Here's a fun experiment: go find prices on any other San Diego locksmith's website. We'll wait. The industry standard is 'call for a quote,' followed by a number invented in the van. We publish ours, because if you're locked out at midnight, the last thing you need is a negotiation. The table below is what dispatch will quote you, and what dispatch quotes is what you pay.
Why can we do flat rates when others can't? Because we only do unlocks. No inventory to sell you, no install jobs to upsell, no 'while I'm here, your locks look worn' routine. One craft, priced honestly, done fast.
| Unlock service | Flat rate |
|---|---|
| Car Unlock Most makes & models. Doors and trunks. No damage. | $69-$89 |
| House / Apartment Unlock Non-destructive entry first, always. | $79-$99 |
| Commercial / Office Unlock Storefronts, offices, gates. | $99-$129 |
| Storage Unit Unlock Disc & padlock openings, facility rules respected. | $69-$89 |
| Broken Key Extraction Key snapped in the lock? We pull it clean. | $69-$89 |
| Late Night (10pm-6am) Flat after-hours add-on. No surprise multipliers. | +$30 |
Every rate above is a flat price for standard hardware within our core service area. No open, no fee. Always.
Why '$19 Locksmith' Ads Are a Scam (A Public Service Announcement)
You've seen the ads: '$19 lockout service!' Here's how it actually goes: the $19 covers 'showing up,' the lock is suddenly 'high security' and 'must be drilled,' and the bill lands at $300+ with a damaged door for your trouble. It's the most documented scam in home services, and it works because people locked out at night are in no position to argue. Real locksmiths carry a California BSIS license, arrive in marked vehicles, quote the full price on the phone, and open locks without drilling in almost every case. That's the standard. Hold us to it too.
Our advice, and we mean this even when it isn't us: never accept a price at your door that's triple the price from the phone. Send them away. A licensed shop's phone quote survives contact with your lock.
How the Ranges Work (and What Can Change a Quote)
Each service shows a published range, and your job gets one flat number inside it, quoted on the phone before anyone drives. What decides where you land: the vehicle make and lock type for cars, the hardware on your door for homes and businesses. Standard locks sit at the bottom of the range; high-security cylinders and trickier hardware sit at the top. The number dispatch gives you is the number on the invoice.
Beyond that: late-night calls (10pm-6am) add one flat fee, it's in the table. Hardware that genuinely resists non-destructive entry gets re-quoted before any work starts, and you're free to say no. Far-out backcountry runs may carry a distance charge dispatch states upfront. That's the whole list. Time of year, your ZIP code, how stressed you sound: none of it moves the price.