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 |  | Low: Kits Run $8-$15; Re-Keying Only $5-$15 |  | Medium: DIY Replace Locks $15-$50 |  | High: Locksmith May Charge $40-$100 Per Lock |
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Losing a set of keys, moving into a new home, going through a divorce or simply realizing that too many copies of your house keys are in circulation can prompt the need to change the entry locks on your home. You can have the lock cylinders reset to use a new key, or you can replace all the locks.
Typical costs: | - A re-key kit[1] to reset the cylinders on as many as 6 locks is available for $8-$15 at some (but not all) hardware stores or home improvement centers.
- It's relatively easy (and should require only a screwdriver) to remove the cylinders from your locks. Take the cylinders to a hardware store or locksmith to have them re-keyed at a charge of $5-$15 per lock. For a home with four locks (both a doorknob and a deadbolt lock on the front and back entry doors) it will run $20-$60. Call ahead (before removing the cylinders) to be sure someone will be available that day to re-key your locks, and that they will re-key your particular brand and model of lock. The only disadvantage to this approach is that there will be no locks on your entry doors while the cylinders are being re-keyed.
- Buying basic locks and installing them yourself runs around $15-$50 per lock, or $60-$200 for four locks on a typical home, depending on the quality and style of the locks. Except to pay at the higher end of the scale if you have all the locks keyed to operate with one key, instead of a separate key for each lock.
- A locksmith will charge a minimum fee (often called a mobile fee) of $40-$100 plus anywhere from $5-$25 per lock cylinder (one per keyhole) for coming to your home and re-keying the locks. (The cost per lock will depend on the type of lock and the prevailing rates in your area.) For a typical home with four locks it can run anywhere from $60-$200, and costs can be even higher if the work is done off-hours, in the evening or on a weekend. When getting quotes, be sure to ask exactly what is included -- some locksmiths include the cost of re-keying one lock in their minimum charge for coming to your home, others charge the minimum plus the fee for each keyhole.
- To have a locksmith come to your home and install new locks, there's usually a minimum fee of $40-$100 plus a labor charge of $20-$30, for a total of $120-$220 for just the labor for a home with four locks (you supply the new hardware). If the locksmith supplies the locks, standard models start around $25-$50 each, which raises the total cost to $220-$420 for coming out and installing four locks. If you choose high-security locks such as the Medeco locks (duplicate keys can only be made by the Medeco dealer who installed the lock) they can be $130-$265 each, for a total cost of $640-$1,280 for a home with four entry locks.
Related articles: Key Copy, Interior Door, Exterior Door
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Additional costs: | - A locksmith's re-keying fee is calculated per keyhole. A deadbolt with a keyhole on both the inside and outside of the door (instead of an inside lever that you turn) will cost double to re-key.
- If your locks are different brands, it may not be possible to re-key them to work with one key, making it necessary to install new locks if you want everything to operate on the same key.
Shopping for a door lock: | - Common lock manufacturers include Kwikset[2] and Schlage[3] .
- When calling a locksmith for a quote, try to give as many details as possible -- the type of lock (the brand name is usually on the edge of the door) and whether the door is wood or metal, with a wood or metal jam. If you're having the locksmith come to your home, be sure to ask what the minimum charge is for a service call, and if any off-hours (evenings or weekends) fees will apply. The Missouri-Kansas Locksmith Association lists tips[4] for hiring a locksmith.
- Ask for locksmith recommendations at the local hardware store. Locksmith fees can vary considerably, so call around and get several estimates. Make sure the locksmith is licensed and bonded (there have been some scams where thieves masqueraded as locksmiths).
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What People Are Paying - Recent Comments |
| Posted by: Anthony Ingram in Kent, OH. | Posted: March 12th, 2022 08:03AM |
I got a estimate for $200 had to replace 3 locks at my new home.I thought the estimate was high, I looked at a couple of YouTube videos did it myself. It was easy too. People it's really easy don't let these locksmiths rip you off. |
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| Posted by: Houyam in Montreal, Other. | Posted: May 10th, 2021 09:05PM |
A locksmith charged me 150$ for a basic dooor knob lock.that sells on Amazon at 7.50&.
