Denver lock work
Locked out of your home in Denver
The usual ending is anticlimactic: a locksmith works the lock for a few minutes, the door swings open, and the same lock stays on it. Fixr's survey puts a house lockout at $50 to $175 and This Old House at $169 to $205. Renters may get in for free through the building.
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Five minutes of checking first
Run through this before you spend anything.
- Anyone in danger inside? A toddler, a pot on a lit burner, a relative who can't get to the door. That is a 911 call.
- Walk the whole house. The alley door, the side door off the garage, the basement window you cracked in August. Skip any second-story climb when the roof or the ladder is icy.
- Think about who holds a spare. Neighbor, sibling, the person who walks the dog. If the garage has a keypad, the door from the garage into the house is often left unlocked.
- Leasing? Across the Denver ZIPs we chart, 52% of households rent (Census ACS 2020-2024), and for them the lock and its master key belong to the owner. Apartment lockouts.
Price ranges for getting back in
| What you need done | Survey says | Who published it |
|---|---|---|
| Opening a locked house | $50 to $175 | Fixr (Jan. 2025) |
| Opening a locked house | $169 to $205 | This Old House (Mar. 2026) |
| Opening a locked car | $80 to $150 | Fixr (Jan. 2025) |
| Any mobile car locksmith job | $117 to $259 Can reach $456 at night | Thumbtack (Aug. 2026) |
| Call-out charge | $25 to $100 for the trip, or a $100 to $200 service-call minimum | Fixr (Jan. 2025) |
| Night or holiday premium | $150 to $250 | Fixr (Jan. 2025) |
The figure you agree to on the phone should already include the drive. After dark or on a holiday, add Fixr's $150 to $250 premium, which is the best argument for spending the night on a friend's couch if you can.
Why drilling should be rare
An ordinary knob lock or deadbolt can be picked, or its latch slipped, with no damage at all. A drill ruins the cylinder, and a ruined cylinder becomes a new lock on your invoice. Expect a competent locksmith to try the quiet methods and to say why before reaching for the drill. Genuine high-security deadbolts are where drilling sometimes can't be avoided.
When the key turns and the door still won't open
32% of the homes in our Denver ZIPs predate 1960, and in Park Hill (80207) the share is 82%. Plenty still carry original mortise locks, and old wood doors swell and shrink between the August heat and January's dry cold. If your key turns but nothing gives, the bolt is probably jammed against the strike plate. That is a door adjustment, and a locksmith can usually make it on the same trip.
Have proof you live there
Expect to be asked before the door is opened. A driver's license with this address is easiest. Just moved and the license is out of date? A lease or a utility bill works. If all of it is inside, mention that when you call. What counts as proof.
What Denver callers ask about this
Will the locksmith damage my lock?
Rarely. Picking and bypass tools open most residential locks intact. Drilling is reserved for high-security cylinders or a lock that's already broken, and you should hear the reason first.
Should I rekey after a lockout?
Depends where the keys went. Locked on the kitchen counter, no. Lost on the 15 bus or stolen with a wallet showing your address, yes, and today.
My landlord won't answer. Can I call a locksmith?
To get in, generally yes, though check the lease and expect to show you live there. Swapping or rekeying the lock is another matter; don't let anyone do that without the landlord knowing.