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Locksmith Costs in Canada
Published Canadian data puts a standard lockout at roughly $80 to $250 depending on the hour, rekeying at $25 to $100 per lock, and professional hourly rates at $80 to $150.
Locksmithing has two pricing problems. The first is ordinary: emergency work at 2am legitimately costs more than a booked appointment on a Tuesday. The second is specific to this trade: locksmith scams are common enough in Canadian cities that consumer protection offices warn about them by name. Knowing the published price ranges is how you tell a fair emergency rate from a shakedown.
Every figure comes from a published Canadian source, named beside each row and linked at the bottom. Prices assume standard residential hardware; high-security and smart locks cost more.
Typical locksmith costs in Canada
Published ranges in Canadian dollars. After-hours and emergency calls price above standard hours.
| Job | Low | Typical | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locksmith hourly rate (Ontario) | $80 per hour | $80 to $150 per hour | $150 per hour | RealCraft |
| House lockout, standard hours (Ontario) | $80 | $80 to $150 | $150 | RealCraft |
| House lockout, emergency or after hours (Ontario) | $150 | $150 to $250 | $250 | RealCraft |
| Rekey a lock (Ontario)Per lock; additional locks on the same visit often cost less | $50 | $50 to $100 | $100 | RealCraft |
| Service call or trip feeCharged for the visit itself, labour and parts billed on top | $40 | $40 to $80 | $80 | My Locksmiths |
| Lock rekey, per lock, daytime (Ontario)After-hours rekeying runs $30 to $50 per lock | $20 | $20 to $40 | $40 | Perfect Key Locksmith |
| Residential or car lockout (GTA)Lock changes and rekeys across a home run $80 to $250 and up | $75 | $75 to $200 | $200 | My Locksmiths |
Figures gathered October 2026. Published third-party ranges, not CentFix pricing.
Lockouts: the price of the hour
A lockout is the most common locksmith call, and the published data shows how time of day moves it. Standard hours run $80 to $150 in Ontario. Emergency and after-hours calls run $150 to $250 for the identical job, because the premium pays for someone available at that hour, not for different work.
The scam version of this call follows a pattern documented by consumer protection offices: a very low phone quote, a drill within minutes regardless of whether the lock needed drilling, and a final bill several times the quote. A legitimate locksmith opens most residential locks without drilling and tells you the price before work begins.
Rekey or replace
Rekeying changes the pins inside the lock so the old keys stop working and new ones work. It costs $25 to $100 per lock in published Canadian data and it is the right answer most of the time: new home, lost keys, a departed tenant, a relationship change. The hardware stays, only the key changes.
Replacement makes sense when the hardware is worn, damaged, or cheap enough that upgrading it improves your actual security. A locksmith who recommends replacing every lock when you asked for a rekey is upselling, unless the locks are genuinely at end of life.
What actually drives the price
Time of day is the biggest lever, as the lockout figures show. After that: the hardware itself. Standard residential deadbolts are quick work. High-security cylinders, smart locks and commercial-grade hardware take longer and cost more to service or replace, and the parts cost real money on top.
Travel is the third variable. Many locksmiths charge a service call fee, published at $40 to $80 by one GTA source, that covers the trip before any work is billed. Rural addresses add distance. Ask whether the quoted price includes the call fee or sits on top of it.
- Time of day: emergency and after-hours premiums
- Lock type: standard, high-security or smart hardware
- Number of locks on the visit
- Service call or travel fee, separate from the work
- Parts and hardware, billed at cost or marked up
- Whether the lock can be opened non-destructively
How to avoid locksmith scams
Ask for the full price on the phone, including the call fee and the after-hours premium, and ask what happens if the job turns out bigger than expected. Legitimate operators answer both questions without hedging.
Check for a real local presence: a marked vehicle, a local address, a company name that matches what you searched. Provincial consumer protection offices advise getting identification and a written invoice. If the price triples on arrival or the drill comes out immediately on a standard lock, you can decline the work and pay only the disclosed call fee.
What a fair locksmith quote should itemize
Even an emergency call can be quoted clearly. Expect the quote to state each of these before work starts.
- The service call or trip fee
- The price for the specific job, stated before work begins
- Any after-hours or emergency premium, named as such
- Hardware costs if a lock needs replacing, with the brand and model
- Whether the lock can be opened without drilling
- A written invoice with the company name and contact information
Common questions
Published Canadian data puts hourly rates at $80 to $150. A standard lockout runs $80 to $150, rising to $150 to $250 after hours. Rekeying costs $25 to $100 per lock depending on the region.
Published rates run $25 to $100 per lock. Most homes have two to four locks, and additional locks on the same visit are often discounted. Rekeying is much cheaper than replacing the hardware.
The premium pays for availability at unsociable hours, not for different work. Published Ontario data shows the same lockout at $80 to $150 in standard hours and $150 to $250 after hours.
Usually no. Most standard residential locks can be opened non-destructively by a competent locksmith. Immediate drilling on a basic lock is a recognized warning sign of a scam operator.
No. CentFix does not set prices or do the work. These figures come from the published Canadian sources listed at the bottom of this page. Quotes through CentFix come from independent local locksmiths, with no obligation to hire.
Sources
- RealCraft, Locksmith Prices in Ontario
- Perfect Key Locksmith, Locksmith Cost in Ontario
- My Locksmiths, How Much Do Locksmiths Charge (GTA)
Prices move. These figures were gathered in October 2026 and are national or city level references from third-party publishers. CentFix does not set prices or perform the work.