Locksmith business guide
How locksmiths should price lockouts
Price a lockout as two pieces: a trip charge that covers getting there, plus an opening charge that depends on the lock and the time of day. Many shops land somewhere around $75 to $150 for a daytime house lockout, varying by market. Whatever you charge, quote a range with its reasons so the door price never surprises anyone.
Lockout pricing is where a locksmith's reputation gets made or lost. The caller is stressed, standing outside, and has probably heard a story about a twenty-dollar quote that turned into a four-hundred-dollar bill. Your number has to cover the call and still sound like it came from an honest shop.
Price it as a trip plus an opening
Almost every lockout bill comes down to two parts. Pricing them separately makes the math clearer for you and the explanation easier for the caller.
- The trip charge covers the drive, fuel, the van and your overhead for showing up. It's roughly the same whether the door takes two minutes or twenty.
- The opening charge covers the actual entry. It moves with the lock type, the door, the vehicle and the hour.
When a caller hears "the trip is this, and opening a standard deadbolt is this," they can see where the money goes. A single mystery number, especially a low one, is what makes people nervous. The homeowner side of that fear is laid out in how to spot a legit locksmith, and it's worth reading once so you know what your callers are listening for.
Common lockout ranges by job type
These are ranges you'll commonly see for the total bill, not a price list. Shops in expensive metros run higher and rural shops often add mileage. Call around before you settle on yours.
| Lockout type | Common total | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| House or apartment, daytime, standard lock | $75 to $150 | Deadbolt versus knob only, door condition |
| Car, daytime, standard vehicle | $65 to $150 | Vehicle age and class, location of the car |
| Commercial door or storefront | $100 to $250 | Mortise or rim hardware, exit devices, business hours |
| High-security cylinder or smart lock with dead battery | $125 to $300 | Whether it can be opened without damage |
| Nights, weekends, holidays | Daytime price plus a premium | How late it is and whether you want the work |
Ranges are general observations and vary by region and year. They are not market data.
What legitimately raises the price
A price that moves is fine. A price that moves without warning is the problem. These are the honest reasons a lockout ends up at the top of your range or above it:
- Lock type. A builder-grade knob lock and a high-security deadbolt are different jobs. Ask what's on the door before you quote.
- Destructive entry. When a lock truly can't be opened otherwise, the customer pays for a new cylinder or lockset. That's hardware, and it belongs on its own line.
- Vehicle class. Late-model and luxury cars take more care to open without damage, and some shops price them a tier higher.
- Time and distance. Overnight calls and trips past your normal radius cost you more, so they cost the caller more.
- Add-ons the customer chooses. A rekey after lost keys, a new deadbolt, a spare key cut on the van. Offered after the door is open, priced separately.
The trap that hurts honest shops
Some owners drop their phone number way down to compete with the bait-and-switch listings, planning to make it up at the door. Don't. The moment your door price outruns your phone price, you look exactly like the scam, even if every dollar was fair. Customers leave reviews about surprise, not about the size of the number.
Rule of thumb: Quote a range where the top end covers a normal hard lockout. If the job goes past the top, it should be because the customer said yes to hardware or extra work, never because you found a reason once you were standing there.
Use the lockout to earn the next job
A lockout is often the first time a household or business has ever needed a locksmith. If you open the door cleanly and the bill matches the call, you're the name they save in their phone. That's worth more than squeezing the ticket. Hand over a card, mention that you do rekeys and lock upgrades, and leave it there. A lost key ring is also a natural moment to offer a rekey, since the old keys are now out in the world.
For the words to use when a caller asks for the number, see how to give honest quotes over the phone.
What to do with your price this week
Pull your last three months of lockout invoices and sort them by type. Look at where most house lockouts, car lockouts and commercial openings actually landed. If your quotes and final bills are far apart, fix the quote before you touch the price. Then write your ranges down in one place so anyone answering your phone says the same thing. More locksmith pricing and phone guides live on the Booked for locksmiths page.
Questions owners ask
Should a lockout include rekeying if the customer lost their keys?
Keep them separate on the invoice but offer the rekey right there. Someone who lost a key ring with their address on it has a real reason to change the combination, and you're already standing at the door with your pinning kit. Quote it per cylinder after the door is open.
Is it fair to charge the full lockout price if the customer finds a spare key before you arrive?
Charge the trip, not the opening. If you were already rolling, a trip charge is reasonable, as long as you said on the phone that one applies to canceled calls once you're en route. If they catch you before you leave, let it go and keep the goodwill.
Why do car lockouts sometimes cost more than house lockouts?
Newer vehicles have tighter door gaps, side airbags and more electronics in the door, so opening them carefully takes more time and more care. Luxury and late-model cars carry more risk of damage. Some shops price car lockouts by vehicle class for exactly that reason.
What if the lock has to be drilled?
Stop and explain before you do it. Give the customer the price of the replacement cylinder or lockset plus any extra labor, and get a clear yes. Drilling should be the exception on a residential lockout, and your invoice should show the new hardware as its own line.
Should I charge more for lockouts far outside my usual area?
Yes, most shops add a distance charge past a set radius, because a long drive to one door takes you out of the running for closer calls. Decide your radius and the add-on in advance, and tell the caller before you commit.