How Much Does An Emergency Locksmith Cost?
When you hire a locksmith service, one of the things that immediately comes to mind is the cost. The thing is most locksmith services do not usually publish their exact prices on their websites or Facebook pages. Instead, they often leave a message on their websites offering free, no-obligation quotes for their emergency locksmiths costs.
So how much does an emergency locksmith actually cost? Well, the answer is it depends. The reason why locksmiths rarely publish exact rates on their website is that each lock repair job can vary greatly depending on its complexity. Some jobs can be easy fixes while some can take hours to finish and might require extra tools.
As you can see, this makes it difficult for locksmiths to set a fixed price for all their jobs. Each one usually comes up with their own pricing scheme. There are services that charge a lower base price with an hourly labour fee or a different set of fees depending on the time you call them. There are also locksmiths who charge a relatively higher fixed service fee.
However, it would definitely be useful to know how much emergency locksmiths cost. These come with benefits such as being able to set aside for some emergencies and being able to avoid locksmith services that take advantage of customers who have no idea what the range of prices usually are.
In this article, we’ll try to give you an idea of how much emergency locksmiths usually cost for various types and services.
Why Do Locksmith Prices Vary So Much?
If you’re wondering why many of the price estimates only mention averages or base prices, it’s because locksmiths take into account so many things when setting prices for their services.
Locksmiths in the UK have no governing or regulatory body, which means anyone can claim to be a locksmith. This also means there are no laws and standards on the fairness of pricing, meaning any locksmith can charge any price for their services. This is why their prices can change depending on numerous factors.
The most obvious, as previously mentioned in this article, is the difficulty of the lock the locksmith will work on. The more complex or secure the lock, the higher the price for picking and dismantling it.
Next are the brand and standard of the lock that you choose to replace the current lock with. Most locksmiths stock a variety of locks for their operations and typically have locks of varying brands and security features. You should consider asking your locksmith for available options to decide which type of lock fits your budget and security concerns.
Another one is your location. Locksmiths in major city centres are usually more expensive than those in less congested areas because of additional parking charges and other fees. However, some locksmiths also charge higher call-out fees for residents living in distant areas without any nearby locksmiths.
However, the most common reason behind varying locksmith prices by far is due to call-out and labour fees. These two fees are where locksmiths have various schemes in place. For example, they usually charge higher for the call-out and hourly labour for emergency calls outside business hours. They can also charge you higher for calling on a weekend or a holiday compared to weekdays.
Some of these may not be apparent at the first call with a locksmith, especially if they advertise having zero call-out fees. This is why it’s important to thoroughly ask your locksmith for all the fees they will be charging.
How much is an emergency locksmith for lockouts?
Unfortunate events frequently happen and one of these is finding ourselves without keys outside your home or flat. Even worse, lockouts like these are often unexpected expenses for us which can seem like a lot when we’re caught unprepared.
Most professional locksmiths typically offer this service because it is one of the most common incidents where they are needed. If you’re looking for a lockout locksmith, make sure to pick one that uses non-destructive entry. This means the locksmith uses techniques that will not cause damage to your property when trying to get you in.
There are many factors influencing prices for unlocking locked doors. It can change depending on whether you just need it opened, the key snapped on the lock, or you lost the keys. Locksmiths often recommend replacing the lock completely for lost keys so you can remove the possibility of somebody using the keys to enter your house.
Certain locks such as mortice locks and anti-snap locks are also trickier to unlock and sometimes require specialist equipment and expertise. You might have to pay more than the usual for having these kinds of locks.
According to locksmith directory What’s The Damage, a lockout locksmith for night latches outside business hours, on average, cost £75 and can reach up to £130. For other lock types, locksmith prices revolve around £100 and can increase depending on the type of lock being replaced.
The Master Locksmith Association also estimates the price to go from £70 for non-destructive entry and snapped key extraction and £80 for lost key situations. Lost key situations will usually include the price of the replacement lock, which can also vary depending on what lock you choose.
How to Find a Trustworthy Emergency Locksmith
With the lack of proper regulation, it can be hard to discern whether a locksmith is legitimate or not. Anyone can easily pretend to know all about locksmith services but lack the technical skills required to actually conduct quality repairs.
Thankfully, organizations such as the Master Locksmith Association for residential and commercial locksmiths, and the Automotive Locksmith Association for automotive locksmiths, work hard to create standards of quality service by vetting and licensing locksmiths across the UK.
Locksmiths recognized by MLA and ALA are ensured to be legitimate and skilled in a range of locksmith services. Make sure to verify if locksmiths are recognized by the MLA by searching them in the MLA Locksmith Directory.
It’s also wise to check reviews and ratings on Google, Checkatrade, Yell.com, and Facebook to see if the locksmith service has a history of customers who were satisfied with their services. What’s The Damage also has a locksmith directory with individually checked listings screened for quality and legitimacy.
CALL A LOCKSMITH NOW IN BELFAST AND NORTHERN IRELAND
If you’re looking for fully experienced emergency locksmiths that offer high-quality services for affordable prices, call D&M locksmith any time of the day and we will respond to your location as quickly as possible.
We cover a wide range of areas in Belfast and surrounding areas, including Newtownabbey, Ballymena, Bangor, Carrickfergus, Larne, and Newtownards.
Our lock change and repair services start at only £75 and we strictly follow a fixed price quote that includes everything from call-out to labour.
Our team of locksmith specialists is available 24/7 to respond to any emergency call-outs and answer inquiries about our services. If you are unsure whether we offer the service you need, give us a call and we’ll gladly do our best to attend to your situation.