For locksmiths
Pricing Locksmith Work: Publishing Prices Customers Trust
Customers trust a locksmith who publishes fixed daytime prices for common jobs, shows the out-of-hours surcharge separately, and quotes VAT-inclusive totals. Published UK ranges give context: a daytime lockout costs about £90 to £160 and an out-of-hours surcharge about £50 to £100, from the MLA and MyJobQuote. A clear total is the opposite of the overcharging pattern.
Why publish your prices at all?
Because the customer's biggest fear is the bill. The overcharging pattern that BBC London, Which? and Trading Standards have reported is a low phone quote that multiplies on the doorstep. MLA complaints about suspected overcharging rose from 280 in 2023 to 402 in 2025, as the BBC reported.
A locksmith who publishes a real price for a daytime lockout and a cylinder change answers that fear before the phone rings. It also filters calls: people who ring already know roughly what it costs, so fewer calls end in an argument about price. You do not need to publish every job, only the ones customers search for most.
What prices should you publish?
Fixed prices for the jobs that are predictable, and a 'from' price or range for the ones that are not. A useful set:
- Lockout, daytime, opened without damage - Lockout, night or weekend - Euro cylinder change and anti-snap cylinder, fitted, naming the standard - Mortice deadlock (BS 3621), fitted - uPVC mechanism or gearbox, as a range - Car lockout and car key from, for auto locksmiths - Call-out charge, day and night, even if it is zero
Say what each includes: labour, the part, and VAT. Customers compare totals, so a price that leaves out the part is not comparable with one that includes it.
How do your prices compare with published ranges?
These are the UK ranges this site uses, from published price guides:
| Job | Range | Sources | |---|---|---| | Lockout, daytime | £90 to £160 | MLA, MyJobQuote, Fantastic Services | | Out-of-hours surcharge | £50 to £100 | MyJobQuote | | Call-out fee, where charged | £50 to £150 | Checkatrade, Fantastic Services | | Euro cylinder change | £105 to £175 | MLA, MyJobQuote | | Anti-snap cylinder | £137 to £150 | MLA, Checkatrade | | Mortice deadlock | £100 to £205 | MLA, Checkatrade, MyJobQuote, Bark | | Car lockout | £65 to £95 | MLA, Bark |
You do not have to sit inside them. A price outside the range is fine if you can say why, such as a high-security cylinder or a rural call-out.
How should you show out-of-hours rates and VAT?
Show both, plainly, next to the daytime price. Out-of-hours work deserves more, and customers accept that when they are told first. State when your night and weekend rate starts and what it adds, for example a fixed surcharge, rather than leaving it to the phone call.
If you are VAT registered, quote consumers prices including VAT; that is what they compare and what they pay. If you are not registered, say so, because it explains why your price may look lower. Since April 2025 the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 has treated hiding unavoidable charges from a headline price as an unfair practice, so a call-out charge every customer pays belongs in the price you show.
How do you price a job you have not seen?
Give a range, say what moves it, and confirm the figure before you start. A failing uPVC gearbox, a seized mortice or a car key for an unfamiliar model can all vary, and customers understand that if you explain it. MyJobQuote puts uPVC lock repair at £150 to £300 or more, which shows how wide a fair range can be.
On arrival, look first, then give a firm price, then start. If the job changes, for example a lock that cannot be opened without drilling, stop and tell the customer why and what it costs before you go on. Write the agreed figure on the invoice. That one habit protects you from disputes and chargebacks.
Common questions
Should locksmiths publish prices online?
Publishing fixed daytime prices for common jobs helps customers trust you before they call and filters out price arguments. Show night rates and VAT clearly, and give ranges for jobs you need to see first.
Should a locksmith charge a call-out fee?
It is your choice. The MLA says most emergency locksmiths charge no separate call-out fee. If you charge one, include it in the price you show, because customers compare totals.
How much should a locksmith charge for a lockout?
Published UK ranges put a daytime lockout opened without damage at about £90 to £160, from the MLA and MyJobQuote, with out-of-hours surcharges of £50 to £100 from MyJobQuote.