It is the first question on almost every call, and the honest answer is that it depends on a handful of specific things. Anyone who gives you a firm number before knowing what the lock is and where it is either has not understood the job or is planning to change the price when they arrive.
This is what actually moves the number, and what a fair conversation about price sounds like.
What a locksmith is actually pricing
Two things make up almost every locksmith bill: getting a qualified person and their tools to where you are, and the work itself once they get there. Everything else is a variation on those two.
- The service call — the drive, the vehicle, the tools, the time.
- The labour — how long the job takes and how specialised it is.
- Parts — a rekey uses pennies of pins; a commercial deadbolt is real hardware.
- Time of day — 2am on a Sunday costs more than 2pm on a Tuesday, everywhere.
- Complexity — a builder-grade deadbolt and a high-security cylinder are not the same job.
Why the quote changes between two locksmiths
Some of the spread is legitimate. An owner-operator with one van has different costs from a national dispatch network that takes a cut from whoever it sends. Some of it is not legitimate at all.
The classic pattern is a very low number on the phone — often under fifty dollars — followed by an arrival, a long inspection, and a much larger figure once you are invested in the visit. The low number was never the price. It was the hook.
Questions worth asking before anyone drives out
A straight operator will answer all of these without hesitation:
- What is the total price for this job, not just the callout?
- Does that include labour, parts, and any after-hours difference?
- Are you the person who will do the work, or is it being dispatched?
- What is the business name and address?
- What happens to the price if the job turns out to be different than described?
How to get an accurate quote in one call
The more specific you are, the tighter the number gets. For a car, that is the year, make, and model, and exactly where you are parked. For a house, it is how many locks, what brand, and whether a key is broken off inside. For a business, it is the door type and whether there is a master key system.
A photo of the lock is worth several minutes of description, and most jobs can be quoted accurately from one.
The short version
Expect a range on the phone and a firm price before work starts. Expect that range to widen for after-hours calls, unusual hardware, and vehicles. And treat a suspiciously cheap phone number as a warning rather than a bargain.
Need a locksmith in Centennial or nearby?
SOS Locksmith Centennial covers Centennial, Littleton, Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, Englewood, and Greenwood Village. Calling is the fastest way to get a price and a time.