Guide
How Much Does a Locksmith Cost in Farnborough? 2026 Price Guide
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- 24-hour emergency cover
- No call-out charge
- Price agreed before work starts
Locksmith pricing
At a Glance: Farnborough Locksmith Prices
What follows is a typical spread for common locksmith jobs, not a price for yours. Each band draws on national cost information and on price lists published by locksmiths working in Farnborough, considered as a group. Three things then set your figure: the lock itself, what has to be done to it, and when you need the visit.
| Job | Typical range | What changes it |
|---|---|---|
Of everything listed, the hour you call moves the price most, since evening and overnight work can cost more. If the problem is a multipoint door, be aware that swapping the whole mechanism is not the same work as changing a cylinder; make sure the quote spells out which one you are paying for.
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
Locksmith pricing
Charges That Are Not Part of the Headline Price
Four charges to ask about every time
A locksmith's job price is the headline, not the total. None of them is unusual, but any of them can turn the lower quote into the higher bill, so they belong in every conversation about price.
Is There a Call-Out Charge?
Ask whether there is a charge for the locksmith turning up and, if there is, whether it comes off the job price or sits on top of it. Then ask about cancelling. Lockouts often end with a neighbour finding a spare key, and a cancellation fee can apply once the locksmith has set out. A fee specified in booking terms for cancelling is distinct from any statutory cancellation rights you may have.
Bank Holidays, Weekends and Nights
Work in the evening, overnight, at weekends or on a bank holiday is often charged at a higher rate. A quote given in the afternoon may not hold for a visit at night, so say when you need someone and ask for the price at that time.
The Bits at the Bottom of the Invoice: Parking and VAT
A locksmith who pays to park near you may pass the cost on, and it is reasonable to ask in advance. Finally, check whether the quoted figure includes VAT. A price given without it is not the price you pay.
Locksmith pricing
Is an Hourly Rate or a Job Price the Cheaper Quote?
Rate or result?
Before deciding between two quotes, notice what each one is pricing. An hourly quote sells time; a job quote sells an outcome. The cheaper of the two depends entirely on how long the work takes, which is why comparing the headline numbers tells you nothing on its own. Any sums mentioned here illustrate the method and are not a claim about any locksmith.
A Job Price: When It Is the Safer Number
For the buyer, a job price removes the open-ended part of the bill. Whether the work goes quickly or slowly, the agreed figure stands, provided the job is the one described. Ask for labour, parts and VAT to be included, and for any change in scope to be explained before it goes ahead.
Work Out What an Hourly Quote Really Costs
To compare fairly, rebuild the hourly quote as a total. Ask for the minimum charge, since a short job is often billed at the minimum anyway. Ask how time beyond it is counted. Then add the parts, any separate VAT and any fee for attending. Only that total, not the rate, belongs next to the job price.
Why Two Farnborough Quotes for the Same Job Can Differ by GBP 100
It is easy to read a big gap between two quotes as one locksmith being greedy. Usually, though, five factors are doing the work, and they reflect different assumptions about the lock, the door, the timing, the method and what the price covers.
| Factor | Its effect on the price |
|---|---|
| Non-destructive entry | More skill and time go into opening a lock without damage, which can save the expense of replacing it |
| The lock | A basic euro cylinder and an anti-snap cylinder are priced very differently |
| The door | Multipoint mechanisms on uPVC and composite doors tend to take longer than mortice locks on timber |
| The hour | Out-of-hours rates usually apply in the evening, overnight, at weekends and on bank holidays |
Ask both locksmiths to explain their figures against these points. The smallest headline price is often hiding the biggest list of extras.
Are You Entitled to Be Told Before Work Starts?
What the law calls a doorstep agreement
A job agreed with a trader in your home, away from their business premises, is an off-premises contract. That label matters, because the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 then require the trader to give you specific information and usually give you a right to cancel. Business Companion, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute's guidance service, sets out the detail in plain terms.
The Information That a Trader Has to Give You
- The name of the business and its address
- The main features of the job
- The full price including taxes, or how the price will be arrived at
- Details of any right to cancel
Off-premises, these details should be handed over on paper, or on a durable medium such as an email where you agree to it.
Fourteen days to change your mind, with one big exception
The standard cancellation window is 14 days. It does not apply to urgent repairs you specifically requested the trader to visit and carry out, which is why it rarely helps after a lockout. Extra work or goods supplied on the same visit, beyond what the urgent repair needed, can still be cancellable. This section is general consumer information and should not be read as legal advice.
Locksmith pricing
A Price You Can Hold Them To: How to Get One
Give the locksmith door details before asking for a usable figure.
- Describe the material, any euro cylinder, and whether a deadlock or just the latch is engaged.
- Distinguish a lost key from a snapped key or one that will not turn.
- State your required attendance time.
Is VAT included in that total price? Will there be an attendance fee? Which charges apply if I cancel? Could finding a different door change your price?
The phone price follows your description and should make the charges clear; it stands unless the job differs on site, with changes explained before work starts.
Some agreements reached remotely or at home may carry a 14-day cancellation right; the booking circumstances and requested service matter. Specifically requested urgent repairs or maintenance can be excepted for that urgent work. The exception does not automatically cover optional additional work added during attendance. You may ask for planned work within the cancellation period. A lasting record, such as email, may be required; the trader should explain how commencement or completion affects your right to cancel. Even valid cancellation can involve payment for services already supplied.
You pay for the work carried out, any parts needed, and VAT. Rates outside Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm, are higher, but the call-out itself is never charged.
Specific inclusions signal clarity; unanswered questions leave uncertainty. Read Business Companion for general rules, with Citizens Advice for booking-specific guidance.
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
Locksmith pricing
Wilds Locksmiths Farnborough Charges
Our call-out is free at all hours, with standard weekday lockouts from £70.80 including VAT (£59 plus VAT). The lockout figure is a starting price for that weekday job. For anything else, we give a price on the call before work starts, based on your description. Any onsite discovery affecting the figure is explained before we begin.
You pay for the work carried out, any parts needed, and VAT. Rates outside Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm, are higher, but the call-out itself is never charged.
Have photographs ready where possible, along with your postcode and an account of what happens when you use the key, handle or door; check inclusions, possible additions and the approach to a different fault.
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
Locksmith pricing
Locksmith Cost Questions Buyers Ask in Farnborough
Are urgent calls limited to working hours?
No. Emergency calls can be made 24 hours a day every day; say what is wrong and when attendance is needed.
What affects the cost of my repair?
The issue itself, the door or lock, the timing of attendance and the necessary parts shape the price.
How do I prepare a useful description?
Report the door, handle and key behaviour, share your postcode and, if possible, supply clear photographs.
What is the starting charge for lockouts?
The starting price for a standard weekday lockout is £70.80 including VAT (£59 plus VAT).
Can I get pricing before work begins?
The figure is supplied on your call before the job starts. Ask about inclusions and the complete VAT-inclusive amount.
Is a visit charged separately from work?
There is never a call-out fee, at any hour.
Are rates higher outside normal working hours?
You pay for the work carried out, any parts needed, and VAT. Rates outside Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm, are higher, but the call-out itself is never charged.
How are unexpected faults dealt with financially?
Ask in advance what would happen to the price if inspection found a different problem from the one reported.