Tool
Locksmith quote check
Published UK prices put a daytime lockout opened without damage at £90 to £160 (MLA price list; MyJobQuote; Fantastic Services), so a quote over £240 for one is more than one and a half times the top. Put in the price you were quoted to see where it sits, what to do next, and what the number you rang says about where they are. Nothing you type leaves the page.
Below, within, above or far above
The check compares your quote with the published range for that job in the table below. Under the bottom of the range it is below; up to the top it is within; up to one and a half times the top it is above; past that it is far above. A low quote is fine as long as it is the total and not a starting price.
Out of hours, the surcharge band (£50 to £100, from MyJobQuote) goes on both ends first. With more than one lock to change, only the top end is multiplied by the number of locks. Where the only published figure is an hourly rate, the check works out how many hours of work the quote pays for. And if the quote leaves out VAT, it adds 20% and checks that figure as well; parts come on top.
| Job | Published range | Far above | Where it was published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locked out of a home or business | £90 to £160 | over £240 | MLA price list; MyJobQuote; Fantastic Services (October 2026) |
| Change a lock | £105 to £175 | over £262.50 | MLA price list; MyJobQuote (October 2026) |
| Fit anti-snap cylinders | £137 to £150 | over £225 | MLA price list; Checkatrade (October 2026) |
| uPVC door will not lock or open | £85 to £300 | over £450 | MLA price list; MyJobQuote (October 2026) |
| Car keys, lost or a spare | £100 to £282 | over £423 | WhoCanFixMyCar; StageMyCar (October 2026) |
| Locked out of a car | £65 to £95 | over £142.50 | MLA; Bark (October 2026) |
| Open a safe | £100 to £300 | over £450 | Fantastic Services; Alan Morgan Master Locksmiths (October 2026) |
| Key cutting | £4 to £7 a key | over £10.50 a key | MLA key cutting prices; Home Secure Shop (October 2026) |
| Anything else | £65 to £85 an hour | turned into hours | MLA price list; Checkatrade; Bark (October 2026) |
What to do next
- Ask for the total in writing, by text or email, before any work starts: call-out, labour, parts and VAT.
- You can say no. If the price is more than you agreed, or more than you will pay, refuse the work before it starts; you pay only a call-out fee you agreed to beforehand.
- For advice on a price or a dispute, ring the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.
- If you paid by card and were charged more than you agreed, ask your card provider about a chargeback.
What the number you rang tells you
Type the number in and the check reads its first digits. The number never leaves the page.
- 01 and 02: A geographic number. The check shows the dialling code and, where we hold it, the town it belongs to. A business based where it says usually has one, though any number can be diverted to another phone.
- 07: A mobile. A mobile proves nothing about where they are: ask where they are based and how far they are coming.
- 070: A personal number, not a real mobile. It forwards to any phone, anywhere, and calling one can cost far more than a mobile. The check flags it.
- 03, 05, 08 and 09: Non-geographic. These can be answered anywhere, so they say nothing about where the business is. We never list these: every listing here has a geographic or mobile number.