A locksmith typically charges an average price ranging from $75 to $550. The average cost of hiring a locksmith per incident is often $150.
Last Updated on May 2, 2024 by Vincent Zhu
People locking themselves out of their vehicles and homes happens daily. You might think it will never occur to you until it does. Or you might have to change all your locks in your house due to unforeseen circumstances or when performing a security upgrade. So, how much does a locksmith cost these days?
A locksmith typically charges an average price of $75 to $550. The average cost of hiring a locksmith per incident is often $150. Fees will fluctuate according to job specifics, materials used, and labor charges for a longer duration. Emergency call-out costs will usually be higher.
Locksmithing is an art, and the cost of a locksmith typically indicates their level of expertise, as well as paying for their skill set.
Some of the jobs you pay a locksmith for can be done yourself, and here at Art of Lock Picking, we have a growing collection of guides to walk you through many of these tasks.
However, it is still worth hiring an experienced locksmith who can accomplish these tasks in minutes without the sometimes costly mistakes associated with doing it yourself.
A locksmith, or modern-day Houdini’s as I refer to them, will charge according to the specifics of the locksmithing job, the cost of materials used, the labor charge, and whether it’s an emergency call-out or a scheduled booking.
Think of a locksmith as ordering food at your favorite restaurant; not every item on the menu will cost the same. A steak with chips and a salad will cost more than a waffle with ice cream.
The average cost of hiring a locksmith is about $145 per incident, with the highest average price being $195 and the lowest average cost reaching $95.
The mixed average price is due to no locksmith charging the same hourly, job, or call-out rates. The cost of hiring a locksmith will vary from state to state, even from locksmith to locksmith in the same town, but all of them will fall within a specific price range.
When overcharging a client to the degree that it goes above and beyond what other locksmiths are charging, what consumers expect to pay, will result in the loss of work for them.
Let’s review a typical locksmith menu and see how much the charges per menu item/ locksmithing job are on average.
Service charges relate to what a locksmith charges as a minimum call-out charge, his hourly rate, and his emergency after-hour rate:
Call-out charges can increase if a locksmith is called to your rural dwelling. During peak hours, a locksmith can charge as much as $150; it’s always a good idea to make an appointment outside peak hours (7 a.m.- 10 a.m.).
Locking yourself out of your house is not as uncommon as we think. It’s happened to most and can potentially happen to you if you don’t have electronic locks that you can unlock via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
After phoning a locksmith to come help you get into your house, the smartest thing to do is to have $150 ready. That’s the average charge a locksmith can make for this job.
Typically, if the locksmith needs to replace the lock, the overall cost can climb to $185 if it’s not included in the average price of $150.
Replacing a lost house key can vary between $50 – $100, should you decide not to replace the lock.
You can also check out my guide on alternative ways to unlock a door without a key, which includes a variety of methods, including lock picking—which is way easier than you may think!
Do you remember that ex you lovingly gave your home’s extra key to symbolize your trust? For safety reasons, you might have to change your locks to keep them out when the longing strikes them, usually after some liquid courage!
Locks do tend to get damaged or worn out over time. If you have one key for all the locks in your home and one coil is compromised, you must replace all the waves, which can become costly.
The cost of replacing a lock at your home will depend on the following factors:
Cost of different types of home locks (materials only):
A locksmith can guide you into what lock is suitable for what type of Door and entry point. Before heading to the hardware store and buying various locks, ask the locksmith you hired for expert advice.
Depending on how many locks you need to change, this service’s price range can be from $50 – $300, depending on the locks you use to replace the old ones.
Lock prices average between $15 – $40 per lock, and if any drilling is required with the installation, expect a fee of $95 – $150. Installing a certainty that you pre-purchased has an average cost of $40 – $150.
Exterior door locks cost between $70 and $170, whereas a deadbolt installation costs around $90 to $190. A garage door lock installation is a more expensive lock replacement/installation that can cost anywhere from $90 – $325.
Installing handle sets can cost you $195 – $299, duplicating special keys $10 – $20, and standard key duplicates are up to $5 a key. For knob lock installations, you are staring at a price range of $80 – $150, depending on the type of knob lock you choose.
Rekeying a lock will cost less than replacing it. When a locksmith rekeys a lock, he replaces the pins so that the old key no longer works.
Rekeying is a vital security option when in hindsight, you gave your spare house key to the “wrong” people (exes, friends that are not friends anymore, vindictive family members). Or if you rent a new house where the previous renters may still have a functional key.
