How much does a locksmith cost in the UK?
A locksmith costs £100 on average in the UK. Most jobs fall between £70 and £200 per call-out. Type of job: Lockout or gaining entry £70 to £130, Lock change or new cylinder £90 to £180, Out-of-hours emergency call-out £90 to £200. Prices reviewed September 2026.
A locksmith usually costs £70 to £200 in the UK, with around £100 a fair figure for a standard daytime call-out to gain entry or change a lock. Out-of-hours and emergency jobs cost more, and the price is set mainly by the type of job, the lock and the time of day.
Locksmith cost calculator
Use the calculator to price your locksmith in 2026. Adjust the options and area for a UK cost range. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Locksmith cost breakdown
Typical locksmith costs, by option:
| Type of job | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|
| Lockout or gaining entry | £70 to £130 |
| Lock change or new cylinder | £90 to £180 |
| Out-of-hours emergency call-out | £90 to £200 |
What's included in the price?
Typical locksmith prices include:
- The call-out and the locksmith's time on site
- Non-destructive entry where possible, so the lock is picked or slipped rather than drilled
- Fitting a replacement lock, cylinder or mechanism where the job needs one
- The new cylinder or lock itself on a lock-change job, usually itemised separately
- A basic check that the door and lock work properly before they leave
What changes the price?
The things that move locksmith prices most:
Whether it is a normal daytime job or an out-of-hours or emergency call-out
The type of work: gaining entry, a lock change, or a full mechanism replacement
The lock fitted, from a basic euro cylinder to an anti-snap TS007 3-star or a British Standard mortice lock
Whether the lock can be picked or has to be drilled out and replaced
Your region, with London and the South East the dearest
How far the locksmith has to travel to reach you
These are why two quotes for the same job can differ, and the only way to know your price is to get prices from local firms.
How the price is built up
Most firms quote one all-in price for the visit, and those that charge a separate call-out fee typically ask £50 to £70 in the day and more out of hours. On a straightforward lockout that is often the whole bill. A lock change adds the cost of the new cylinder or lock plus the time to fit it, while a jammed or broken multipoint mechanism means more labour and a pricier part. Timing adds a premium on top: a night, weekend or bank-holiday call-out usually costs between a tenth and a third more than the daytime figure, which is why the range runs from about £70 up to £200. A locksmith call-out is mostly labour, travel and skill, because the parts are cheap. A gaining-entry job has no materials at all. On a lock change the new cylinder or lock is usually £15 to £60, so the bulk of the bill is still the call-out and the fitting time.
Ways to keep the cost down
- If you are locked out but safe, wait until normal working hours where you can, since out-of-hours rates are higher
- Ask for an all-in price before the locksmith sets off, including the call-out, labour and any likely parts
- Use a local, MLA-approved locksmith rather than a national call centre that adds charges once on site
- For a standard uPVC or composite door, buy the euro cylinder yourself so you only pay for fitting, not a parts markup
Does where you live change the cost?
In London, a locksmith typically costs around £120 per call-out, about 20% above the UK average of £100. In the North, Scotland and Wales the guide figure is nearer £95.
| Region | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midlands / East (UK average) | £70 | £100 | £200 |
| London | £85 | £120 | £240 |
| South East / South West | £75 | £110 | £210 |
| North / Scotland / Wales | £70 | £95 | £190 |
Guide prices per call-out, scaled with the same regional multipliers as the calculator. Not quotes.
Locksmith cost in major UK cities
| City | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | £65 | £95 | £190 |
| Birmingham | £70 | £100 | £200 |
| Bristol | £75 | £110 | £210 |
| Cardiff | £70 | £95 | £190 |
| Edinburgh | £70 | £95 | £190 |
| Glasgow | £70 | £95 | £190 |
| Leeds | £70 | £95 | £190 |
| Liverpool | £70 | £95 | £190 |
| London | £85 | £120 | £240 |
| Manchester | £70 | £95 | £190 |
| Newcastle | £70 | £95 | £190 |
| Sheffield | £70 | £95 | £190 |
City guide estimates, scaled by local labour costs. Indicative averages for locksmith, not quotes.
Firms in London and the South East charge the most, while the North, Wales and Scotland are usually the cheapest. Out-of-hours and weekend rates add a premium almost everywhere.
