What a locksmith costs in Raleigh

Published price ranges

National published figures, not Raleigh averages and not our quote. Where two sources disagree, both are shown.

Prices people in the Triangle report

Local forum posts give a feel for real bills. A Durham renter paid about $180 for a same-day house lockout. A Raleigh driver with a key already cut was quoted $70 just to program it. Someone was quoted $50 to copy a single key at a hardware store and asked if that was normal. These are single anecdotes, not averages, and the first two sit inside the published ranges above. The third depends on the key: too much for a plain house key, plausible for a chipped car key.

What moves the price

• Time of day. Nights and holidays carry a surcharge, and often weekends too.
• The trip. A trip or service-call fee covers getting there. A fair quote includes it in the total.
• The lock or car. A standard knob lock is quick. A high-security deadbolt, a push-to-start fob or a European car key is not.
• Parts. A new lock, a key blank with a chip or a fob is added to the labor.
• How many locks. Rekeying five cylinders in one visit costs far less per lock than five visits.

The quote that isn't a price

A number like $15, $29 or $35 is almost never the price of a lockout. In 2010, WRAL filmed a Raleigh-area homeowner quoted $35 to get back in whose bill passed $400, and Raleigh police arrested a man who had quoted another customer $29 and charged her $334. Neither was licensed. If the phone quote sounds like a trip fee, ask: "What will the total be, with labor?" How the scam works.

Ways to pay less

• Call during business hours if you can safely wait.
• Rekey instead of replacing locks that work.
• Keep a spare house key with someone you trust, and a spare car key at home.
• For a car key, compare a mobile locksmith with the dealer. How.
• Check whether roadside assistance covers a car lockout. More free options.