Do Locksmiths Charge a Call Out Fee & What Does ‘No Call Out Charge’ Mean?

Would you expect to pay a locksmith call out fee, and is it fair? In this post, we explain what locksmith call out charges are, when they are reasonable (if ever), how to spot unfair pricing tactics—especially in emergency situations and what to expect from a genuine locksmith.

What is a Locksmith Call Out Fee?

A locksmith call out fee refers to an additional charge applied simply for attending a job, regardless of whether any work is done. While most reliable locksmith will not charge a “call out fee”. Some depending on their business model may charge either it as part of the labour charge or as an additional cost, if unsure make sure you ask.

At IKS Locksmiths, we operate with no call out charge—you only pay for labour and parts once you approve the job.

When You Shouldn’t Pay Locksmith Call Out Fees

They should only charge for a) labour and b) parts on satisfactory completion of a job.

Situations You Should Refuse to Pay A Locksmith Call Out Fee

• If a locksmith calls out to assess the job and provides advice but doesn’t carry out any work, you should not pay a call out fee (assuming you have been told there is no call out fee)
• If a locksmith has added a call out fee to the invoice, in addition to labour and parts, this is a tactic to overcharge

Fair Locksmith Fees

Any locksmith fee should be transparent and should not be a surprise!

A locksmith fee should be discussed and agreed upon before the job is done. It should only be charged for work completed and should consist of:

1) A pre agreed labour charge + 2) any parts required

A Locksmith Should not Charge For:

• Attending a property to quote (unless agreed prior to visit).
• Labour or parts that were not agreed before starting the job.
• Call Out costs + Labour costs.

When Choosing a Locksmith Beware of:

• Locksmiths who are not up front about cost before starting a job.
• Locksmiths quoting low on the phone without even seeing the issue.
• Locksmiths talking about a call out charge and charging by the hour!
• Locksmiths not mentioning if VAT is included or not.

Ideally, you should agree on a fixed price for the whole job on the phone before going ahead with the work. There may be cases where some part costs need to be confirmed at the job, depending on what is required and what the customer chooses, but this should be made clear on the phone and should be discussed before the work is carried out, and not come as a surprise on the invoice!

Locksmith Hourly Rate

By providing the locksmith with information and photos, they should be able to establish an accurate fixed cost for the entire job to include up to 1 hour labour + parts.

Worst case scenario would be they give you a cost for the 1st hour and a lower cost per hour for any additional hours required. This should only happen if the job is unpredictable and complicated.

Price of Parts

A locksmith should be able to quote for parts, though they may need to give you a heads up if there is likely to be any potential for variations as they work through what is required on the job. Any increased costs should be agreed upon before the work goes ahead, giving the customer a choice.

At IKS Locksmiths, we work on a fixed price basis with transparent fees and no surprises.

How Much is a Locksmith Call Out Charge?

You should never have to pay a locksmith call out charge!

Rogue Locksmith Call Out Charges – ‘Bait and Switch’

Customers who have fallen for ridiculously low price quotes on Google have shared with us examples of dishonest locksmiths adding call out charges of between £39 and £89 to invoices. This is part of a tactic commonly know in locksmith circles as Bait and Switch where customers are lured in with cheap prices and landed with a large bill.

£49 is not a realistic locksmith charge because it would not cover basic operating costs, and certainly wouldn’t cover the cost of expensive Google Adverts, which are too costly for most emergency locksmiths.

People fall for this even when we warn them that an unrealistically cheap price is not part of a realistic business model, and they are putting their security at risk by choosing a con artist over a professional locksmith. This is just one of a number of locksmith scams.

Other Locksmith Scams

These are some of the other tricks locksmiths use to inflate charges:

• Dishonest VAT Charges – charging VAT when not VAT registered
• Installing cheap locks and charging high prices
• Drilling and replacing locks which could be easily fixed
• Taking uPVC mechanisms away

Always choose an approved locksmith and ask for the full picture before agreeing to go ahead with the work.

What ‘No Call Out Charge’ Means at IKS Locksmiths

We don’t charge a call out charge, and our labour charges are highly competitive with fellow London Locksmiths.

IKS Locksmiths are Approved by the Master Locksmiths Association and operate under a code of practice. MLA locksmiths are regularly inspected, so choosing an MLA approved Locksmith will enable you to avoid falling victim to locksmith scams.

