How much is a locksmith service call in Calgary?

Hopefully you never need a locksmith. But chances are, you will. So how much does a locksmith cost? Well let’s have a look at the costs of a locksmith in Calgary. If you don’t want to read this whole article and just want the price of a locksmith service call in Calgary, just scroll to the bottom.

To understand the costs of locksmiths in Calgary, it’s best to think of it like an a-la-carte menu at a restaurant. The good thing is you can call and ask beforehand and any legitimate company will tell you. If your spidy-signal tingles, trust it! Hang up and call someone else (hopefully us! 403.250.5698).

There are three main components to pricing for locksmiths:

1. Service call / travel charge / truck charge (all synonymous) which is the cost to get a locksmith to your house

2. Labour rate which is the charge per hour to perform the work

3. Hardware prices which can vary wildly depending on what you need

First thing you need to understand about the cost of a locksmith in Calgary is that if they are advertising a $15 call out, or $15 service call, or anything that seems less expensive than the others, it’s because it’s a scam. Not like a razorblade revenue model where you buy the razor cheaply and then the blades are expensive – not that kind of scam, I mean a flat out locksmith scam. A locksmith scam. A very profitable, shameful, locksmith scam. Don’t get scammed! Please! Read this first.

If you want to go down the rabbit hole, Google “locksmith scams CBC” and you’ll see that I’m not making this up.

In a major city, you should expect to pay $70-90 to have a certified locksmith drive to your house. This fee is usually called a service call, or truck charge, or travel charge, but they all mean the same – for me to drive to your house, this is what it’s going to cost. Why there’s such a large range in price is generally tied to the labour rate for locksmiths in Calgary. Lower service call rates generally mean a higher labour rate so make sure you understand both of these before you decide who to use (again, I hope it’s us! 403.250.5698). Regardless of your request, it’s worth inquiring on the cost of both the service call and labour rate so you’re prepared for the total cost for your locksmith service in Calgary.

Common Calgary Locksmith Service Call Price $75

Pro Tip: If you want to save some money, remove your deadbolt or door handle yourself and bring it to our retail shop. This will save you the service call cost and most lock repairs can be done in-store within a couple hours. You may require a special tool or hex key to remove your lock but those are inexpensively sold at your local hardware store.

The author, Lars Johnston, is the CFO of Calgary Lock & Safe, Canada’s largest private locksmith company. He holds a Masters of Business Administration from Dalhousie University, a Bachelor of Business Administration from Brandon University. He sits on the Medeco Security Center’s Advisory Board and is a member of the Calgary Construction Association and Better Business Bureau.