The average cost of rekeying a house’s locks is $75 – $130, with a possible extra $20 per lock charge. Some locksmiths will give you one amount for the full service of rekeying all the locks.
The following is an average price list for rekeying different types of locks:
Rekeying a lock yourself is also an option, and depending on how many locks you need to be done, and might be a cheaper option. If you are curious, here is a step-by-step guide on rekeying door locks!
Breaking a key in a lock can be a panic-inducing moment; however, it doesn’t have to be. There are many unique ways to remove a broken key from a lock. However, a locksmith is a great choice if you don’t want to damage your locks further and increase the cost of fixing the issue.
A house key extraction cost ranges from $75 – $140.
A locksmith will generally suggest replacing your locks when you inform them of a lost key.
If you believe the key is somewhere in your home, a replacement key is a good option. If theft of the key can’t be ruled out, replacing or rekeying the lock will be a safer option.
On average, replacing a house key can cost between $50 – $100, depending on whether it’s electronic.
There are many locations to get a key copied nowadays; check out our full list of local key duplication locations here. However, many more convenient services can only copy basic house keys. You must consult a locksmith to duplicate more complicated or higher security keys.
A duplicate house key can cost $10 – $25.
The price of installing high-security locks that grant access via biometrics, electronic keypad, or Bluetooth will vary depending on the type of lock system installed.
An average electric system can cost from $100 – $500 to $500 —$1,800 to install a fully complete smart home electrical system (unit included).
Here are some average costs when converting and installing high-tech security systems:
Your safe keeps everything from money to passports and maybe a family heirloom or two, so locking yourself out of it can be stressful.
Getting a locksmith to come and unlock a safe will cost between $70 and $160. If the locksmith needs to drill, the price will increase to $225 – $375. Depending on the safe type (in-floor or money safe) and the opening method of the particular safe, the cost can reach a high of $450.
Getting a locksmith to move your safe costs $80 – $150, and changing an electric or hand lock combination costs $50 – $60. Changing a safe lock, including labor and installation costs, can cost between $100- $300.
Installing a safe range, on average, costs from $150 to $200.
The average price to replace a personal mailbox lock is $75 – $200, depending on the type of lock you require.
A replacement key for a lockable electronic mailbox or works with a key card can cost $60 – $90 to replace.
Who hasn’t locked themselves out of their car? I have locked myself out of my car several times, typically with the boys, from designated driver to “Dude, where’s my key?” and hundreds of dollars later in a few “fun” hours.
When hiring an automotive locksmith, the average price range is between $10 – $250 per incident.
If you lock yourself out of your car today, physically unlocking your Door will cost you between $75 – $150 in locksmithing terms. When you call an auto locksmith at night, the price will jump to $150 – 300.
It doesn’t matter if you need to repair or replace a car’s lock; both options fall in the same price range: $50 – $150.
The best reason to rekey your car door is if someone has possession of your spare key or if you suspect that somebody has a copy of your key. Another good reason to rekey your car is if the key doesn’t want to unlock the Door or ignition.
Pay between $70 – $250 on average to replace your car key.
When you don’t have a duplicate key, the auto locksmith will make you a replacement key through key cutting.
Keyless fob replacements cost more, and the worst-case scenario is a visit to the dealership where you can expect higher costs to be involved.
Locksmiths are masters at reprogramming or replacing keys with key fobs or transponder chips. However, most key fobs are quite easy to program yourself. Before you spend the money, consider checking out my key fob programming guide with instructions for common vehicle manufacturers.
But if you want to have a professional do it, consider a locksmith or visit your local AutoZone. However, please do your best to avoid dealerships, as their costs are typically MUCH higher.
Car key programming costs $50 – $200.
When you want to make a copy of your current car key to give access to your car to someone else, the locksmith will create a new document from the original.
The average cost of car key duplication is $10 – $50.
If you have a key that doesn’t want to disengage from the ignition or, worse, breaks off in the ignition, don’t try to be a hero and retrieve it yourself.
The auto locksmith’s cost can range from $75 – $200 to do it safely.
Losing your motorcycle key is unfortunate.
An auto locksmith can charge you $85 – $100 to make you a new one and get you on the road again.
Locksmiths can help remove a bike lock, make you a new key, or rekey the lock.
The charge for this service is about $70 – $160.
Many deem Locksmiths expensive, but do peace of mind and security have a price?
Many of the basic tasks locksmiths perform can be done yourself—and I have many guides here to help you do just that. But unless you have the time, patience, and tools to do it yourself and do it right, you are better off calling a professional!
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