Prices

[mcm757207]

One thing that I always find interesting while browsing these forums is how locksmiths from all over have different prices for their services, so I thought it would be interesting to have one thread where everyone who worked as a locksmith posted the cost of various things, I'll start:

Vehicle lockout: $0 + $45 ($45 = service call)
Business/Residential lockout: $5 +$45

Rekey a lock: $8 (w/ key, $10 w/o original key)
Key by code: $8

Keys duplicated:
Standard: $1.45
Double-sided (or domestic vehicle): $2.00
Foreign vehicle: $3.00
Safety-Deposit box: $3.75
Tubular: $4.00
Medeco: $8.00

(All of the above is in USD)

[dab]

vehicle lockout $50-175(deadlocked Foreign)
buisness/residential $50
key by code $20-25
keys: single $1.50
double $2.52
barrel $12.99
flat steel $7.00
Bit/ Barrel $15.00
High Security $15.00
Hourly Rate $65
After Hours $how tired I am
USD

[maxxed]

Service Call $50.0
Rekey $10.50
Domestic Key $2.00
Double Sided $3.50
Tubular $5.00
Primus $9.00
Medico $10.00
Multi lock $9.00
Code $10.00 plus key dup. charge

[2octops]

Vehicle lockout: $65-$150
Business/Residential lockout: $65 for first cylinder $45 each additional

Rekey a lock: $15 (w/ key, $30 w/o original key)
Key by code: $35

Keys duplicated:
Standard: $2.50
Double-sided (or domestic vehicle): $2.50
Foreign vehicle: $2.50
Safety-Deposit box: $12.00
Tubular: $12.00
Primus: $18.00
MX: $8.00

Service Call: $65
Hourly Rate: $75 - Minimum 1 hour for commercial and residential



Why do you charge $2 for a double sided domestic and $3 for a foreign? If a guy comes in wanting a dupe for his Mazda truck and Ford Ranger, do you charge different prices for the same key?

Heck, most of the foreign cars are made here and a lot of the domestics are being made elsewhere. Is that a domestic or import Honda?

[mcm757207]

Why do you charge $2 for a double sided domestic and $3 for a foreign? If a guy comes in wanting a dupe for his Mazda truck and Ford Ranger, do you charge different prices for the same key?

Heck, most of the foreign cars are made here and a lot of the domestics are being made elsewhere. Is that a domestic or import Honda?

I honestly couldn't say, I don't come up with the prices. That is a good question though, I'll ask the boss.

[Mungoon]

I was hoping someone would post this topic. Thanks.

[xnoobandrew]

Wow, I wouldn't know this, just an enthusiast, but on average how many calls you get a week?

because even when you get called you still make money.

Wow..I'd love the life, if I was the only Locksmith in that town.

(Constant lockpicking, replacing locks, and picking cylinders when I'm not working)

My dream

[2octops]

The last time I actually tracked the number of customer calls that I received I tracked it for 3 months last year. We averaged around 200 calls per week I think. With 3 vans and a lockout only truck, we normally run about 60-70 calls per week including lockouts. I average about 6,000 minutes each month on my cell phone.

Most of the calls are price shoppers going down the list in the yellow pages. I can normally seal the deal on about 1 out of every 10 of these. The rest are our regular customers that I have had for years.

We have a very solid customer base that is a mix of car dealerships and auctions along with a large number of commercial customers that keep us running around like chickens with our heads cut off. We cover about a 60 mile radius that includes the Metro Atlanta area. A normal day usually puts 200-300 miles on each van.

We provide a lot of different services other than just picking locks. I have a guy that does a lot of commercial door repair and hardware. I have another that does nothing but automotive work for dealers and auctions. My lockout guy is just that. He does nothing but pick locks and unlock cars. I fill in where I am needed.

Currently, we are completely scheduled for the next 3 days with the exception of my lockout guy that runs as needed. I have enough stuff on the books to keep us busy for another couple of weeks that we will work into the schedule.

The town that I live in is about 3800 people and I average about 10 calls per week here, so to make a living, we have to go where the money is.

[kodierer]

If I opened my own business, and just did lockout calls at 25 dollars a pop. If I could just get 4 calls a day 7 days a week. Thats $700 a week. That would be enough for me. Maybe I should go into business.

[hippy5749]

Think about gas to and from job. Business Insurance, Advertisement prices. Seperate phone line optional. etc....
There are plenty more things to take into account......

[Bump]

[quote="2octops"]...... We averaged around 200 calls per week I think. With 3 vans and a lockout only truck, we normally run about 60-70 calls per week including lockouts. quote]

I don't doubt your statistics but that is a mighty number of jobs for a population of <4000 people locally. I'm thinking there must be an awful lot of careless people in the USA.

I live next to a town of 155,000 people who probably don't generate that many calls to Locksmiths in a month. Can't speak for the other 13 or so known Locksmiths in my area but I would be delirious with 60 calls a week; probably closer to 8-10 if I am lucky. Clearly you only reap what you sow and my advertising budget seems to get ramped up each year to compete against the call centre services.

I try to keep prices simple and charge £40 for residential and auto lockouts during the normal working day + £10 after 6pm, +£25 after 10pm; this buys the first hour. Week-ends and holidays I add a further £10 to the above. There is no call-out and labour on quoted jobs is charged at £40 for the first hour and £20 for subsequent hours. If anyone calls after midnight and before 8am I usually quote a daft price and if they are willing to pay it then I can be motivated to get out of bed.

Mark up on materials is between me and my accountant.
Keys I cut for free if they are part of a lock fitting or £3 if not.

I'm doing OK because I can supplement my income with other contractual work but the Locksmithing is fun and I think I would do it for free if I could but it would be aggravating to all the other locksmiths in the area.

[2octops]

I don't doubt your statistics but that is a mighty number of jobs for a population of <4000 people locally. I'm thinking there must be an awful lot of careless people in the USA.

No, re-read what I wrote. We do not run hardly any calls in the town that I live in. We cover a 60 mile radius.

What I was trying to point out is the fact that just because you do not get calls in the town that you live in, you should not be afraid to drive to the next town over and make the money there if someone needs the work done.

There was another thread earlier from someone wanting to move from one town to the next just up the road because he was not making money in his town. Instead of moving, all he would have to do is drive over each day.

If I had to make a living off what I made locally, I should start practicing... "would you like fries with that?"

[Bump]

Gotcha! Sounds about right. Must have got lost in your epistle!

[kodierer]

Think about gas to and from job. Business Insurance, Advertisement prices. Seperate phone line optional. etc....
There are plenty more things to take into account......

Yeah, but in a large city and its surrounding area I would surely get more than 4 calls a day. My area is about 150,000 people. then there is Salt Lake City just down the road giving another 200,000 on to that. I could surely get more calls, but what I need to do first is work for an already established locksmith to learn the ropes, which I was told by one I may be able to get a job working auto lockout in the spring(which I would receive training). It would be a great learning experience.

[Bump]

See! Toldya! There's always someone who thinks there's more meat than fat on the bone !

Locksmithing is easy money...you can earn £200 per day easily, people will come flooding to your door eager to hand over wads of cash etc etc etc.

Not going off into another rant about setting up in business, doing your research and all cos there is plenty on this site already.