Locksmith
Lock Replacement Cost Calculator
Prices replacing worn or failed locks, where the failure often is not the lock.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Time, hardware and the call-out. Replacement is priced like any hardware swap, with the labour driven by whether the new unit drops into the existing preparation. What makes this different from a lock change by choice is that something has failed, and diagnosing what actually failed changes the job. A cylinder that turns stiffly, a latch that does not retract, a key that will not withdraw and a door that will not close are four different faults, and only some of them are the lock.
What moves the number
- What has actually failed, since a misaligned door or a dropped hinge presents as a lock fault.
- Whether the strike plate and door alignment need correcting at the same time.
- Age and availability, because matching an old pattern sometimes needs new preparation.
- Whether other locks on the property should be done at the same time for keying.
Where this one goes wrong
A latch that will not engage is usually a door and strike alignment problem rather than a lock problem, and replacing the lock will not fix it. Doors settle, hinges loosen and frames move, and the result is a latch meeting the strike off centre. Checking the alignment and adjusting the strike or the hinges is often the whole repair and costs far less than hardware. A key that turns hard and eventually will not turn at all is worth diagnosing too: it can be a worn cylinder, a worn key copied from a copy, or dirt and lack of lubrication, and two of those are cheap.
Before you quote
- Check door and strike alignment before condemning the lock.
- Try a correctly cut original key, since a worn copy causes the same symptom.
- Look at the hinges for wear or loose screws.
Questions
About this calculator
My door will not latch. Is the lock broken?
Usually not. A latch that misses or binds on the strike is normally an alignment problem from a settled door, a dropped hinge or a shifted frame. Adjusting the strike or tightening and packing the hinges often fixes it entirely, and replacing the lock would not have.
The key is getting harder to turn. What is happening?
It can be a worn cylinder, but it is often a worn key, especially one copied from a copy rather than from an original. Dirt and lack of lubrication cause it too. Trying a freshly cut key from the original and cleaning the cylinder are worth doing before replacing hardware.
Should I replace all the locks at once?
If keying them alike matters, doing them together is both cheaper per lock and simpler, since the call-out spreads and everything can be keyed in one operation. If only one has failed and keying is not a concern, there is no need.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 0.8 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $120.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $35.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 0.8 h |
| People needed | 1 |
| Labour rate charged | $120 |
| Parts and materials | $35 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $226 |
| Labour | $96 |
| Before tax | $226 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $226: $96 of labour, $35 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $60 | $178 |
| $90 | $202 |
| $120 example above | $226 |
| $180 | $274 |
| $240 | $322 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 0.8 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $120.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $35.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.