Guide
How Much Does a Locksmith Cost in the UK?
A daytime lockout opened without damage costs about £90 to £160, and a euro cylinder change about £105 to £175 fitted, from the MLA and MyJobQuote price lists. Nights and weekends usually add £50 to £100, according to MyJobQuote. A fair quote gives one total before anyone sets off: call-out, labour, parts and VAT.
How much does a locksmith charge for common jobs?
These ranges come from published UK price guides, checked on 2 October 2026. Each row names its sources.
| Job | Typical price | Sources | |---|---|---| | Lockout, daytime, no damage | £90 to £160 | MLA, MyJobQuote, Fantastic Services | | Lockout where the lock is drilled and replaced | £180 to £300 | MyJobQuote | | Euro cylinder change, fitted | £105 to £175 | MLA, MyJobQuote | | Anti-snap cylinder, fitted | £137 to £150 | MLA, Checkatrade | | Mortice deadlock (BS 3621), fitted | £100 to £205 | MLA, Checkatrade, MyJobQuote, Bark | | uPVC mechanism or gearbox | £85 to £300 | MLA, MyJobQuote | | Opening a domestic safe | £100 to £300 | Fantastic Services, Alan Morgan Master Locksmiths |
A 'from' price is a floor, not an average. The MLA figures are its own 2026 price list.
How much do car locksmith jobs cost?
Car work is priced separately because it needs different equipment.
| Job | Typical price | Sources | |---|---|---| | Car lockout, opened by an auto locksmith | £65 to £95 | MLA, Bark | | Replacement car key, cut and programmed | £100 to £282 | WhoCanFixMyCar, StageMyCar | | Car key programming only | about £250 | WhoCanFixMyCar |
The £282 is WhoCanFixMyCar's 2026 average booking of £281.78, and programming averaged £250.33 on the same platform. StageMyCar, a trade blog, puts dealer key prices at £150 to £500 or more. Keyless smart keys sit at the top of the range.
What does a locksmith charge per hour, and for key cutting?
For work priced by time, the daytime hourly rate is about £65 to £85. Checkatrade gives about £65, Bark an average of £80, and the MLA from £85. In London the MLA's rate starts at £95 an hour, and £153 an hour after midnight.
Key cutting is priced per key:
- Standard cylinder or Yale-type key: about £4 to £7. The MLA starts cylinder keys at £5.55 and mortice keys at £7.40; Home Secure Shop gives £4 to £7. - High-security or restricted key: about £10 to £22. The MLA starts security keys at £21.15; Home Secure Shop gives £10 to £20 or more.
Restricted keys can usually only be cut by the holder of the key system, against a card or proof of ownership.
How much more does an out-of-hours locksmith cost?
Usually £50 to £100 more for evenings, nights and weekends, from MyJobQuote. Bark's hourly guide gives £90 an hour from 8pm to midnight and £125 an hour from midnight to 6am.
That surcharge is normal. A locksmith working at 2am on a Sunday is entitled to charge more, and a fair one tells you the figure before setting off. What is not normal is finding out about it on the doorstep. Ask which rate applies at the time they will arrive, not the time you ring.
Do locksmiths charge a call-out fee?
Some do and many do not. The MLA says most emergency locksmiths charge no separate call-out fee and build travel into the job price. Where one is charged, Checkatrade gives £50 to £150, and Fantastic Services gives £80 to £200, or £120 to £250 in London.
A call-out fee is not a warning sign on its own. The warning sign is a low call-out figure quoted as if it were the price, with everything else added later. A quote of a small call-out 'plus labour' tells you almost nothing. Ask for the total.
What does a fair locksmith quote look like?
One figure, given before anyone sets off, that covers:
- any call-out charge - labour - parts, with the standard named (for example a TS 007 3 star cylinder) - VAT, or confirmation that the business is not VAT registered - the night or weekend rate, if it applies
For a plain lockout or a standard cylinder change, a locksmith based near you can give a firm figure or a narrow range on the phone. A wider range is reasonable for a fault they have not seen, such as a failing uPVC gearbox, as long as they explain what moves it. Write the quote down with the name of the person who gave it, and ask for a written invoice at the end.
Common questions
Why do locksmith prices vary so much?
The job, the time, the lock fitted and the distance all change the price. A daytime lockout with no damage costs far less than a night visit where the lock is replaced. Compare totals for the same job, not headline call-out figures.
Is a cheap locksmith quote on the phone a good sign?
Not on its own. A very low figure that turns out to be a call-out charge only is the pattern behind most overcharging complaints. Ask for the total, including labour, parts and VAT, before anyone sets off.
Do locksmith prices include VAT?
The published ranges here include VAT where the source says so. Not every locksmith is VAT registered. Ask whether the quote includes VAT and look for a VAT number on the invoice if it is charged.
Is London more expensive for a locksmith?
Usually. The MLA's 2026 price list starts London hourly work at £95, against £85 elsewhere, and Fantastic Services gives London call-out fees of £120 to £250 against £80 to £200 elsewhere.