There’s a reason why the locksmith industry is worth an estimated $2 billion. Whether they’re getting people into their cars or homes, or just replacing locks and keys, locksmiths help hundreds of people each day.
If you’re in need of these types of services, then you’re likely wondering what’s involved in determining a locksmith cost. Since the answer is complex, we’ve organized this guide to help you learn about what’s involved in determining price.
What to Expect When It Comes to Locksmith Cost
Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to determine the cost when it comes to hiring a locksmith. For one thing, different locksmith services cost different amounts of money. Additionally, other factors can also affect the final price.
As such, the best way to get an estimate is to call your local locksmith and describe your situation. Try and give as many details as you can.
For example, describe the service you need, where you’re located, and the details of your car or lock. These can help the locksmith provide a more accurate estimate.
What Factors Affect How Much It Costs to Open a Door?
The cost of opening your door depends on factors like the strength of the lock, the number of locks, and the time of day. Certain locks are much harder to get into than others. As such, they require more time to get into
Many locksmiths will also give a service charge for travel. Similarly, many locksmith companies charge more to come out on weeknights or holidays.
What Factors Affect How Much It Costs to Open an Automobile?
Automotive locksmith services are generally less expensive than house lockouts. That’s because these jobs typically take little time to complete. Most of the time these jobs cost around the same price.
However, certain types of cars can have more difficult lock systems to get into. As such, these jobs tend to be more expensive.
What Factors Affect How Much It Costs to Change Your Locks?
Certain lock systems are a breeze to install. These types of lock-changing jobs generally don’t cost much. However, other systems (especially ones the involve electronic elements) are much more involved.
Additionally, commercial locks tend to be more expensive than residential ones.
Another factor that’s involved is whether or not you purchase a lock from the locksmith, or through a different store yourself.
How Much Should a Locksmith Charge to Rekey a Lock?
Like lockouts, the cost of a rekey can vary depending on how complex the job is. If the locksmith doesn’t need to change the pins, then it tends to be cheaper.
However, rearranging the pins can require a lot more work, so the price tends to be higher. Locksmiths can usually cut you a new key, which they will charge per key.
What Questions Should You Ask When Calling Around Locksmiths?
If you want to be charged fairly by a locksmith, then you need to make sure you pick the right company. But how do you find one that you can trust? First, call up some of the local companies near you. Then ask them some of these questions:
- How are your technicians qualified?
- Do you offer a warranty?
- Do you have insurance or bond coverage?
- How much does a locksmith cost?
- Do you service the area I’m in?
- Are you a mobile locksmith? And can fix on site?
- How long will it take you to get out here?
- Do you charge any additional fees?
Pay attention to the answers provided by these companies. A good mobile locksmith company will always be as clear and open as possible. For example, when you ask how they’re qualified, ideally they will show you that there a part of a professional organisation.
Membership to these types of groups, like the Master Locksmiths Association of Australia, is a good sign that they follow standard business practices. Ultimately, if you get a bad vibe from a locksmith company, then call another one. It’s not worth it to get scammed.
If you’re in an emergency, then consider calling a family member or friend before relying on a bad locksmith. You can always deal with it some other day. For more questions to ask your locksmith, make sure to check out this frequently asked questions guide here.
What Causes Variances in the Locksmith Cost
As we mentioned before, many variances can affect final locksmith prices. Unfortunately, scammers can use these variances as an excuse to charge you more.
But, if you know what factors change the price, then you can know when you’re rightly being charged extra, or taken advantage of. Here are some of the variances that can cause locksmiths to cost more.
Home vs Commercial
Whether you’re changing your locks, or need help with a lockout, you can expect commercial properties to be more expensive. At first, glance this might not make sense. After all, the services seem virtually the same. However, the reality is that most commercial properties come with commercial-grade locks.
This means that they’re much more heavy-duty than the average home lock. As such, they require more effort and skill to get into. Similarly, the doors are stronger, so replacing them requires a lot of work during the installation. As such, commercial locksmith jobs typically cost more than home jobs.
Hour of the Day
Locksmiths typically charge much less for jobs that take place during the day. The late-night job will typically cost quite a lot; early morning jobs even more. For example, let’s say the average rate for a day job is one hundred fifty dollars.
Any job that’s between 9:00 and midnight will like to go up to two hundred-twenty dollars. Similarly, a job that takes place after midnight will shoot up to three hundred thirty dollars.
As such, it’s typically best to wait until the next day to call a locksmith, unless it’s an emergency.
It’s also important to remember that availability can come into play. At busy times of the day, certain companies might not have enough employees to deal with you quickly.
How Far Away You Are
The longer the locksmith has to drive to you, the more money they’re spending on fuel and driving. As such, if you’re out in the country and need a locksmith, then it will likely cost a lot more. If you can, try and find a company that’s as close to you as possible. If you are local to St Kilda and require a locksmith we can assist right way with no additional charges.
Otherwise, you will need to pay more to bring them out to you. As long as you give your location, then the locksmith should be upfront about how much their transportation fee will cost.
Why Are Locksmiths So Expensive?
If you hear someone complaining about how expensive locksmiths are, then they were probably taken advantage of by a scammer. One trick, these dishonest locksmiths use raising the price after the job is completed.
Others might try and convince you the lock is broken when it’s not. Then, they’ll charge you to replace it.
So why are there so many of these dishonest locksmiths out there? The problem lies on the internet. Rogue locksmiths can easily advertise on Google without any qualifications.
Then, all they need to do is wait for someone in an emergency. Most people are too stressed out or scared to find out whether or not the company is legitimate.
So, taking the time to vet your locksmith is a good way to make sure you get charged a fair price. You can do this by calling a locksmith and asking for an estimate.
If the estimate seems ridiculously low, then it’s probably too good to be true. Many scam companies will list the price from their cheapest service, and then charge you for something else.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that locksmiths have a specialized skill set that not everyone else has. To use it properly, they must be trained. At the end of the day, that training can take a lot of time and money.
As such, they deserve to be properly compensating for both their skills and the drive they made out to you. Perhaps that’s why the average salary of a locksmith in Australia is $24.38 an hour. As long as you find an honest, local locksmith, then they’re worth every cent that you pay them.
Need a Locksmith in Melbourne? Contact Asguard Locksmiths
We hope this article helped you find out how much the average local locksmith cost in your area. As you can see, there is no set answer to the question. Instead, it depends on a variety of factors, like the complexity of the job, your location, and the time of day.
If you need a locksmith in Melbourne, look no further than Asguard Locksmiths. Our mobile team is trained, police-checked and fully licensed and we service areas around St Kilda, South Yarra, Armadale, Toorak & surrounds.
Whether you need help getting into your car, or replacing a faulty lock, one of our locksmiths can help you. Contact us now so we can begin helping you as soon as possible.
