What A Locksmith Costs In Sacramento
In short: Price is driven by the service, the hardware and the time of day. Any locksmith quoting one flat figure without asking what the job is has not understood the job.
Why there is no single price
A rekey on three matching residential deadbolts and an all-keys-lost replacement for a modern proximity-fob vehicle are both locksmith jobs, and they have almost nothing in common in labor, equipment or parts cost. A single advertised price cannot describe both honestly.
What actually moves the number
The service itself; whether hardware is being supplied or reused; the lock or vehicle involved, since a high-security cylinder or a late-model immobilizer takes more work than a basic one; how many locks or keys; and the time of day, since overnight and holiday call-outs cost more to staff.
The advertised-low-price problem
The common complaint against the locksmith trade nationally is a very low advertised service call that becomes a much larger figure once a technician is on site and the customer feels committed. The defense is simple: get the estimate before dispatch, and ask what would make it change.
What you should expect to be told
Before a technician is sent you should know the basis of the charge, an estimate for your specific job, and what would alter it. On this site no flat price is published, because publishing one would be advertising a number that could not survive contact with the actual job.
Where you can genuinely save
A spare key cut while you still hold a working one is a fraction of an all-keys-lost call. Rekeying rather than replacing sound hardware. And fixing a lock that has started sticking before it seizes completely.
About this guide
Written by A 24 Hour Locksmith, a licensed Sacramento locksmith. California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services License No. LCO 6830. License numbers can be verified on the California BSIS public license lookup. Nothing on this page is a priced offer; call (916) 244-3934 for an estimate for your situation.
Common questions
Why will you not publish prices?
Because an honest figure depends on the lock, the vehicle and the time. An estimate for your specific job is given on the phone before anyone is dispatched.
Is a locksmith cheaper than a dealership for car keys?
Usually, and it avoids towing since the work happens at the vehicle. The gap varies by make and key type.
Do you charge more at night?
Overnight and holiday call-outs cost more to staff, and that is reflected in the estimate you are given before dispatch.
Questions about your own locks?
Call and you will get a straight answer, whether or not it turns into a job.
Call (916) 244-3934