Locksmith Prices Nationally
Locksmith prices vary widely nationwide according to state, city and region. In rural areas, the local locksmith will generally charge a higher service fee to compensate for higher milage trips to their appointments. The majority of urban or suburban locksmiths will make their money by charging more for the services provided, but less on the actual fee for coming out. Of course every company goes by their own playbook.
Expensive areas like Austin have higher charges in most industries and professions, as our cost of living here spirals out of control. As you may have noticed, some local locksmiths in the Austin area charge an arm and a leg, although there are still some very affordable people in town if you search hard enough.
A few very shady and illegitimate companies use a pricing scam where they quote a $15 or $20 fee for mobile service, and after completing the service hit you with a ridiculous and unexpected bill that ranges into the hundreds of dollars. That is rare, but you should be aware of it.
Why do locksmiths charge so much?
Folks should view a locksmith as you would any other trade professional. We charge for our knowledge and experience in our craft, even if we make it look easy. Ask yourself how many plumbers, electricians or AC repair guys come out to you for thirty bucks? Service technicians of all stripes spend years of their lives learning their trades. It's reasonable for us to earn enough money to stay comfortably middle class.
What isn't reasonable is the idea average Central Texans can't afford basic security. Home owners and renters deserve a feeling of safety inside of their homes. Businesses need to have confidence criminals or ex-employees won't enter their premises to take stuff. It all boils down to the fact there are no other security technicians with more responsibility than a locksmith, and we need to be affordable for the masses.
Locksmiths are in charge of access to your home or business via keys, door security, and maintaining the locks to create an entire system that creates imposing security against dishonest people. That's a major responsibility and explains why so many in our industry have decided to charge as much as they do.
ASAP Locksmith goes the other route, charging an affordable rate in the hope we can develop long term relationships with customers in Austin, Round Rock and surrounding areas who will trust our service and respect the quality we provide. With that being said, please compare our Austin rates with the nationwide averages from other companies.
Poll of Locksmith Prices in 2011 & 2013
These two polls were taken independently from subscribers to http://www.locksmithledger.com/, and include prices from locksmiths across the United States.
|
|
2011 National Price Average |
2013 National Price Average |
ASAP Locksmith Current Prices |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Service Call |
$66.00 |
$68.00 |
$49.95 |
|
Hourly Rate |
$45.00 |
$50.00 |
No rate hourly |
|
Auto Opening Call (Daytime) |
$62.00 |
$60.00 |
$49.95 |
|
Key Copy (Single Cut) |
$3.00 |
$3.95 |
$2.00 |
|
Rekey of Single Cylinder Lock |
$15.00 |
$15.00 |
$10.00 |
|
Rekey High Security Locks |
$20.00 |
$20.00 |
$20.00 |
|
Pick/Shim Cylinder Open (when key is missing) |
$5.00 |
$5.00 |
No charge |
We Charge Cheaper than Average Prices
As you can see, our charges are cheaper in almost every category. I wonder how any locksmith can charge an hourly fee on top of their service call fee? If it takes them extra time to rekey a lock, make a new key or unlock a door, that's just their fault for being slow and inefficient. It shouldn't be charged to the customer as an added fee on the bill.
Whatever they gain in extra income will be short-term, as customer's learn which local locksmiths are best, and which locksmiths will work for the cheapest rates.
Consumers will take their money in the right directions, and overpriced locksmiths in Austin will lose out. Companies like ours will win in the end by charging fairly and doing a great job!
-Richard Battle
Owner of ASAP Locksmith
Please let us know what you think of locksmith companies and local prices in the comments section below. Are they charging fairly, or just price gouging?
Sources: