How Much Does a Car Locksmith Cost in the UK?
A car locksmith costs £60 to £400 for most jobs in the UK, and the job sets the price. Emergency vehicle unlocking costs £60 to £150, a spare key costs £80 to £220 and lost car keys cost £150 to £400 or more. Nights, weekends and bank holidays add 20 to 50 percent, and prestige car keys reach £500 or more.
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Emergency vehicle unlocking costs £60 to £150. A standard daytime unlock costs £60 to £120.
Lost car key replacement costs £150 to £400 or more. Prestige makes sit at the top of the range.
A spare key cut and programmed costs £80 to £220, and £80 to £180 for most vehicles.
Car key programming costs £30 to £200 by key type and make.
Transponder key replacement costs £100 to £280, by vehicle and key type.
Broken key extraction costs £60 to £130. A new key adds to the price when the original is beyond use.
Key fob repair costs £40 to £100. A repair often costs less than a replacement fob.
Immobiliser diagnostics is quoted by phone, from the make, the model and the fault.
Want the exact price? Call 07830249408 with the make, model and year.
Need a price right now? Call 07830249408 in Devon, Dorset or Somerset. I give a confirmed quote before I leave, with no guesswork and no surprises on arrival.
The sections below give UK price ranges for the 8 auto locksmith jobs, the 6 factors behind each price, a comparison with a main dealer and the 6 ways to avoid being overcharged.
Auto locksmith costs in the UK range from £60 to £120 for a standard vehicle unlock to £150 to £400 or more for a lost key replacement. Prices rise at night, at weekends and on bank holidays. Ask for a confirmed quote before the locksmith travels.
What Are the 8 Auto Locksmith Jobs and Their Costs?
The 8 auto locksmith jobs and their costs run from key fob repair at £40 to £100 up to lost car key replacement at £150 to £400 or more. An auto locksmith is a mobile specialist in vehicle locks, keys and immobilisers. An auto locksmith opens, cuts, programs and repairs at the car, and the price of an auto locksmith job follows the key type, the vehicle and the time of day.
Lost car keys cost the most of the 8 jobs, because the new key is created at the car with no original key.
Emergency Vehicle Unlocking
Emergency vehicle unlocking costs £60 to £150 with the keys locked inside the car. Entry is non destructive and uses specialist tools. A daytime weekday unlock sits at the lower end, and nights and weekends cost more.
Lost Car Key Replacement
Lost car key replacement costs £150 to £400 or more, because a new key is created with no original. The price varies by vehicle make and key type. Range Rover, BMW and Mercedes keys sit at the top of the range.
Spare Key Cut and Programmed
A spare key cut and programmed costs £80 to £220 with a working key present. Spare car keys cut and programmed from a working key cost less than a lost key replacement, because the car does not need opening first.
Car Key Programming
Car key programming costs £30 to £200 by key type and make, and the key is paired at the car with diagnostic equipment.
Transponder Key Replacement
Transponder key replacement costs £100 to £280 for the chip coded key that talks to the immobiliser. The job requires specialist programming equipment. The price depends on the vehicle and the key type.
Broken Key Extraction
Broken key extraction costs £60 to £130 to remove a snapped key blade from the ignition or a door lock. A new key adds to the price when the original is damaged beyond use.
Key Fob Repair
Key fob repair costs £40 to £100 for a damaged or dead key fob. The work covers button replacement, casing repair or reprogramming, and often costs less than a full replacement.
Immobiliser Diagnostics
Immobiliser diagnostics has no fixed price, and 1 phone call with the make, the model and the fault gives the quote. The job reads the fault codes at the car and names the failed part before any part is replaced.
What 6 Factors Make Auto Locksmith Prices Vary?
The 6 factors that make auto locksmith prices vary are the vehicle make and model, the key type, the time of day, the urgency, the travel distance and the presence of a working key.
- Vehicle make and model. A Ford Fiesta key costs a fraction of a BMW 5 Series key. The transponder chip, the blade type and the programming differ, and premium makes such as BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Range Rover and Jaguar cost more.
- Key type. A basic cut and chip key costs less than a proximity smart key or a flip key with a built in fob. More electronics in the key mean a higher price.
- Time of day. Evening, overnight and weekend call outs cost 20 to 50 percent more, and bank holidays carry the highest rate.
- Emergency or planned. An emergency call out costs more than a spare key booked in advance. A spare key made during working hours on a weekday is the cheapest option.
- Travel distance. Some locksmiths add a travel supplement for very remote locations in rural Devon, Dorset and Somerset. Confirm that the quoted price includes travel.
- Working key present. Programming a spare from a working key is simpler than creating a key with no original, so a job with no original key costs more.
How Do Auto Locksmith Prices Compare to a Main Dealer?
