Article

Budgeting a Lock Project: Bands, Prep Risk, and Negotiation

Updated October 11, 2026

Build the budget in three bands

Parts equal lock count times tier price: about $45 budget, $95 mid-range, $220 premium, $280 smart. Labor runs $0 for DIY, about $160 for a scheduled locksmith visit, and about $340 after hours. Contractors doing six or more locks earn a bulk rate near $120.

Price the prep risk honestly

Clean standard prep adds nothing. Painted-over holes add about $60 of fiddling, misaligned doors and frames about $120, and odd bores or commercial prep about $180. Multiply the base by 0.85 for the low end and 1.3 for the high end, then hold 30 percent above base for surprises.

Schedule in work order

Remove and inspect, fix prep, install, align the strike, test ten full cycles, then do smart setup last. First-time DIY takes about 70 minutes per lock; a pro takes about 30. Anything past four hours should be split across two visits.

Negotiate with the printout

Hand the locksmith the low/base/high sheet and ask what exactly pushes the job to the high number. Get parts, labor, trip fee, and the trigger in writing. Refuse after-hours rates unless the door cannot lock tonight.