I still can’t understand why are these people doing this. |
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| Posted by: kimbo in Pendleton, OR. | Posted: March 15th, 2017 04:03AM |
Door locks are so easy to put in, 10 min at most if I don't have to make holes or anything else. when I put them in for other people I only charge flat rate of $25.00 and that's for the dead bolt and door lock and no more than what I paid for the lock which is usually anywhere from 15 to 20 dollars for the locks |
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| Posted by: DayLyneeGA in ROSWELL, GA. | Posted: December 21st, 2016 06:12PM |
I needed to have my house re-keyed after having a contractor in to perform work. The lock on my front entrance was brand new (installed by the contractor). The locks on my garage door and rear door were over 10 years old and worn looking. I am putting my house up for sale so I went with the option of replacing the hardware for $95 versus just having the locks replaced for $75. The fee per lock was $35 plus there was a $15 consultation fee, so labor was $155, parts were $380. To be honest, I was totally caught off guard by the cost! Next time i'll try actually going to Home Depot or Lowes to have this done. |
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| Posted by: Pissed Off in FL in Davie, FL. | Posted: October 18th, 2016 12:10PM |
Didn't realize this profession was full of so many crooks. Moved into a new home and wanted to re-key three sets of locks. The locksmith shows up in the late afternoon and almost immediately starts to convince me that re-keying was a waste of time and it would be better if I changed all the locks. He also sold me the fact that I would only need one key for two of the sets, making it easier. When I asked what it would cost for new sets rather than re-keying, he said that it would be about the same as a re-key (misleadingly advertised as only $19). I agreed to do the three new sets instead of a re-key. He took off to his "warehouse" and returned about an hour later. He quickly changed the three deadbolts and three doorknob locks in less than half an hour. He used the Defiant brand, which is one of the cheapest available. When it was all over he claimed that it would cost over $700, but reduced it to $600! Be armed and beware; try to get a firm estimate beforehand. Many hidden costs! |
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| Posted by: Maria Dewey in Valley Stream, NY. | Posted: September 12th, 2016 05:09AM |
I locked myself out of my apartment, I called 516-500-8333 they send a locksmith that open my door, one door, one lock and they charged me 351.20 They know that you have no other option so they take advantage and over charge you. The gentleman that was at my apartment last night wrote me a recite for 391.20 when I called to question why they had charged me over 60 dollars for tax they stated that they did not provided any service for me. The number on the recite was not valid He left me a business card I called the number and they told me it was just a clerical mistake. They actually charged me 351.20 dollars . That's still a lot of money to open a door he was here for less than a half an hour. |
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| Posted by: Be aware in Playa del rey, CA. | Posted: July 6th, 2016 07:07PM |
So upset! I was locked out of apartment and called a 5star online company that said $15 service $35.00 change lock fee. Meanwhile
The guy starts writing up all these charges of what each Try would cost to open door. This was a simple Schlag lock, no deadbolt. 1st try 150.00, 2nd try 162.00, if he needed to drill $200.00. I assumed it would be easy, no $200.00 later after doir was open then it was $80.00 for a lock! By the time he wrote up order it was $321.00!!! I was so upset I was crying. I asked to speak to his manager. The manager said he could not talk about prices and would have owner call me. Of course he didn't!
I insisted on a owners number , a address of the company, a business card... Of course the serviceman didn't have any! I called the Internet 800 number and they would not give me a address, email or owners name!!! None of this info Was on the invoice! And the serviceman asked for Cash!! Really? Please take note to use your credit card. |
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| Posted by: huck in caryville, TN. | Posted: January 23rd, 2016 11:01AM |
Not all locksmiths are crooks.I am a l iscensed locksmith and I am fair with my pricing all up front no monkey business.as a matter of fact I don't charge after hours fees.I am sorry you have had bad experiences but not all of us are thieves |
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| Posted by: eight river in Washington, DC. | Posted: September 16th, 2015 10:09AM |
This is "payless" something company.
I called and they told me in half an hour to get my place. I waited and finally he came 1 hrs 45 min later. The tenant moved out and they did not leave the deadbolt Key so I need to open. He brought the grill and only the way he can open is to break the key. He wants $220 for it. If I can keep the same deadbolt, I might consider but if just break the key, my handyman can do for $15.
