How to Estimate a Locksmith Job (Step by Step)

Count every lock, door, and key first

Locksmith estimates go wrong when they are built from a phone description like 'a few locks.' Ask for the exact count: how many doors, how many locks per door, and whether any are deadbolts, knob sets, levers, or smart locks. A rekey priced for three locks that turns out to be nine is a loss you handed yourself.

Photos help more than adjectives. Have the customer text a picture of each lock and each door edge. You can often identify the brand and keyway from a photo, which tells you whether the locks can be rekeyed at all and what blanks and pins you need on the truck.

Decide rekey versus replace, lock by lock

Rekeying keeps the existing hardware and changes the pins so old keys stop working. Replacement means new hardware entirely. Rekeying is cheaper for the customer and faster for you when the locks are decent quality and compatible. Replacement makes sense when the hardware is worn, mismatched, low-grade, or the customer wants an upgrade like a smart lock or a higher-security cylinder.

Write the decision into the estimate per door, not as one blanket line. 'Rekey 4 existing Kwikset deadbolts' and 'supply and install 1 Grade 2 lever set, front door' read as professional judgment. 'Locks — $X' reads as a number you will have to defend.

Price hardware at your real cost

Hardware spans a wide range: a basic knob set and a high-security deadbolt are different products with different costs, and customers rarely know the difference until you explain it. Price each item from your supplier's current numbers, and name the grade or model on the estimate so the customer can see what they are buying.

Decide how you handle markup on hardware and state it consistently. Many locksmiths mark up parts they supply, which is a normal business practice; whether you show it as a separate line or roll it into the hardware price is your call. Material markup for contractors walks through both approaches.

Charge for the call, not just the task

Locksmith work is mobile work. Driving across town for a ten-minute rekey is still an hour of your day, so build the trip into the price: a service-call fee, a minimum charge, or a first-hour rate that includes travel. After-hours, weekend, and emergency lockout calls deserve their own premium tier, and it should be stated plainly on the estimate rather than discovered on the invoice.

If you quote emergency work by phone, give a range and name what would move it: a standard cylinder versus a high-security one, one lock versus several. Then confirm the final number on site before you start, and put it in writing. A quick written estimate from your phone takes minutes — in EstimateBook you can describe the job by voice, review the drafted line items, and send a PDF before you pick up a tool. The draft is a starting point; check every line against the actual door.

Mistakes that cost locksmiths money

• Quoting per lock over the phone without confirming the count or the lock types on site
• Forgetting the trip: no service-call fee or minimum on small jobs
• Charging daytime rates for a 2 a.m. lockout because the premium was never set
• Promising a rekey on hardware that turns out to be too worn or incompatible to repin
• No written scope, so 'while you are here' extras arrive without a price attached

What the customer should see

A clear locksmith estimate shows the service call or minimum, each task per door with rekey-or-replace stated, hardware named by grade or model, any after-hours premium, tax, and the total. Add a line noting that old keys will no longer work after a rekey — it prevents the most confused follow-up call in the trade.

For landlords and property managers, note how many new keys are included and what extra keys cost. Small detail, but it is the line they look for first.