Price to charge per key

[jabraham]

I charge $35 to code cut--it's painstaking (time consuming), requires a special (expensive) machine, can only be done by a locksmith. Some of the prices quoted like $10 I don't understand. At the prevailing hourly rate ($85) $35 amounts to less than a half hour which is in the ball park.

[Wizer]

It takes maybe 2 minutes to cut a key to code with my Silca Unocode 399, and Í´m not a locksmith.
I take 10 euros for most codecut keys, 20 for lasercut.

[LocksmithArmy]

it doesnt take a special machine... any manual duplicator will do it...

[npdaniels]

If you go buy depth keys your right, but you a limited to the number of manufactures and double sided keys forget it. I also noticed you can't match the quality of and preciseness of the keys in low tolerance locks. The code machine can't be beat by a duplicator.

[jabraham]

Wizer,
Your comment about code cutting keys in 2 minutes on your Silca Unocode 399 overlooks the fact that this machine costs thousands of dollars--like $8000 or so. With all that money to recoup, I'm surprised you charge as little as you do.

[jabraham]

LcoksmithArmy, your comment:
"it doesnt take a special machine... any manual duplicator will do it... [code cut]"

baffles me. I own 5 duplicators and none of them code cut.

[LocksmithArmy]

as npdanials said, it takes space and depth keys

he is right about being limited to the space and depth keys that you own... and double sided keys are somthing i dont know much about cutting(dont do any car work)

but I would argue precision and accuracy... if you know what you are doing it should be just as good as one cut on a code machine or anything else.

[I Pik U]

Wow I thought everything cost less in the USA than Canada.

We charge $2.25 for regular keys (KW1, SC1 etc.) 5 pin. $2.55 for 6 pin keys.
More for older keys like DL# 33N, 36U etc.
$5.50 for double sided keys.
$15.00 for Abloy, Medeco & Assa twin etc.
$18.50 for a pair of code cut keys; file cabinet etc more for car keys.
$32.50 for Vats keys.
$99.95 for cloned car keys.

All on our high tech key macines:

[npdaniels]

You could really lose a finger with that first machine.... It's good to see those well used machines are still turning a profit, they don't make quality like that any more.

[jabraham]

I'll bet it would be a real thrill cutting double-sided tip-gauged car keys on an antique machine like that one.

[LocksmithArmy]

wow quite awsome key machines man

[unlisted]

Those machines are even more impressive in person, I'll try to sneak some photos next time I am down that way... (Wait, don't tell the lockie I said that!!)

[WOT]

If I find out you're code cutting keys I order using depth keys, I'm not returning. I'll go to someone who has a proper code machine.

[Thisguy]

After reading through this I was kinda surprised I didn't see much mention of time or machine cost/ maintenance. If I missed it I'm sorry .
Your time is worth something lets say you charge $60 an hour, you should be getting $1 minute for anything you're doing. If you're making less cutting keys then you are losing money because you could be doing something else that earns you the wages you deserve for the trade and covers your overhead for operating the business.

Your cost for blanks + shipping, add your markup you should be buying in bulk at wholesale.
Your time (wage & overhead) to cut key whether its duplicating or code cutting.
Give a price break for customers with bulk that are not going to wait. You can cut/dup the keys between jobs.

Its hard to compete with the big box stores and hardware stores. The wages to the employee duplicating keys is hopefully less than your own. I also had an owner of a hardware store tell me flat out that they duplicate keys at a loss, after figuring returns and time for poorly trained employee to do the work... the only reason they cut keys is just to keep customers from going somewhere else, and their name on some of the keys (in pocket advertising).

Try and be competitive, the prices here provide a good starting point. No matter what you charge it will always be to high for some. If your quality is spot on, good customers won't mind paying a premium after all, their time is worth something too.

Just my thoughts on it

[jabraham]

I notice nobody mentions prices for transponder keys, not much mention of sidewinder keys either. Seems to me that's the future, and that's the profit area.
I can cut 2 and 3 dollar keys all day long and I'm just paying the light bill, so to speak.
I sell programmed cloneable two part transponder emulating keys for $70, most cloneable conventional transponder keys for $50, on board programming usually the same, VATS keys for $40. Originating keys I double the price of the code retrieval service, charge $35 to code cut the key, and $40 to $50 to program the key in the car---$50 service charge to go to the location.
Sidewinder keys add $35 to cut the key.
Most of my customers are happy with these prices. Some are VERY happy, after they've been to the dealer, or even after they've been to some other locksmiths who've quoted them high ball prices.