For locksmiths
Quoting for locksmiths
A locksmith quotes at two speeds: the lockout at ten at night, priced on the phone, and the rekey or new deadlocks for a house or a block of units, priced from a count of doors. Quote Desk handles both. Call-out and after-hours rates sit on your list, and a count of locks becomes a quote the customer accepts on the spot.
Quote from Pinwheel Locksmiths
Rekey between tenants
| Call-out, business hours | $95.00 |
| Rekey to one key, 3 cylinders | $135.00 |
| Keys cut, 6 | $72.00 |
| Window locks, supply and fit, 4 | $180.00 |
| Total | $482.00 |
Forwarded to the owner. Accepted from their phone that night.
What gets in the way for locksmiths
After-hours fees argued the next day
A customer locked out at night agrees to any price on the phone and questions it the next morning. A quote sent before you start, with the after-hours call-out on its own line and accepted on their phone, ends that conversation before it begins.
Rekey or replace
Many locks can be rekeyed for far less than replacing them, and some cannot. A line for each, per cylinder and per lock, lets the customer see the choice rather than take your word for it.
Property managers and owners
A rental needs its locks changed between tenants, and the property manager needs the owner's approval. A forwarded quote with each lock itemised is the approval, accepted on the owner's phone.
Counting keys
Three keys or eight, one for everyone who needs one. Keys cut is a line priced each, so the extra set the customer asks for at the door ends up on the quote.
A worked example
Locksmith work, with Quote Desk
Picture a fictional one-van locksmith, Pinwheel Locksmiths. Price list: call-out in business hours $95 each, after-hours call-out $180 each, non-destructive lockout entry $90 each, rekey $45 per cylinder, deadlock supply and fit $185 each, key cut $12 each, window lock supply and fit $45 each.
A property manager forwards an email: a new tenant moves in at the end of the week, and the owner wants the front and back doors rekeyed and locks on four opening windows. Quote this: call-out x1, rekey x3 (the front deadlock, its entrance set and the back door), keys cut x6, window locks x4. The note says the price includes GST; the existing locks are in working order and are rekeyed to one key; any lock that cannot be rekeyed is replaced at $185, only once the owner approves; the keys go to the property manager. Total $482. The property manager forwards the email to the owner, who opens the link and presses Accept this quote from their phone that night.
At ten one night a customer rings, locked out. The locksmith takes an email address on the call, adds it with Add an enquiry by hand from the van, quotes after-hours call-out x1 and lockout entry x1, and sends it before he starts the engine. Total $270. The customer accepts on the front step, and the fee is in writing before the door is open.
Talk of the Trade
Locksmiths on Talk of the Trade
Talk of the Trade ranks locksmiths by how many Google reviews they have. Figures as of October 2026.
See the locksmiths on Talk of the Trade. Being listed there has nothing to do with using Quote Desk: no listing is sold and no rank changes.
Questions from locksmiths
Can I quote a lockout from the van at night?
Yes. Take an email address on the call, add the enquiry by hand, pick the after-hours call-out and the entry, and send. The customer accepts on their phone before you start, so the fee is agreed in writing.
A property manager needs the owner to approve. How does that work?
Send the quote to the property manager. They forward the email to the owner, and the accept link works for whoever opens it, so the owner can press "Accept this quote" on their own phone.
Should key codes go on the quote?
No. Quote Desk holds the lines and your note and is not a key register. Keep key records and master key charts where you keep them now, and leave codes out of the note.
How many locksmiths are on Talk of the Trade?
As of October 2026 the directory has 84 ranked lists of locksmiths, with 550 businesses listed in Victoria, 519 in New South Wales and 331 in Queensland. Quote Desk is separate from the directory.
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