How much is locksmith labour in Calgary?

Hopefully you never need a locksmith. But chances are, you will. So how much does a locksmith cost in Calgary? If you don’t want to read this whole article and just want the price of locksmith labour in Calgary, just scroll to the bottom.

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

We’ve covered the first one in a previous blog, so here we’ll focus on the second component – labour costs of locksmiths in Calgary.

Labour rates will vary by service with most companies. It makes sense though when you consider the value you get for different services. The rate you pay for fixing a door or lock – say $95 per hour – will (and should) be cheaper than having your safe opened or automatic handicap door repaired. This is because of the training, tools, special certifications and liability associated with these services. When inquiring about locksmith service pricing in Calgary, ask about the labour rates for the various services to ensure there’s no surprises when the invoice is made.

If you come across a company that charges way less than the others, it’s likely because you’re talking to one of the many unlicensed locksmiths out there. While I wish this wasn’t the case, we honestly receive several calls a month from customers who were ripped off by a non-licensed locksmith.

Legitimate companies charge between $90-130 per hour of locksmith labour in Calgary. Why there’s such a large gap is for a variety of reasons, but generally higher locksmith labour rates are tied to lower locksmith service call rates (say $60) and visa versa. If you call a company and they cannot answer the simple question, “what’s your labour rate?” or are outside this range, be very wary before scheduling any service.

Another common locksmith pricing model in Calgary is for minimum charges. In our company, we have a minimum charge to come to your house or business. This includes up to 30 minutes of labour for a set price. A set minimum charges allows us to very easily convey a price for service without confusing our customers. Not all companies use a minimum charge model, however it’s worth inquiring if they do and how much it is. We encourage our guys to stay for the full 30 minutes if we are charging a minimum charge. There’s always a hinge to adjust, or lock to lubricate, or door to realign, and hey – you’re paying for it, so don’t be afraid to ask.

Common Calgary Locksmith Labour Rate $99

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.