Also he demands for $35 for service call. In their Web page, $15 for service call to ad.
I asked the rough estimate before they come but they did not give me unless they will see. |
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| Posted by: expensive lesson in Oakland, CA. | Posted: September 27th, 2014 08:09AM |
I wanted locks rekeyed for a purchased home. I found a locksmith who runs his own business and is a one man team. $40 fee, $25 each lock for labor, and parts. Fair enough. I told him I wanted 3 locks rekeyed and one broken lock replaced. It ended up costing me $1100! He sold me two high security locks at $250 a piece - one for the back door and one for garage entry - totally unnecessary! I changed my mind about the garage entry shortly after he started working on the back door, but he insisted it was too late bc he had already rekeyed both new locks, even though he hadn't even started on the garage entry. He also charged $90 for simple turn knobs and $75 for drilling a hole! Costs quickly added up to $1100. Even though he had showed me the pricing before he started the work, I felt coerced. I wish I had seen this website first. Had I known I would have turned down the expensive locks and supplied the parts for him. He didn't technically do anything illegal, but it was SHADY!!! |
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| Posted by: Grrrr in Ottawa, Other. | Posted: July 11th, 2014 10:07AM |
I locked myself out of my condo and had to google a locksmith in Ottawa, ON Canada. Waited for FC Locksmith almost an hour,-20C outside, thankfully neighbor let me in to warm up. Technician charged for: service call-$29, house lock out-$95(still don't get what it means), new lock (in fact, he replaced just some small part inside the old lock)-$120, altogether $280. Altogether he spent about 5-10 minutes of labor. I couldn't believe the price but had to pay since I had no other way to get into my own apartment. Just for comparison: I recently moved to Canada from Russia, where to replace any lock costs under $10 USD maximum, plus the cost of a complete new lock, not just some small part of it, between $10-20. Canadian locksmiths prices are artificially inflated to absolutely ridiculous level, I guess there is no regulation or law for them. I and everyone else should learn DIY techniques to rob them of their unjust profits. |
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| Posted by: Karin in Silver Spring, MD. | Posted: December 18th, 2012 03:12PM |
Ridiculous, " Payless" is the company. Said that they couldn't rekeying so they had to replace. I had to replace because my purse was stolen with my keys and now the locksmith stole from me. |
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| Posted by: Jayl in Burlington, Other. | Posted: December 4th, 2012 11:12AM |
Pretty good used Bryce at alpha locksmiths |
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| Posted by: a user in antioch, CA. | Posted: November 11th, 2012 04:11AM |
Yesterday, I called a locksmith to have sticking deadbolt fixd. He replaced the lock cylinder and deadbolt assembly and charged $175 for the parts. He also keyed the new cylinder so that it worked with the existing key.
The total charge was $414.
This, to me, was a TOTAL RIPOFF! |
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| Posted by: Upset customer in Tucker, GA. | Posted: September 12th, 2012 10:09AM |
Deadbolt to front door was sticking, so called and was estimated $75 on the phone ($30 fee to come out included)to fix. Bill ended up being $230 because they off course had to replace the lock for $115 + additional $65 labor + $20 rekey (when I didn't care that it matched the same key) Ahhh!!! |
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| Posted by: Locksmiths are crooks in Peabody, MA. | Posted: March 8th, 2012 05:03PM |
Very smart to just call a handy man or the Lowes service. I wish I went here first. Beware of locksmiths. Like many others, I got ripped off by this profession of thieves. I moved into a new house in a safe neighborhood, but wanted to have the locks changed, no rush. I called a locksmith who offered "free estimates". The shady character who showed up claimed he could replace it quickly that day if I wanted to, and need just check if he had the lock in his car. No price. He went out to his car, and in minutes, poped the old deadbolt off, poped the new one in and then told me it was going to cost me $230. He completed this brainless task so quickly I didn't even realize he was doing it as I was in the other room. I was like, what? $230 and he said that it was $35 just for the call (so much for free estimates) and $20 for the labor. Meaning this generic basic deadbolt cost $175. Seriously. Oh, and when I asked him for his business card, so I knew who to avoid and to warn the others, interestingly he had "just ran out". Locksmiths are the worst and cannot be trusted. Tell everyone you know to call a handyman instead. Stop this madness. He wanted to to my other lock. I'm upset that I got ripped off, but glad I stopped him at one lock. Beware of locksmiths! |
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| Posted by: Not a sucker in Franklin, WI. | Posted: August 8th, 2011 10:08AM |
I was quoted a price of $28 to bring a locksmith out plus $20 per lock. I had scheduled an appointment days before to change the locks on my newly purchased house. When the locksmith arrive he insisted the price started at $20 but was $50 for my locks. I have standard issue locks from Lowes. They wanted to charge $30 more for the deadbolt set than the cost of a brand new lock. I called the company and they assured me they told me the price started at $20 but could increase. I did not pay the service fee and sent the locksmith away for false advertising. I spoke with Lowes and they will rekey locks you bring in for a small fraction of the price. If you aren't stranded, I highly recommend this option. |
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| Posted by: Pissed in Brooklyn, NY. | Posted: May 23rd, 2011 10:05AM |
We got completely ripped off. I was out of town for the weekend and my roommate came back to our apartment and the lock was broken. It had been deteriorating for awhile, and now her key wouldn't work at all. Our super was away and so she called a locksmith. He didn't give her the total until after he'd done the work and then she flipped when he did. Now we've been arguing with our landlord to pay it ever since. All he did was remove the old lock and replace it. |
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| Posted by: a user in Riverhead, NY. | Posted: April 30th, 2011 08:04PM |
They literally stole from me. The door locks they installed cost approximately $30 a piece and they charged $125 for each lock. Plus I was waiting for 3 hours. I think they were gypsies. Literally. |
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| Posted by: Victim in Tarpon Springs, FL. | Posted: November 28th, 2010 06:11PM |
I had no idea this industry was chock full of thieves and nit-wits!
Called to have my lock changed (I had the lock). The kid put it in crooked, said it was the lock, chipped my door and had to borrow tools from me to complete the job! I got screwed, but I learned. Many of he companies simply are fronts with phone numbers that call anyone with a screw driver in the field. I called a handyman to do the same thing, cot me $25. and it is always done right! |
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| Posted by: very upset* in queens, NY. | Posted: November 24th, 2010 07:11AM |
Soooo I called the locksmith and asked how much would a basic no pic lock would cost... he said 85 I said ok cool. I was ok with that. Then he said it would be a 39 dolla fee for them just to come out? Mind u there about 3 blocks away. So I said I refuse to do so. He said its ok since it was so close. He came and said your total would be 200??????????????????????????????????????????
What!!!!
I sent him home and he was pissed. Had an attitude since he walked in anyway.
Now I'm waiting on another locksmith. Hopefully its better this time. "/ |
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| Posted by: a user in Atlanta, GA. | Posted: September 2nd, 2010 03:09PM |
I hired a locksmith in Atlanta GA to replace 3 deadbolts and key them alike. The company said they couldn't quote me without sending a technician to look at my doors. He came out and quoted me $85 per deadbolt! I declined and he then insisted a $30 service fee for his trouble. Rediculous!
If I could give anyone advice, order your door hardware pre-keyed online and install it yourself. It really isn't very hard to install and you will save a ton of money. Only hire a locksmith if you are locked out....and even then consider breaking a window. |
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| Posted by: a user in Atlanta, GA. | Posted: December 30th, 2009 03:12PM |
Just got a company come to my hme to install a new lock on the entry door.
On the phone they said starting price was $140, at the end, the bill was 311 and got a discount after some arguments about the bil...
Be careful out there, be sure to know how much it is before they start drilling!! |
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| Posted by: 73 in Pembroke Pines, FL. | Posted: February 3rd, 2009 08:02AM |
I called this company to have them replace a lock on my new home "Fast Action Locksmith Service (888) 554-8428", website http://go-og.visit.ws/
The locksmith got into an agressive mood and argument with me for wanting to send him back home...judge for yourself why...
Bill:
-Labor (replacing one lock): $69.00
-Dead bolt: $69.00
Service fee: $49.00
Total $189 plus taxes, this was after a "discount"of $40.00...so kind
avoid this company |
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External Resources: | - www.familyhandyman.com/
- www.kwikset.com/
- consumer.schlage.com/Pages/home.aspx
- www.mkla.org/id32.html
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