How much does a locksmith cost?

Published cost guides put a London locksmith call-out at roughly £120 to £250, and a non-destructive lockout at about £100 to £160 in the daytime. A full mortice lock change costs more, and parts and door repairs come on top. The only reliable figure is a written all-in quote before the locksmith travels, because the price depends on the lock, the door and the time of day.

How much does a locksmith cost to change locks?

A single cylinder swap on a Yale nightlatch is usually the cheapest lock change, at about £100 to £150 in the published guides. A single mortice or nightlatch lock in London is quoted at about £120 to £220, because the whole lock body changes. These are typical market ranges, so confirm the figure before work starts.

How much does a locksmith charge per hour?

Many locksmiths quote one all-in figure for travel, labour and parts instead of a bare hourly rate. Where a guide gives an hourly rate, daytime labour is about £65 to £95 and out-of-hours labour about £110 to £130. London can run 20 to 30 percent higher, yet a fixed quote tells you more than a rate card.

How much does a locksmith cost in London?

London prices sit above the wider UK average, and one guide puts the gap at 20 to 30 percent. Labour costs, travel time in traffic and a mix of old mortice locks and modern uPVC mechanisms all push the figure up. As a rough guide, a London lock change for one lock runs from about £95 to £260, depending on the lock type.

How much is an emergency locksmith?

An emergency lockout typically costs more than a booked daytime visit, because it happens outside standard hours and needs a same-day response. One guide puts London out-of-hours call-outs at £160 to £250. Get the price agreed before the locksmith sets off, since a rate that changes on arrival is a warning sign.

Do locksmiths charge more on evenings and weekends?

Yes, often. Published guides put the uplift at roughly £40 to £100 for evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays. Central London call-outs at those times can cost more than these ranges. A fair locksmith states the uplift in the upfront quote, not as a surprise after the job.

Guide

Locksmith Prices in London 2026: Full Cost Guide & Rates

See typical London locksmith prices for 2026. This guide covers lockouts, lock changes, uPVC repairs, BS3621 upgrades, and what pushes a quote up or down.

Written by Bayswater Locksmiths · Last updated 9 October 2026

Published cost guides put a London locksmith call-out at roughly £100 to £250 all-in. The exact figure depends on the job, the lock type and the time of day. Evening, weekend and bank-holiday work costs more than a daytime booking because it falls outside standard hours.

A simple cylinder swap sits at the lower end. A full mortice or BS3621 lock replacement sits higher, because it needs more parts and labour. So do a uPVC multipoint repair and a burglary board-up. The only number that matters is a written, all-in quote before the locksmith travels. The ranges below help you judge a quote. They are not our price list, and we do not guarantee them.

Typical price ranges by job

These are typical market ranges from published UK cost guides. They are not a live rate card and not this business’s own prices. The out-of-hours column adds the £40 to £100 uplift the guides quote. Out-of-hours call-outs in central London can cost more than shown. Always confirm the exact figure before work starts.

Job	Typical price (day)	Typical price (out of hours)	What affects it most
Non-destructive lockout	£100–£160	£160–£250	Lock type, access, floor level
Yale or nightlatch cylinder change	£100–£150	£140–£250	Cylinder-only swap, no door prep needed
Mortice or nightlatch lock change	£120–£220	£160–£320	Full lock case, door thickness, alignment
Anti-snap (3-star) euro cylinder	£140–£260	£180–£360	Number of cylinders, multipoint gear
uPVC multipoint mechanism	About £175	Add the uplift	One guide’s example: mechanism vs full gearbox
Burglary repair after a break-in	£180–£350 or more	£220–£450 or more	Extent of frame or door damage

Safe opening and commercial work vary too much for a fair range, so we price them on a written quote.

For the detail behind most rows, see the lock change, uPVC door lock repair, BS3621 locks, burglary repair and safe opening pages.

What actually changes the price

Four things move a quote most. The lock type matters first, because a cylinder swap is quicker and cheaper than a full mortice case. The door matters too, since uPVC multipoint mechanisms and older timber doors take longer than a standard nightlatch.

How the job is reached also affects the price. Non-destructive entry costs less than a drilled-and-replaced lock, so ask whether picking or manipulation came first. Finally, the time of day counts, because evening and weekend call-outs carry an uplift. A locksmith who explains which applies gives you a real price.

Repair or replace: the cost question

Many jobs raise a simple question. Is it cheaper to repair the lock you have, or to fit a new one? Our guide on how to tell whether you need a repair or a new lock walks through the signs.

The same goes for sticking doors. If your uPVC door will not lock, read about repairing or replacing the mechanism first. The cause decides the cost, so find it before you ask for a quote.

Day rate versus evening and weekend rate

Daytime, weekday call-outs still sit at the lower end of every range above. Evenings, weekends and bank holidays carry a real uplift of roughly £40 to £100 in the published guides. It reflects the cost of out-of-hours cover. A fair locksmith states it in the quote, not afterwards. So if a price looks unusually low for an evening job, the real cost often appears at your door.

What a firm quote should include

A fair quote is a single figure that covers travel, labour and any standard parts. It reaches you before the locksmith sets off. It should not be an hourly rate, a “from” price, or something that changes on arrival.

Ask what happens if the job needs more than expected, for instance a damaged frame behind a jammed lock. Agree any change to the price before the extra work starts. For a checklist on spotting a weak quote, see how to check a locksmith.

Getting a quote from us

Request a call back or send a few details through the enquiry form. Specifically, tell us the type of door, whether you are locked out or booking ahead, and roughly when you need the work done. You get a clear, all-in price before anything is arranged, and the Bayswater locksmith page shows the area we cover.

Sources

These published guides give the typical market ranges above. Prices change, so treat them as a guide only.

MyJobQuote: lock change cost, published September 2026.
Fantastic Services: lock replacement cost, 2026 UK price guide, updated August 2026.
Fantastic Services: emergency locksmith cost, 2026 UK price guide.