Valley guide
Is this locksmith quote fair?
Pull the quote apart: first the drive, then the labor, then the parts, then hold each piece up against the published national ranges. The fair version is a single figure you got before the work started, and the invoice matches it.
A single referral, a named company, a price first. Search it on eCorp · How we are paid
The parts of a locksmith bill
- Getting there. Fixr lists a trip charge of $25 to $100, or a service-call minimum of $100 to $200. In a metro that stretches from Buckeye to Queen Creek, distance moves this line more than any other.
- Time on the job. Thumbtack reports $57 to $87 an hour, though residential and car work is usually quoted as a flat job price.
- Hardware. A deadbolt, a cylinder, a blank, a fob. Ask for the brand so you can price it yourself.
| Survey | Work | National price band |
|---|---|---|
| Fixr cost guide, 1/2025 | Getting back into a house | $50 to $175 |
| This Old House, 3/2026 | Getting back into a house | $169 to $205 |
| Fixr cost guide, 1/2025 | Opening a locked car | $80 to $150 |
| Thumbtack car survey, 8/2026 | Automotive lock work, all types | $117 to $259 After-hours ceiling: $456 |
| Fixr cost guide, 1/2025 | Rekeying | $70 to $160 per job Each added cylinder: roughly $20 to $30 |
| Thumbtack, 10/2026 | Rekeying | $191 to $225 Roughly $18 a keyhole |
| Fixr cost guide, 1/2025 | Replacing locks | $150 to $550 |
| Thumbtack, 10/2026 | Installing one new lock | $203 to $240 |
| Fixr cost guide, 1/2025 | Smart deadbolt | $50 to $350 hardware, about $50 labor |
| This Old House, 3/2026 | Smart deadbolt | $144 to $226 hardware, $106 to $291 labor |
| Fixr cost guide, 1/2025 | Replacement car key | $70 to $250 |
| KBB, 7/2025 | Chip (transponder) key | $125 to $250 Key and programming together |
| KBB, 7/2025 | Flip key with folding blade | $150 to $300 |
| KBB, 7/2025 | Push-button smart key | $200 to $400 |
| Fixr cost guide, 1/2025 | Pairing a fob or chip key | $50 to $200 |
| Fixr cost guide, 1/2025 | Showing up: trip or service-call charge | $25 to $100 trip; $100 to $200 service call |
| Fixr cost guide, 1/2025 | After-hours premium | $150 to $250 |
| Fixr cost guide, 1/2025 | Copy of a house key | $10 to $25 |
| Fixr cost guide, 1/2025 | New mailbox lock | $75 to $200 |
| Fixr cost guide, 1/2025 | Safe opened by manipulation | $140 to $200 |
| Fixr cost guide, 1/2025 | Safe opened by drilling | $200 to $250 fire safe; $350 to $450 money safe |
Lines that should make you stop
A drilling charge on an ordinary deadbolt that nobody mentioned before picking it up. A brand-new lock on the invoice after a lockout where you only asked to get in. A "mileage" or "fuel" line on top of a trip fee you already agreed to. And an invoice with no company name printed anywhere, which leaves you nothing to look up on eCorp or to dispute with your card issuer.
Questions people in Phoenix ask
Is $250 for a car key fair?
For a chip key or smart key, it can be. Kelley Blue Book puts a transponder key at $125 to $250 and a push-to-start key at $200 to $400. For simply opening a locked car, $250 is well above the published range.