Anyone who gives you a firm price without knowing the job is guessing — or baiting you. Here’s what actually moves the number.
The type of job. A simple house rekey, a lockout, a deadbolt installation, a safe opening, and a commercial panic-bar repair are completely different amounts of work. That’s the biggest factor by far.
How many locks or cylinders. Rekeying one door is quick; rekeying a whole house or a building with matched keys takes longer and uses more parts. Price usually scales with the number of cylinders, not the number of doors.
The hardware itself. A basic residential deadbolt and a high-security cylinder (Medeco, Mul-T-Lock) aren’t in the same category — the parts cost more and the work is more exacting. Same with electronic and smart locks.
Parts vs. labor. Some jobs are almost all labor (a rekey reuses your existing lock). Others are mostly parts (a new smart lock, a replacement multipoint gearbox). We keep quality hardware in stock at the shop, so you’re not paying a markup to send someone chasing a part.
When and where. After-hours and same-day service, and travel to the far edge of our area, can affect a quote. After-hours rates are quoted up front when you call — never discovered on the invoice.
If one company quotes “$19 service call” and everyone else is higher, the $19 isn’t a real price — it’s bait. The real bill shows up on your doorstep once you’re locked out and stressed, and it’s often several hundred dollars, cash preferred, with a “your lock has to be drilled” tacked on. We wrote a whole guide on spotting that: How to Avoid Locksmith Scams.
A fair quote isn’t the lowest number. It’s the one from a licensed local shop that tells you the price before the work, sticks to it, and is still there if something isn’t right afterward.
We tell you the cost before we start — every charge, up front. The technician explains what’s wrong and what your options are, the invoice matches the quote, and you can pay by card, cash, or check. If a job turns out to be simpler than expected, the price reflects that.
We’ve been doing this at one shop in Alexandria for over 55 years. Our reputation is the whole business, and a surprise bill is a good way to lose it.
For straightforward jobs we can give you a good idea once we know what you need — how many locks, what kind of hardware, and where you are. We’d rather give you an honest range than a fake number that changes later.
A rekey reuses your existing hardware — we just change the pins inside so old keys stop working. Replacing means new hardware and parts. Our rekey-or-replace guide has the full breakdown.
After-hours service is quoted up front when you call, so there are no surprises.
Rekeying and replacing aren’t the same thing. When each one makes sense, what drives the cost, and when it’s worth doing yourself.
Read the GuideThe three questions to ask before anyone touches your door, what the classic bait-and-switch looks like, and why so many “local” locksmiths aren’t.
Read the GuideTell us what you need and we’ll price it before any work starts.
