Because a locksmith quote is a bundle of separate things, a call-out charge, labour, parts, the time of day, travel distance and VAT, and firms structure and price each part differently. Some differences are legitimate, reflecting genuine cost differences. Some are deliberate, built on a cheap advertised price that grows on the doorstep. Comparing quotes properly means comparing the same job, with a breakdown, in writing.
If you have phoned two or three locksmiths about the same job and been given very different numbers, you are not alone, and you are not necessarily being robbed by one of them. Here is what is actually inside a quote, why the numbers spread so widely, and how to compare them like for like.
What is actually inside a locksmith quote?
Start with the structure, because most confusion comes from comparing quotes that include different things.
The call-out charge covers attending your property. The Master Locksmiths Association notes that many locksmiths charge no call-out fee during normal working hours, and that where one is charged it is usually because the visit is after 6pm, at a weekend, on a bank holiday or involves a long journey. 1
Labour is the hourly rate or fixed job price for the work itself. Emergency work at night reasonably costs more per hour than a booked job on a Tuesday morning; the MLA’s examples show out-of-hours hourly rates stepping up through the evening and overnight. 1
Parts are the lock or cylinder being supplied, and these vary enormously. A basic euro cylinder and a British Standard, anti-snap cylinder are different products at different prices, and a like-for-like comparison has to name which one is being fitted.
VAT is the classic hidden difference. The MLA advises asking whether VAT is included in any price you are given, and notes that some locksmiths are not VAT registered; you can check a firm’s registration on the HMRC website. It also warns that dishonest operators sometimes add false VAT on top. 1 A quote of £100 plus VAT is £120. A quote of £110 including VAT is £110. Compared carelessly, the wrong one looks cheaper.
Why does the same job get quoted so differently?
Consumer body Which? lists the legitimate factors: where you live, how long the job takes, the type, size and brand of lock, whether it meets the British Standard for theft resistance, and whether it is an emergency visit at an unsocial time. It advises asking locksmiths to break down their quotes, and getting more than one quote for the same job. 2 London and the South East generally cost more than elsewhere, evening and weekend work costs more than daytime, and a five-minute cylinder swap costs less than a mortice lock that needs the door worked on.
Then there are the differences that have nothing to do with costs. National booking centres advertise heavily and subcontract the work to whoever will take it, adding their own margin; you are not always talking to the person who will turn up. And the rogue pattern documented by the Guardian is worth knowing in detail: an operator repeats a very low price, around £49, asks no questions about your door or your lock, then on site drills the lock as the default and stacks the invoice, a fee to open, a fee for the new lock, a fitting charge, then VAT on top, ending between £300 and £1,000 for a job an honest locksmith said should cost about £200. 3
What does an honest quote look like?
It starts with questions. A genuine locksmith asks what has happened, what kind of door you have and what kind of lock is involved before quoting, because the answers change the job. The rogues interviewed for the Guardian’s report did the opposite: no questions, just the repeated low price. 3
An honest quote is also specific. It says what lock or parts are being supplied, whether the price is fixed or an estimate, what happens if the job turns out bigger than expected, and whether VAT is included. It comes from someone willing to say who will actually attend, their own locksmith or a subcontractor, and how you can pay; a card machine is a reassuring sign, because a bank transfer gives you far less protection if things go wrong. 3 Our guide to what a locksmith quote should include has the full checklist. 4
How do you compare two quotes like for like?
Line them up on the same job, and check each element in turn.
| Check | What to ask | Why it changes the price |
|---|---|---|
| Same lock? | Which exact lock or cylinder is being supplied, and does it meet BS3621 or TS007 three-star? | A basic cylinder and an insurance-rated anti-snap cylinder are very different products |
| VAT included? | Is this price including VAT? Is the firm VAT registered? | 20 per cent on top turns the cheaper quote into the dearer one |
| Call-out included? | Does this price include attending, or is there a separate call-out charge? | A “cheap” quote plus a call-out fee can exceed an all-in price |
| Fixed or estimate? | Is this the final price for the job described, and what could make it change? | Estimates can grow; fixed prices for a described job should not |
| Who attends? | Will your own locksmith do the job, or is it subcontracted? | Booking centres add a margin and you cannot judge who is coming |
One more filter costs nothing: be suspicious of any advert claiming to be “police recommended” or “police approved”. The police do not recommend locksmith companies, and the MLA warns such claims are likely to be false. 3
Frequently asked questions
Why is one locksmith quote so much cheaper than another?
Either it genuinely includes less, or it is designed to. Check whether the cheaper quote excludes VAT, the call-out charge or the parts, whether it names the same lock, and whether it is a fixed price or an estimate. The rogue pattern documented by the Guardian is a very low advertised price that multiplies on the doorstep, so a far cheaper quote deserves more questions, not fewer. 3
Do locksmiths charge a call-out fee in the UK?
Many do not during normal working hours. Where a call-out fee is charged, it is typically because the visit is after 6pm, at a weekend, on a bank holiday or involves a long journey, according to the Master Locksmiths Association. Ask before anyone travels. 1
Should a locksmith quote include VAT?
A consumer quote should state clearly whether VAT is included. Some smaller locksmiths are not VAT registered and charge no VAT, which is legitimate; you can check registration on the HMRC website. What is not acceptable is adding “VAT” to a bill at the end without being registered, a practice the MLA warns about. 1
Why does an emergency locksmith cost more at night?
Out-of-hours work costs more because the labour rate rises for evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays, the same reason plumbers and electricians charge more at midnight. The MLA’s example rates step up through the evening and overnight. What matters is that the higher rate is agreed before anyone sets off, not discovered on the invoice. 1
Is the cheapest locksmith quote likely to be the final price?
Not necessarily. Ask whether it is fixed for the job described and what it includes. Trading Standards and press investigations have found the lowest advertised prices are sometimes a hook, with the real bill assembled on site from stacked fees. A mid-range, itemised, fixed quote from someone who asked about your door is usually the safer choice. 3
Sources and checks
- Master Locksmiths Association, “How Much are Locksmith Call Out Charges & Fees?” (locksmiths.co.uk, checked 20 October 2026). Call-out fee reasons, out-of-hours labour rate structure, VAT advice and the false-VAT warning.
- Which? Trusted Traders, “Cost guide: locksmiths” (last updated December 2020; used for the factors that change a quote and the advice to get itemised, multiple quotes, not for current prices).
- The Guardian, “The £49 ‘driller killer’: steps to avoid locksmith scams” (8 March 2026). The lowball-then-stacked-invoice pattern, the questions honest locksmiths ask, subcontracting, card versus bank transfer, and why “police recommended” claims are false.
- AHLP Knowledge Centre, “Locksmith Quote Checklist: Costs & What’s Included” (ahlp.co.uk). The full checklist of what an honest quote should spell out.
Sources checked 20 October 2026. This is general guidance, not a quote for your job; a locksmith can advise on your particular door and lock.