Denver guide
Can't afford a locksmith?
Plenty of lockouts end without anyone getting paid. Work through the free options below. And if a person or an animal is trapped inside a car or a house, skip the money question entirely and dial 911.
Single company per request, named on the call, priced up front. Search that name with the Secretary of State · Who pays us
What costs nothing
- Each door and ground-floor window you can get to without climbing.
- Spare keys out in the world. Think roommates, neighbors, family, the dog sitter.
- If you rent, management. That's 52% of households across the Denver ZIPs we chart (Census ACS).
- For a car: roadside coverage through your insurer, an auto club or your credit card, or the manufacturer's phone app.
Calls that belong to 911
A kid or a pet shut in a vehicle. Somebody inside who's hurt or can't reach the door. A burner left on. Any situation where you feel unsafe. Cold counts too. DIA averages 152 nights at or below freezing a year (NOAA), and being locked out with no shelter on one of them is a safety issue. Denver 311 (720-913-1311) can point you somewhere warm; 911 if it's urgent.
If you do have to pay
- Daylight is cheaper. Fixr puts the night and holiday premium at $150 to $250.
- Get the full figure before anyone drives over, and ask if they take a card.
- Ask for the lock to be picked, never drilled, unless there's a real reason.
What Denver callers ask about this
Will the fire department open my house?
In a real emergency, like someone inside who needs help, call 911 and they will act. For a routine lockout, plan on another way in.