We operate out of an industrial unit in High Barnet rather than having a high street store. Being mobile locksmiths helps us to keep our running costs and labour prices down, allowing us to pass savings to our customers.

• We will not charge to visit your property and quote.
• We will only charge for work done.
• We will not carry out any work until the customer has agreed to the quote.
• An additional fee will not be charged on top of our labour

So, in summary we will attend and quote, but there will be no charge until the customer requests the work to go ahead.

This is what you should expect from any reputable locksmith.

How Locksmith Charges Can Vary

Genuine labour charges can vary depending on a number of factors including:

• The time of day
• The distance to travel
• Parking and congestion charges
• Time required for the job
• VAT

A locksmith call out charge in London will be more than outside London. Also, you may find that Independent vs national locksmith charges can vary.

How IKS Locksmiths Charges – Simple, Transparent Pricing

We are always up front and fair with our pricing. An invoice from IKS Locksmiths will be broken down as follows;

a) Labour:

This will vary depending on how long the locksmith estimates the job will take and whether the job is done out of hours

Examples of fair hourly locksmith labour rates are as follows:

• Standard 6am – 6pm           £70+
• Evening   6pm – 10pm        £75 – £120
• Night time 10pm – 6am      £100 – £180
• Bank holidays                      £75 – £120

b) Parts:

This will vary depending on the parts required for the job and the particular lock selected by the customer. A range of price options will be presented to the customer.

c) Parking and congestion:

Parking and congestion charges will be factored into the price.

d) *VAT (Value Added Tax):

We always make sure that the customer is aware that we are VAT registered, and we make it clear that VAT will be added to the price quoted.

(There are some locksmiths who use vat as an opportunity to add extra at the end if the customer doesn’t ask if VAT is included. So make sure you ask if they are VAT registered and if the VAT is included in the price quoted before going ahead!)

*The current rate of VAT as of 2025 is 20%

As you can see, there is no call out charge included in a quote from IKS Locksmiths. Locksmith charges should not include a call out fee which is separate from a labour charge!

Read our post on ‘How Much Does a Locksmith Charge‘ for more information on locksmith prices.

Emergency Locksmith Call Out Charges – Should You Expect to Pay More?

As an MLA approved emergency locksmith in North London we can advise you on what you should expect from a trustworthy emergency locksmith. As with regular locksmith charges, you should not expect to pay an emergency locksmith call out charge as such. You should expect to be quoted a cost for labour and parts. Emergency locksmith charges can cost up to 50% more than a day rate.

Do All Locksmiths Charge a Call Out Fee?

IKS locksmiths don’t charge a call out fee and most genuine locksmiths don’t. Instead they agree a price in advance for labour (based on the circumstances) + the cost of parts.

Some locksmiths may refer to their hourly labour charge as a call out fee however, this would mean that this covers work done, and this is agreed with the customer in advance. It is important to confirm that it’s not an additional fee on top of a labour charge.

Can a Locksmith Quote for a Job On the Phone?

You should expect a locksmith to quote for a job over the phone. They should ask you questions and ask you to send photos to provide an accurate quote. If a locksmith doesn’t do this it is cause for concern. You can read more about what a locksmith should ask when providing a quote.

We always try to give an estimated quote on the phone by asking the customer questions about the job and asking the customer to send pictures. We are always very clear with a customer that it is only an estimate when we feel that we cannot give an accurate figure.

So the answer is yes if they ask for details of the job and photos if needed. You can assume that quotes without that information are unrealistic and will inevitably increase as the job progresses. This is a common trick to be very wary of.

Choosing a Trustworthy locksmith with no call out fees

Choosing a local MLA approved locksmith ensures you are calling a genuine, qualified and vetted locksmith. This is the best way to avoid paying unnecessary fees and to ensure your security. Read more about what to do when you need a locksmith here.

Contact IKS Locksmiths for No Call Out Charge and Fixed Prices

IKS Locksmiths are an MLA approved independent locksmith in Barnet covering North London, London, Hertforshire and the surrounding areas. We are specialists in Locks, Door Reinforcement, Security Grilles and Safe Installation. Contact us for a fixed price quote with no call out charge.