How Much Will A Locksmith’s Services Cost?
As with many trades, a locksmith’s price can depend on various factors. If you’re lucky, you’ll likely only use a locksmith a couple of times throughout your life. Many people have never even needed to use a locksmith. With this in mind, it’s clear why if you ask someone how much a locksmith charges, many people will answer “I’ve got no idea”. Again, as with many trades, rouge tradesmen can give the industry a bad reputation by over-charging and taking you for a ride.
Locksmiths are a great resource to have on hand, especially if you find yourself locked out of your home or car. This can be incredibly stressful, but luckily you don’t have to worry too much. Locksmiths can usually get you back into your house quickly and easily, and they won’t charge you an arm and a leg for their services.
The cost of locksmith services increases with the complexity of the job. Locksmiths charge more for installing high-security locks and picking multiple locks than replacing standard single-cylinder deadbolts.
The difficulty of the Job / Time taken
Some jobs are easy. Some jobs are hard. Most jobs sit somewhere in the middle. Sometimes someone just left their key, correctly aligned, on the inside of the door, so we have the equipment to put through your letterbox and pull the key out. It doesn’t always work, but it can be quicker and cheaper when it does.
Sometimes your key breaks as you put it in the lock. If it’s right in there it can be a problem, but on occasion, a little bit can be sticking out in which case all that’s required is a set of pliers, and hopefully you have a spare set of keys in the house. Otherwise, it’s a lock change.
If your lock mechanism is damaged, a full lock change is required. This will also put the price up. Well, I say put the price up, but this is what most jobs end up being so you get a normal rate, the easier jobs tend to get you a reduction.
With modern uPVC doors, if you’re unlucky, the problem may be affecting the whole multi-point locking mechanism that goes the full length of the door, in which case the job takes a lot of time, which usually equals more money.
Local locksmith or a national locksmith company
There are a few organisations out there that subcontract work out to local locksmiths. So even if the number looks local, there’s a chance you’re just getting put through to a call centre. The call centre will then contact a local locksmith, who will be dispatched to you if they’re available, and these middlemen take a cut of the cost as a kind of referral fee with the locksmith only receiving a percentage of the full cost. They don’t employ any locksmiths themselves.
There are reputable companies of this type who do sub-contract to very good locksmiths but unfortunately not all of them. This practice can sometimes result in them charging more because they have to share the profits. Or sometimes charge less because they want to ensure they get the business to undercut the competition. In this case, you often end up with a locksmith with lower expertise.
Why would an established, expert locksmith want to give away so much money for a job? This isn’t always the case, they can still charge what could be called a “standard” cost, but again, it can sometimes be that you end up with someone less qualified. Just something to be aware of. We have local locksmiths in Newcastle. If you are looking for a Sunderland locksmith, please call us.
Our services are offered across the North East. Our team of experts handles all types of locks, security systems, and locking mechanisms, so you can be sure we’ll meet your needs. Here at Tyne Tees Locks, we take pride in our customer service and local reputation.
If you have a door lock problem or want to upgrade, call us, and we’ll give you an accurate and fair quote. We’ll even wait if you want to ring around to compare prices. We’re confident we’re more than competitive and provide an excellent service.
