (Yale Lock)	from £80
Wooden doors	Night Latch (Yale Lock)	from £25
Wooden doors	Complete Yale Replacement	From £140
Wooden doors	Mortice Lock Replacement (5 Lever)	From £125

Locksmith Part Pricing

We will talk about the pricing of parts for locksmith jobs in this section. Parts prices for locks, mechanisms, and hardware can be seen in the table below.

Lock Part	Price
Traditional Nightlatches	£25
British Standard Nightlatches	£75
Rim Cylinders	£25
Standard Euro Cylinders	£35
High Security Euro Cylinders	£35
Mortice (2-3 Lever)	£25
Mortice (5 Lever)	£55
uPVC Gearboxes	£75
uPVC Handles	£20
External Door Handles	£45

The Cost Of An Emergency Locksmith

Its common practice for locksmiths to charge at least 50% extra for emergency services than they would for routine services performed during regular business hours. In most cases, locksmiths will want payment before making an emergency house call. So, it is important to ask how much does a locksmith cost when you are facing an emergency situation. 

This fee often ranges from £50 to £150. Emergency services and after-hours work will result in a higher hourly cost for locksmiths. You may have to pay two or even three times the standard rate.

An after-hours locksmith service may cost £80 to £200 an hour. Work performed outside normal business hours, on weekends, or on holidays is counted here. However, emergency locksmiths can set their own prices, so it’s important to get numerous quotations before deciding.

Factors Affecting The Cost Of An Emergency Locksmith

Here are the major factors that affect the cost of an emergency locksmith service:

• Type of job
• Call Out Charge / Fee
• Time & Date of Year

Questions To Ask Your Locksmith

In this section, we have listed some of the most important questions to ask your locksmith before hiring. Have a look below:

1. Query Quotes

Don’t hire anyone before you get a firm quote. If you need anything was done that might take only 10 seconds, you might be quoted a beginning fee of $19 on several websites, but then charged five or six times that much by the time they get to you abandoned by the highway.

2. Inquire About The Registration

Even though not all locksmiths are required to be licensed, you may tell the ones that are by looking for the ALOA badge on their website. A professional locksmith should be able to provide you with current registration or licensing information.

3. Inquire About Discounts

Discounts may be available from some locksmiths on services like key extraction, new clients, military and senior discounts, lock replacement after break-ins, and the installation of additional locks. When calling, inquire about any available deals.

4. Inquire About Their Identification And License

A locksmith’s license is not mandatory in every state. However, the license is required for membership in the Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA). 

Both the Certified Professional Locksmith and the Certified Master Locksmith certificates are offered voluntarily through ALOA and are recognized as evidence of professional competence. Be wary of frauds and make sure you’re talking to the real deal by verifying their identity.

5. Ask If VAT Is Included

It’s possible that the locksmith isn’t VAT-registered; this is because not all of them do. So do ask about this important point for your own safety. 

Other Simple Questions To Ask

• To what extent does the cost of a call-out service go?
• Do you bill by the hour for labour?
• The company members are executing the work themselves, or they are subcontracting it out to another company?
• Do you have to pay extra for a call?
• If it’s an estimate, what variables could potentially alter the given cost?
• What exactly is included in the price that is being advertised?