Denver guide
What a locksmith costs in Denver
Nobody publishes a Denver locksmith price sheet. What exists are national surveys, and they are a decent yardstick. Fixr's January 2025 survey has the typical locksmith bill near $150, and most landing somewhere from $100 to $200. The table below covers every common job, with the source and the date of each range.
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The full table
| 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) |
| Rekeying existing locks | $70 to $160 a visit Each added cylinder about $20 to $30 | Fixr (Jan. 2025) |
| Rekeying existing locks | $191 to $225 Roughly $18 a keyhole | Thumbtack (Oct. 2026) |
| Replacing locks | $150 to $550 | Fixr (Jan. 2025) |
| Installing a new lock | $203 to $240 | Thumbtack (Oct. 2026) |
| Smart lock, parts and labor | Lock $50 to $350, install around $50 | Fixr (Jan. 2025) |
| Smart lock, parts and labor | Lock $144 to $226, install $106 to $291 | This Old House (Mar. 2026) |
| New car key | $70 to $250 | Fixr (Jan. 2025) |
| Chip (transponder) key | $125 to $250 Includes the part and programming | Kelley Blue Book (Jul. 2025) |
| Flip key | $150 to $300 | Kelley Blue Book (Jul. 2025) |
| Push-button start key | $200 to $400 | Kelley Blue Book (Jul. 2025) |
| Programming a fob or chip key | $50 to $200 | Fixr (Jan. 2025) |
| 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) |
| Copy of a house key | $10 to $25 | Fixr (Jan. 2025) |
| New mailbox lock | $75 to $200 | Fixr (Jan. 2025) |
| Opening a safe without drilling | $140 to $200 | Fixr (Jan. 2025) |
| Drilling a safe open | Fire safe $200 to $250, money safe $350 to $450 | Fixr (Jan. 2025) |
Fixr, Thumbtack, This Old House and Kelley Blue Book publish these for the whole country. Treat them as a test of whether a Denver quote is in a normal range, not as the quote itself.
Why is a locksmith so expensive?
Most of the bill is the trip and the readiness. Even a five-minute lockout means a stocked van, a drive across a metro that stretches from Arvada to Aurora, and somebody answering the phone at odd hours. Car keys run higher because the key itself is a programmed electronic part.
Do locksmiths charge a call-out fee?
Nearly all of them do. Fixr has a trip charge at $25 to $100 and a service-call minimum at $100 to $200. It belongs inside the total you hear on the phone, and it shouldn't show up as a surprise at the door.
| What you need done | Survey says | Who published it |
|---|---|---|
| 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) |
Five things that raise the number
- Time of day. Nights and holidays add $150 to $250 (Fixr).
- Distance. A foothills trailhead or the far edge of Aurora is a longer drive.
- The car. A push-button key runs $200 to $400 (Kelley Blue Book); a plain key costs much less.
- Hardware. A new deadbolt costs more than rekeying the one on the door.
- Old houses. A bolt that binds on a 1920s door may need the strike moved, which is extra labor.
What Denver callers ask about this
Do locksmiths charge more in Denver than elsewhere?
There's no Denver-only price data to say. Local labor costs and long drives across the metro both push prices, which is why the number to compare is a phone total that already includes the trip.
Should I tip a locksmith?
Nobody expects it. If someone came out late on a freezing night and was fast and straight with you, a tip is a nice gesture and nothing more.