Why Are Emergency Locksmiths So Expensive?

Emergency locksmiths can be expensive due to offering 24 hour coverage and needing to carry a huge amount of stock and specialist tools, to complete the job at any time of day or night.

Emergency call-out prices reflect the nature of the job, not just the time on site that it takes to open a lock. You're paying for a locksmith to drop what they're doing, often outside normal hours, and get to you fast with a fully stocked van of locks, tools and hardware. Out-of-hours work, whether that's a lockout at 11pm or a break-in on a Sunday morning, costs more because it takes a locksmith away from family time and normal working hours. This is usually the same as calling out any tradesperson at short notice or unsociable hours. 

At 1st Defence Locksmiths Leeds we actually do things a bit differently. We don't charge an emergency call out fee at all. This applies no matter what time or which day you need us. We charge a standard labour charge only with no call out fee. This labour charge is higher on evenings and weekends but there's still no additional call out charge added on top. 

Don't Pay Over The Odds

Whilst some other locksmith companies do charge an additional emergency call out fee, it's important to still do your due diligence. There are now a number of locksmith scams mainly targeting customers requiring emergency help. We've seen real examples of customers who've paid over 10x what the average emergency call out price should be. We have a helpful guide available on how to choose a locksmith.     

Useful Information

How much does a locksmith cost?

Average price to change a door lock