New locks for a new home

The type of door you have helps tell which type of lock you may need.You may need your locks changed for a number of reasons, whether you’ve moved house and are concerned about security or you are unsure who may have a spare key. You may just want to upgrade the security of locks on your current property, and you may also want to make sure your locks are insurance compliant, you will need to change the locks after a break in , if they are damaged. If you are a landlord and a tenant leaves and does not return the key you may want to get them replaced.

UPVC door locks

If your door is UPVC and just the cylinder needs replacing then it will be cheaper than changing the whole mechanism as this only needs to be done if there is a problem. An average Euro cylinder from a mobile locksmith will cost around £35 and may vary depending on make/model and security standard.

Wooden door locks

1. If a night-latch, also known as a ‘Yale Lock’ is just being changed for security reasons, then in most cases only the cylinder will need to be changed which will keep the price down. If the whole night-latch needs to be changed (if you are upgrading the security) then this will cost a little more. Wooden door cylinders start from £25 and again can vary in price depending on level of security/ make/ model.

2. Mortice locks - most wooden front doors in London will also have a mortice lock beneath or above the night-latch. Mortice locks are often what insurance companies require in order for the contents insurance to hold in case of a break-in. This is because these locks are the hardest to break into, mortice locks will start from £45

Locksmiths Time

You may be charged more for a locksmith if you require their services at an inconvenient time such as late at night. Most locksmith prices will increase between the hours of 6pm to 8am. So don’t expect to be charged the same amount at 3am that you would do at 3pm.

Size of job

Most locksmith companies will charge by the hour, if you only require one lock to be changed then you can be pretty confident that the locksmith will complete the job within an hour. However, if you have just moved house and need every single lock on the doors and windows in your house replaced, then you may need to budget for 2/3 hours. You may also need to consider if your doors or windows have standard or unusual locks. Most locksmiths carry the standard locks in their vans, however if a part needs to be ordered in, the locksmith will have to return to your property, meaning they will have to charge another hour of labour.

Things that may affect locksmith prices

Size of locks, the bigger the lock, the more expensive it is going to be, so you will need to talk to the locksmith about what size your require.

The make and model you choose will also affect the price, if you are happy to install the most basic unbranded lock, then it is going to cost you less than having the top of the range high security named lock. Again it is best to discuss with your locksmith what locks will be best for your property. If the lock is high security, i.e. an anti-snap ABS cylinder for a UPVC door then this will add to the cost, anti-snap locks do not come as standard so you will pay extra for the extra security.

Mortice locks

If your wooden door requires a mortice lock then these can start at around £55, you will have to add this to the labour cost that your locksmith charges. British Standard locks are slightly more expensive but most likely to be insurance compliant, 3 lever is cheaper than a 5 lever mortice lock but a 3 lever mortice lock is only really suitable for internal doors. We always advise out customers install BS 3621 approved locks on their door.

How to reduce locksmith costs

If the work is a non-emergency then take your time to shop around for a locksmith. Get multiple quotes and read reviews to find someone you can trust. You could consult a double glazing company, however the only option they will give you is to replace rather than fix.

You may be tempted to do the work yourself, however we do not advise this. You could invalidate your insurance policy if the work is not carried out by a professional. UPVC locks and mechanisms are all different and some may even be obsolete, so you would need to call a locksmith to completely replace the part.

How much does it cost to change locks on a new property?

When you move into a new property it is good practice to change all the locks. The average house will need the front door, back door, windows, garage and gate locks replaced. The locksmith prices will vary on the type of locks you need, for example Mortice locks are more expensive to buy than a euro lock. Also depending on the size of your house and the amount of doors/windows you have, a locksmith may need more than an hour to change all the locks. However an average cost you might be looking at is around £250. This is not an exact price and will differ from house to house and how much the locksmith you choose charges per hour.

So, in summary, how much a locksmith will cost for a new property will depend on the following factors.

• The type of locks that need replacing – some locks are more expensive than others
• How many doors you have in your property
• How many windows will require locks replacing
• The time it takes for replacement
• Remember, £250 is an average figure, the final cost differs from house to house

Emergency locksmith prices

You may find yourself in need of an ‘emergency’ locksmith if you lock your keys in your house, have been burgled, or the key breaks in the lock. The locksmith prices we quote here are a rough estimate of what you might pay. The total cost of an emergency locksmith will be dependent on the nature of the emergency, the type of lock and why you need your locks replaced, as well as the area you live in and the time it will take to resolve the issue.

An emergency locksmith should be available 24 hours a day 7 days a week and be well skilled in a number of practices to resolve your issue. Whether they remove a broken key from a lock or let you back into your car if you’ve locked your keys inside. If you are calling an emergency locksmith outside of sociable hours then you should expect that the cost to change locks will increase with the increase in the labour charge, however if you are stranded outside of your house at 3am the extra cost will probably not be an issue for you.

The average cost of calling out an emergency locksmith in London would be around £79 for the labour -

plus any parts required plus VAT. Most reputable locksmiths will not have a call out charge and will just charge you for the labour and parts. This is just an estimate, and until the locksmith is actually stood at your door and can see the problem then the price can vary from this. This is in fact the way we keep down the cost for appointments, we accept appointments 2 hours in advance, so really, we only have emergency prices for emergency situations.

Emergency Boarding Up

If you have been broken into and doors and window are damaged beyond repair, you can get an emergency boarding up service. To secure your house after a break-in will incur extra cost, as not only will you have to board up your door and windows, you will have to replace them as well.

For emergency boarding up you are looking at a rough cost of £129

however this all depends on the amount you need boarding up, what time of day it is and how much your locksmith of choice will charge you. This sort of job normally runs over an hour, as locksmiths generally will not carry the material needed to board up, so you should budget for a couple of hours of labour charge.

Locksmith cost questions answered

1. What additional fees might be added to a quote?

If there are unforeseen requirements for your new locks, or obscure parts that need to be ordered then you might be charged extra for the locksmith to return and install them once they have arrived. Locksmiths generally carry the most common parts in their vans, but anything specialist will have to be ordered.

2. How long does it take to change a lock on a door?

The time it takes to change your lock is dependent on the type of door you have and the type of lock you require. However, if your door has a standard euro or mortice lock then generally it should not take more than an hour. This may change however if once the locksmith arrives at the job and feels there are more issues that need correcting. Our locksmiths will always leave your locks in the same or better condition. Sometimes locks are so old that when they do break other parts of the locking mechanisms can break as well. The locksmith should always advise before carrying out the job the price and process, this way you know he's doing a good job.

3. What type of locksmith do you need?

• Mission Critical/Emergency locksmith: Drop everything you are doing and come repair now. Something has stopped working and it is interfering with or impeding the continuing safe and orderly operation of uour life, whether this be a bike lock, locked out your car or left the keys in your car. This type of service will normally be the most expensive however most companies will have a locksmith by your side in around 30-45 minutes.
• Urgent Repair/ Lock change: Repairs need to be completed within the next 48 hours at your convenience. Something is making funny/odd noises or requires abnormal efforts to open/close or otherwise operate but is still serviceable at the present time. The locksmith will usually give a regular price for these types of jobs.
• Routine Repair/ lock change/ lock installation: For this we charge a great labour price. This is because we can often fit lots of appointments in as our logistics are great, this however will vary company to company.