How much does a locksmith cost?

A London call-out typically runs from around £80 for a straightforward non-destructive lockout up to £250 or more for a full mortice or BS3621 lock replacement. Parts and any door repair are added on top. The only reliable figure is a written all-in quote given before the locksmith travels, because the final 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, typically £70–£120 in London. A full mortice or BS3621 lock case costs more to fit, typically £120–£220, because the whole lock body is replaced rather than just the cylinder. Multiple locks on one visit usually cost less per lock than separate call-outs.

How much does a locksmith charge per hour?

Most London locksmiths do not charge a bare hourly rate for domestic work. Instead, they quote one all-in figure covering travel, labour and parts for the job in front of them. Where an hourly rate is quoted, London labour typically runs from roughly £65 to £120 an hour. That figure alone will not tell you what a specific job costs, which is why a fixed quote matters more than a rate card.

How much does a locksmith cost in London?

London prices sit above the wider UK average. Labour costs, travel time in traffic and the mix of older mortice locks and modern multipoint uPVC mechanisms in the city's housing stock all push the figure up. As a rough guide, most straightforward domestic jobs land somewhere between £60 and £250 all-in, with commercial and out-of-hours work at the higher end.

How much is an emergency locksmith?

An emergency, non-destructive lockout typically costs more than a booked daytime appointment, because it usually happens outside standard hours and needs a same-day response. Expect a typical range of £120–£220 for an evening or weekend lockout in London. Get this confirmed as a fixed price before the locksmith sets off — never a rate that changes once they arrive.

Do locksmiths charge more on evenings and weekends?

Yes. Out-of-hours work — evenings, weekends and bank holidays — carries an uplift on most locksmiths' pricing because it falls outside a standard working day. A transparent locksmith states that uplift as part of the upfront quote rather than adding it as a surprise once the job is done.

Guide

Locksmith Prices in London 2026: Full Cost Guide & Rates

Name: Bayswater Locksmiths
Price range: ££

Typical London locksmith prices for 2026: lockouts, lock changes, uPVC repairs, BS3621 upgrades and safe opening, plus what pushes a quote higher or lower.

Written by Bayswater Locksmiths · last reviewed 8 September 2026

A locksmith call-out in London typically costs somewhere between £60 and £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.

A simple cylinder swap sits at the lower end. A full mortice or BS3621 lock replacement, a uPVC multipoint repair or a burglary board-up sit higher, because they need more parts and labour. The only number that actually matters is a written, all-in quote given before the locksmith travels to you. Everything below is a typical market range to help you judge whether a quote is fair, not a fixed price list.

Typical price ranges by job

These are typical London market ranges gathered from current pricing evidence across the trade, not a live rate card. Always confirm the exact figure with the locksmith before any work starts.

Job	Typical price (day)	Typical price (evening/weekend)	What affects it most
Non-destructive lockout	£80–£150	£120–£220	Lock type, access, floor level
Yale nightlatch cylinder change	£70–£120	£100–£180	Cylinder-only swap, no door prep needed
Mortice or BS3621 lock change	£120–£220	£160–£280	Full lock case, door thickness, alignment
Anti-snap euro cylinder upgrade	£80–£150	£110–£200	Number of cylinders, multipoint gear
uPVC multipoint mechanism repair	£100–£220	£140–£280	Mechanism vs full gearbox replacement
Burglary repair and board-up	£150–£350	£200–£420	Extent of frame or door damage
Safe opening	£120–£300	£160–£380	Safe type and lock mechanism
Commercial lock change	£100–£250	£150–£320	Number of doors, master-key systems

For the job-specific detail behind each row, 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 up or down more than anything else. The type of lock matters first: a cylinder swap is quicker and cheaper than a full mortice case. The door itself matters too, because uPVC multipoint mechanisms and older timber doors both take longer to get right 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 it is worth asking whether picking or manipulation was tried first. Finally, the time of day counts: evening, weekend and bank-holiday call-outs carry an uplift because they fall outside standard hours. A locksmith who explains which of these applies before quoting is giving you a real price, not a guess.

Day rate versus evening and weekend rate

Daytime, weekday call-outs sit at the lower end of every range above. Evenings, weekends and bank holidays carry a genuine uplift, which reflects the cost of out-of-hours cover rather than opportunism. A transparent locksmith states that uplift as part of the quote, not afterwards. So if a price seems unusually low for an evening or weekend job, the real cost often appears once the locksmith is already at your door.

What a firm quote should include

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

Ask what happens if the job turns out to need more than expected — a damaged frame behind a jammed lock, for instance. Get any change to the price agreed before the extra work starts. If you want a checklist for spotting a quote that will not hold, see how to check a locksmith before you book anyone.

Getting a quote from us

Send a few details through the contact form — the type of door, whether you are locked out or booking ahead, and roughly when you need the work done. You will get a clear, all-in price before anything is arranged. Get in touch: request a call back or use the contact page for a written quote covering your specific job.