What to charge / Locksmiths · Checked 29 September 2026
A daytime locksmith in the UK charges around £65 an hour according to Checkatrade, while the Master Locksmiths Association says to expect from around £85. Getting a customer back into their home is typically £90 to £130, and prices climb after 6pm and again after midnight. Here are call-out, lockout and lock change prices, what the business costs to run, and a calculator for your own rate.
Rates
| Rate | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| An hour, 8am to 6pm, Checkatrade | £65 [1] | Typical daytime rate. Checkatrade does not say whether VAT is included. |
| An hour, MLA guide | from £85 [2][3] | A starting point. The MLA’s example ladder for a locksmith with no call-out fee is £85 before 6pm, £95 after 6pm, £103 from 8pm to midnight and £153 after midnight. |
| To get someone back in | £90 to £130 [1][2] | Checkatrade, average £110. The MLA says from £90. |
| Out-of-hours call-out fee, Checkatrade | £50 to £150 [1] | Average £100, charged on top of an out-of-hours rate of £80 to £200 an hour (average £140). Parts extra. |
| An hour, daytime, Fantastic Services | £65 to £95 [4] | Including VAT. Out of hours rises to about £110 to £130 an hour. |
| An hour, midnight to 6am, Checkatrade | £120 [1] | Against £75 from 6am to 8am and 6pm to 8pm, and £85 from 8pm to midnight. |
Job prices
What customers are typically quoted, from published UK price guides. Use them as a check on your own quotes, not a fixed price list.
| Job | Typical price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Regain entry to a property | £90 to £130 [1] | Checkatrade, average £110 |
| Locked out, non-destructive entry | £60 to £120 [4] | Fantastic Services, labour only, standard hours outside London. £100 to £180 out of hours |
| Remove a broken key | £80 to £100 [1] | Checkatrade, labour only, cylinder not replaced |
| Change a Yale lock | £90 to £120 [1] | Checkatrade, labour and parts, standard hours |
| Rim cylinder replacement | £70 to £80 [1] | Checkatrade, labour and parts |
| Change a standard uPVC lock | £100 to £150 [1][2] | Checkatrade, labour and parts. The MLA gives from £105 including VAT for a standard euro cylinder |
| Change an anti-snap uPVC lock | £125 to £175 [1][2] | Checkatrade, labour and parts. The MLA gives from £137 including VAT |
| Replace a mortice lock | £115 to £165 [1][2] | Checkatrade, labour and parts. The MLA gives from £148 including VAT |
| Repair a uPVC door gearbox | from £85 [2] | MLA, including VAT. It notes replacing may be cheaper than repairing |
| Change all locks, 2 outside doors and windows | £400 to £600 [1] | Checkatrade, labour and parts, average £500 |
| Emergency lock change | £130 to £280 [4] | Fantastic Services, including parts and VAT. £180 to £360 in London and the South East |
| Break-in or burglary repair | £150 to £350 or more [4] | Fantastic Services, including VAT. £200 to £450 or more in London and the South East |
| Emergency boarding up | around £200 [1] | Checkatrade |
Checkatrade’s prices are for standard hours and do not say whether VAT is included. The MLA’s "from" prices are starting points that include VAT, not full ranges. Fantastic Services’ emergency prices include VAT.
Your numbers
Start from what you want to earn, add what the business costs to run, and divide by the hours you can actually charge for. Travel, quoting, paperwork and chasing payments are not chargeable hours, so be honest about them.
The starting numbers are examples, not a recommendation. Change them to match your year. The result is before income tax and National Insurance, and before VAT if you are registered.
Before you set a price
Pricing well
Someone locked out at night is stressed and wary of a price that grows once you arrive. Tell them your call-out or first-hour charge, your hourly rate after that, and what a new cylinder costs if one is needed. Being upfront wins the job and keeps you clear of disputes on the doorstep.
Most non-destructive entries are quick. A single fixed price for getting someone back in, in line with the £90 to £130 Checkatrade reports, is easier to accept than an open hourly rate and stops the customer watching the clock.
Checkatrade and the MLA both show prices rising in steps after 6pm, after 8pm and after midnight. Publish your own bands so a caller knows before you set off. Fantastic Services says out-of-hours attendance adds roughly £40 to £90 to the same job, so price your nights to cover the lost sleep.
List the cylinder or lock as its own line with its brand and security rating. When you suggest an anti-snap upgrade, explain what it protects against and show the price difference, so it reads as advice rather than an upsell.
Customers searching at night have no way to judge a stranger. Membership of the Master Locksmiths Association is something they can look up and check. Mention it on your van, your website and when you answer the phone.
Lockouts happen at any hour and the caller will ring down the list until someone answers. An out-of-hours answering service takes the address and the problem so you can call back and quote.
A good rate only helps if the customer reaches you. Most callers who hit voicemail ring the next name on the list. If you miss three calls a week and two in five would have become a £110 job, that is about £572 of work a month going to someone else. See what a missed call costs, or how While You Work answers calls for locksmiths while you are on a job.
Questions
Checkatrade puts regaining entry to a property at £90 to £130, with an average of £110. The MLA says unlocking a door can start from £90. Fantastic Services gives £60 to £120 for non-destructive entry in standard hours and £100 to £180 out of hours, labour only.
Checkatrade gives an out-of-hours call-out fee of £50 to £150, averaging £100, on top of an hourly rate. The MLA says many emergency locksmiths charge no call-out fee and bill by the hour instead, or charge a fixed fee such as £85 that includes the first hour.
Checkatrade says around £65 an hour between 8am and 6pm. The MLA says to expect from around £85 an hour, and Fantastic Services gives £65 to £95 including VAT for daytime work.
Checkatrade gives £90 to £120 for a Yale lock, £100 to £150 for a standard uPVC lock, £125 to £175 for an anti-snap uPVC lock and £115 to £165 for a mortice lock, including parts. The MLA’s starting prices including VAT are £105, £137 and £148 for the standard euro cylinder, anti-snap cylinder and mortice lock.
Yes. Checkatrade shows £65 an hour in the day, £75 early morning and early evening, £85 from 8pm to midnight and £120 after midnight. Fantastic Services says out-of-hours attendance adds roughly £40 to £90 to the same job.
The MLA’s 5-day beginners course costs £1,812.80 including VAT for non-members, or £1,653.15 for members. In its April 2024 membership pack, the MLA listed £117 a year for a new registered member, plus a £56.40 registration fee and £31 for a DBS check.
Figures checked on 29 September 2026. Price guides change, so check the source before you rely on a figure. Where a source says whether a price includes VAT, the page says so; where it does not, treat the figure as unconfirmed on VAT.
Quote these figures
You are welcome to use the figures on this page in an article, a newsletter or a course. Please credit While You Work with a link to this page:
<a href="https://whileyouwork.co.uk/what-to-charge/locksmith/">UK locksmith rates 2026, While You Work</a>More pricing guides: plumbers, electricians, builders, roofers, painters and decorators, driving instructors, cleaners, gardeners.
While You Work answers in your business name when you cannot, and emails you the details within a minute. £49 a month including VAT, first week free once your line is live.