Auto locksmith prices are lower than main dealer prices for every key job in the table below. A lost key for a Ford or Vauxhall costs £150 to £220 with a mobile auto locksmith and £250 to £400 or more at a main dealer, and the dealer takes days or weeks where the locksmith takes hours.
| Job | Mobile Auto Locksmith | Main Dealer, Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency unlocking | £60 to £150 | Not offered, recovery required |
| Lost key replacement, Ford or Vauxhall | £150 to £220 | £250 to £400 or more |
| Lost key replacement, BMW, Audi or Mercedes | £250 to £400 | £400 to £700 or more |
| Spare key programming | £80 to £180 | £150 to £350 |
| Same day service | Yes, at your location | Rarely, parts are often ordered |
| Comes to your location | Always | No, the vehicle is recovered to the dealer |
A main dealer holds manufacturer equipment for very rare makes. A mobile auto locksmith with professional key programming equipment does the same job at the car, on the same day and for less, on most vehicles on UK roads.
Does Breakdown Cover Pay for a Car Lockout?
Breakdown cover pays for a car lockout on some policies, and the level of cover sets what is included. Check 4 points in the policy before relying on the cover.
- Lockout assistance is part of the cover, or an add on.
- Key replacement and programming are covered, or entry only.
- The typical wait for a lockout call out, which reaches 90 minutes or more in rural Devon, Dorset and Somerset during busy periods.
- Lost keys are covered, or only keys locked inside the vehicle.
Call both and compare arrival times
Call the breakdown provider for an arrival time, then call a local auto locksmith for theirs. The specialist is often faster, cheaper for key replacement, or both. Most locksmiths quote by phone in under 2 minutes.
What Are the 6 Ways to Avoid Being Overcharged?
The 6 ways to avoid being overcharged by a car locksmith start with a confirmed quote before the locksmith travels. Locksmith pricing in the UK is unregulated, so standards vary from one locksmith to the next.
- Ask for a confirmed quote before the locksmith travels. A reputable locksmith prices the job by phone from the job and the vehicle.
- Confirm that the price covers parts, programming and the call out. Some locksmiths quote labour only and add parts on arrival.
- Ask whether the price includes VAT. A quote without VAT rises by 20 percent on the invoice.
- Check the Google reviews. A locksmith with 50 or more genuine five star reviews is more trustworthy than one with no online presence.
- Be wary of very low advertised prices. A £15 call out fee becomes £200 or more once the locksmith arrives.
- Use a local specialist and not a national call centre. National directories sometimes pass the call to the cheapest locksmith to dispatch, not the best qualified.
The £15 call out trap
A £15 or £25 call out fee is a red flag. The fee is real, and the total job price on arrival is typically £150 to £300. Confirm the full job cost before agreeing.
Frequently Asked Questions About Auto Locksmith Costs
Auto locksmiths charge more at night because an out of hours call out takes the locksmith away from sleep or family time, and the premium is 20 to 50 percent above the daytime rate. Plumbers and electricians price emergency evening work the same way. A lockout that is not an emergency costs less when it is booked for the next morning.
No, there is no separate minimum call out charge with most mobile auto locksmiths, because the travel cost is built into the job price. A very low call out fee quoted separately usually means a higher total on arrival. A reputable locksmith gives 1 confirmed price that covers everything.
Yes, a key cutting kiosk copies a cheaper spare key for an older vehicle with a basic cut key and no transponder chip. A car made after about 2000 is the exception, because its key holds an electronic transponder chip that is programmed to that vehicle. A cheap copy of the blade opens the door and does not start the car. Car key programming on site pairs the chip to the vehicle with specialist equipment.
No, standard car insurance does not cover locksmith call outs or the car key replacement cost in most cases. Some comprehensive policies include key cover as an optional extra. Check the policy documents or call the insurer to confirm. A claim for a small locksmith bill affects the no claims discount on some policies, so weigh the bill against the discount before claiming.
Keep auto locksmith costs down by getting a spare key made before it is needed. Spare car keys cut and programmed during working hours cost £80 to £180 for most vehicles, well below the emergency cost of a lost key replacement at midnight. Keep the spare somewhere accessible outside the car.
A locksmith charges £60 to £150 to unlock a car in the UK. A standard daytime unlock costs £60 to £120, and nights and weekends cost more. Emergency vehicle unlocking opens the car without damage, and a broken window costs £150 to £400 to replace.
It costs £30 to £200 to reprogram a car key in the UK, and the make and the key type set where the price falls.
No, most mobile auto locksmiths do not charge by the hour, and the price is fixed for the job. The quote covers travel, parts and programming in 1 figure. Ask for the full job price before the locksmith travels.
Dean answers in plain words
Why can you not give one price for every car?
A Fiesta key and a BMW key are not the same job. Tell me the make, model and year and I give you a confirmed price in under a minute.
Is a main dealer ever the better choice?
For a very rare make, sometimes. For most cars on UK roads I do the same job at your location, the same day, for less.
Does the price change once you arrive?
No. The price I give on the phone is the price you pay. No surprises and no add ons on arrival.
Tell me the make, the model and the job. I give a fixed price before I travel, with no surprises and no add ons on arrival.