Compare this with a real quote
The figures above are guide prices. Two or three quotes from local locksmiths tell you what it costs where you live.
Common questions
How much does a locksmith cost to call out?
A locksmith call-out usually costs £70 to £200 in the UK, with around £100 typical for a standard daytime job to gain entry or change a lock. Simple lockouts in normal hours are usually £70 to £130, and out-of-hours and emergency call-outs £90 to £200. Most firms quote an all-in price that covers the call-out and the labour, with any new lock charged on top.
What changes the price of a locksmith?
The type of work and the lock matter most. Gaining entry is cheaper than a full lock change, and a basic euro cylinder is far cheaper than an anti-snap TS007 3-star or a British Standard mortice lock. Time of day comes next: a night, weekend or bank-holiday call-out usually costs between a tenth and a third more than a daytime one, although at least one firm charges double for a night call-out. Whether the lock can be picked or has to be drilled out, your region, and travel distance all move the price too.
Can I change a lock myself instead of paying a locksmith?
Changing a euro cylinder on a uPVC or composite door is a genuine DIY job. The cylinder costs £15 to £50, you just need the right length, and a single screw in the edge of the door holds it in place. That saves the £80 to £150 a locksmith would charge. A British Standard mortice lock or a full multipoint mechanism is harder to fit and measure correctly, so most people pay a locksmith for those to be sure the door still locks properly and meets their insurance requirements.
How quickly can a locksmith come out, and how long does the job take?
An emergency locksmith usually aims to reach you within 30 to 60 minutes, though a booked daytime visit may be later the same day. Once on site, a lockout or a straight cylinder change takes 20 to 45 minutes, while a broken multipoint mechanism or a lock that has to be drilled out can take an hour or more.
Are the cheap call-out prices advertised online genuine?
Be careful with adverts promising a £29 or £49 call-out. Some national lead-generation firms quote a low fee to win the booking, then add labour, parts and out-of-hours charges once they are on site, so the final bill lands far higher. A local, MLA-approved locksmith who gives a clear all-in price before travelling is usually cheaper overall and less likely to drill a lock that could have been picked.
How much does it cost to change all the locks after moving house or losing keys?
Changing a single lock is usually £80 to £180 fitted, depending on the lock. Doing a whole house in one visit, say the front and back doors plus a couple of window locks, is more like £250 to £450 including parts. A euro cylinder swap is around £80 to £150 and a British Standard mortice lock nearer £120 to £180, and new keys are cut as part of the job.
Do I have to pay whatever a locksmith asks if no price was agreed?
No. If no price was agreed before the work and nothing in the contract says how it will be worked out, section 51 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 treats the contract as requiring you to pay a reasonable price for the service, and no more. What counts as reasonable is a question of fact, so ask for the bill to be broken down into call-out, labour and parts and compare it with what the job normally costs. The rule applies across the UK. Agreeing an all-in price before the locksmith sets off avoids the argument.
Official guidance and sources
The rules and schemes referenced on this page come from these official UK sources. The price figures are Costwise's own; see how we price.
- Rogue traders exploiting emergency situations (May 2026) Bromley Trading Standards · A council trading standards warning about emergency call-out firms that quote low and add charges on site.
- Looking for a locksmith? Bromley Trading Standards · Advice on choosing a locksmith: get the full price before they travel, and beware firms that drill a lock that could have been picked.
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 51 legislation.gov.uk · Where no price was agreed, the contract is treated as requiring a reasonable price for the service, and no more.
Cite this data
These figures are free to use in articles, reports and research under a CC BY 4.0 licence. All we ask is a credit to Costwise, and online a link. Where your style allows, please make "Costwise" the linked word so readers can check the figure for their own region.
Costwise (2026): A locksmith typically costs £100 per call-out in the UK, ranging from £70 to £200 per call-out. Reviewed September 2026. costwiseuk.co.ukSource: Costwise (costwiseuk.co.uk)Costwise (2026). Locksmith cost. Costwise UK cost data, version 2026-10-12. https://costwiseuk.co.uk/locksmith-cost/2026-10-12 (158 jobs)Dataset DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21159943 · also on Kaggle, Hugging Face and Figshare. Method: how we price. Downloadable CSV.
These are independent guide prices based on typical UK jobs in 2026. Your actual cost depends on your property, spec, access and where you live. Always get at least three written quotes before committing.