Locksmith FAQ's

How much is a locksmith call out fee UK?

Mostly, locksmiths do not charge a call out fee.

Long Answer: Many locksmiths do not charge a call out fee. As with any othe=
r question though, there are times when they will do.
Most locksmiths will not charge a call out fee, regardless of time of day, =
or day of the year. Even Christmas day.

Some locksmiths do charge a call out fee out of hours (by out of hours we m=
ean outside of the normal working day =E2=80=94 9am to 5pm).

A small percentage of locksmiths do charge a call out fee. Proceed with cau=
tion with these types of charges, they may be acceptable for your type of e=
mergency during normal working hours. But, if these companies charge a call=
 out fee, then after midnight that call out fee is bound to be a lot more. =
It will cost you money to put their keys in the ignition of their work tran=
sport.

Our recommendation is to call 3 different locksmiths to discover who is goi=
ng to charge you a call out fee or not. Also if you are willing to pay a ca=
ll out fee, ask them what they are going charge extra per hour labour after=
 that call out fee.

How much does a local locksmith cost?

Expect to pay around =C2=A365 =E2=80=94 =C2=A395 during normal working hour=
s.

Long answer: This a question that has been researched quite substantially b=
y using different methods by a number of different organisations.

Locksmith costs are prone to differences in locality (you are likely to pay=
 more in London and expect to pay less in Windermere than the national aver=
age), time of quote for the job, the time that the work is likely to be car=
ried out and individual pricing of the locksmith you are calling.

The locksmith industry is not regulated, locksmiths can start in the indust=
ry without any training or former knowledge. This means that every locksmit=
h charges what they believe is a fair and competitive hourly or job rate fo=
r a certain type of job.

Some companies charge up to =C2=A3150 a hour at certain times of the day an=
d at weekends, some more than that.
If you are finding it difficult to get a straight answer as to how much it =
is going to cost, then the locksmith is going to charge you what they want =
when they have completed the job.
Try to nail them down to at least a ballpark figure before you accept.

What is the cheapest way to change locks?

The cheapest way to change a lock is to do it yourself. If you have the kno=
wledge, time and equipment required.

Long Answer: It is always cheaper to get something done by using your own e=
ffort and time to change a lock.

Changing your own lock does come with several pitfalls.

Do you have the practical skills, the patience, the right tools and the tim=
e to change a lock yourself?
Some people do not even own a screwdriver and have no intention of even wan=
ting one. They are happy to let a professional do the required job. This wa=
y they can guarantee that the job is done correctly, the finished article w=
ill be fully guaranteed if it does go wrong, they can call the same person =
back to put in right again.

=E2=80=9CCheapest is not always the best=E2=80=9D.

You can go and buy a new lock from a retail store for yourself and believe =
that it will last for 20 years. It may, but if you have purchased the wrong=
 size lock, or the wrong lock competely, then your time has just doubled. Y=
ou may even have brought a lock that looked nice on the shelf but the type =
of door or window that lock is intended for is not what you have.

Professional advice is free.

Another bad scenario is if you buy a lock from a faulty batch then you have=
 to return that lock to the store to get a replacement. In the process you =
would be leaving your premises open whilst you are obtaining a replacement =
part.

How do you unlock a door without a key?

Locks can be picked or bypassed without a key using specialist equipment or=
 tools.

Long Answer: Locksport is a popular past time in the UK and around the worl=
d. Some people enjoy picking locks as a hobby. There are social media group=
s formed for like minded people, to celebrate their accomplishments.

Many people are aware of the names of YouTube sites like the =E2=80=98Locki=
ng Picking Lawyer=E2=80=99 and =E2=80=98Bosnian Bill=E2=80=99. There are ma=
ny videos and memes on social media making it look like locks are so easily=
 picked and by passed that you would be more than likely to try it for your=
self.

Locksmiths have spent their career learning how to defeat locks in real wor=
ld sittuations. They have close ties with manufacturers and lock sporters a=
like.

All locksmiths who been in the profession for a number of years have been t=
o a call out where the client has seen a YouTube video on how to open a doo=
r without a key and had twice the amount of work trying to manipulate the l=
ocks to open them.
This only increases the cost for the client who thought they would save a f=
ew pounds by having a go themselves. Often destroying things that would hav=
e remained intact had they called a locksmith prior to going onto YouTube.

Locks can be opened without a key but they do not need to be destroyed, bro=
ken or end up with bits of twig snapped off in them rendering them useless.=
 You may be doing more harm than good.

How long does it take for a locksmith to change a lock?

Changing a lock is mostly a quick job to perform, expect 5 -30 minutes for =
most UK locks.

Long Answer: There is always confusion amongst clients when it comes to cha=
nging locks.

If the lock change is going to be a like for like lock change then the aver=
age is never much than 30 minutes, but it can take less than 5 minutes.

Many people ask this question as they have busy lives or really do not want=
 to take an afternoon off from work to sit waiting for a locksmith to arriv=
e to change a lock, without knowing how long the job will take.

When people think they are getting a lock changed some think it is a major =
job like having a new boiler swapped in.

More often than not it is only the part of the lock that the key fits into =
that needs to be changed. Most modern locks have many parts, they are part =
of a set of entities that come together to make a whole locking system.

Changing a cylinder is not the same thing as changing the door mechanism or=
 swapping out the handles for a new set for example.
The rule to go by here is, if it needs a new key then it should be relative=
ly quick, if the lock has issues then it is going to need diagnosing and ma=
y take a lot longer to find the fault.

The door may not be sitting correctly in the aperture, you may have externa=
l issues that are causing the locking system to malfunction. The glazing ma=
y need to be removed etc.

Call a few locksmiths and they can discuss the problem with you. Decide whi=
ch is best suited for your needs and budget.

How much does it cost to change a door lock?

Most local locksmiths will charge =C2=A365 =E2=80=94 =C2=A3135 for a basic =
lock change.

Long Answer: You can get cheap locks from most retail outlets. Locksmiths a=
re no exception to this rule. They are subject to the same market pressures=
 as any other small business. They can buy cheap Chinese copy locks for a f=
ew pounds and mark the price up to any level they decide to make a tidy pro=
fit from them.

There are plastic locks installed in some UK homes and property holders are=
 unaware until you point it out to them.

Most locksmiths will offer you a full 12 month guarantee on locks that you =
purchase from them. With a full guarantee you can be sure that they do not =
want to return to you and replace faulty parts. It is also an indication th=
at they have fitted locks of the same make and brand to numerous other prop=
erties and the product is suitable for long term use.

Lock prices will vary. Many people have Chubb / Union branded locks on thei=
r property that have served their purpose for more than 25 years and are st=
ill functioning the same way as they did when new.
The price of a lock change is often related to the RRP from manufacturers.

If your quote for a lock change is considerably higher than you expected it=
 could be down to the fact that it is a high end product.

Many people are security conscious, they realise that a lock is the only th=
ing stopping them from losing everything to a burglar when they are out.
Better security locks will cost more. If you are thinking of upgrading whil=
st lock changing, get a few quotes for the type of lock you require.

Locksmith Frequently Asked Questions / Locksmith FAQ=E2=80=99s
Our Locksmith FAQ=E2=80=99s will evolve as different questions are asked we=
 will try to keep this post up to date. If you need any assistance do not h=
estitate to call us or email us and include any locksmith faq=E2=80=99s you=
 think need including.