How much does a locksmith cost in Melbourne?
Want an exact price for your job?
A local installer calls you with a real number — usually same day.
Enter a valid Australian mobile (e.g. 0400 000 000).
Your number goes to one or two local tradies — never five, never a call centre, never resold.
You're in. We’ll text you to ask what you need done — reply there. A local installer will be in touch about your job. No spam, no middleman.
Locked out in Melbourne during business hours? Expect $125–$315, usually about $190; the same call at night, on a weekend or a public holiday is $210–$525. Smaller jobs cost far less: cutting a standard key is $5–$32 and re-keying one lock $47–$125. In Greater Melbourne 37.1% of homes are owned with a mortgage and 30.2% are rented (ABS 2021 Census), so moving house is a common reason to ring a locksmith here: buyers re-key the doors, and renters sort out keys and locks before the bond inspection. GST is included throughout.
Comparing cities, or after the Australia-wide picture? See the national guide: Locksmith cost in Australia.
Detailed Pricing — Locksmith Cost in Melbourne 2026
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard lockout (business hours) | $125per job | $190 | $315 |
| Emergency lockout (after hours) | $210per job | $295 | $525 |
| Lock replacement (single, basic) | $125per job | $230 | $370 |
| Re-keying a lock | $47per lock | $68 | $125 |
| Key cutting (standard key) | $5per key | $13 | $32 |
| Deadbolt installation | $160per job | $260 | $420 |
| Master key system (residential, 3–5 locks, cylinders supplied and fitted) | $420total | $735 | $1,250 |
| Digital / smart lock (supplied and fitted) | $315per lock | $545 | $840 |
| Car lockout service | $105per job | $190 | $315 |
| Broken key extraction | $84per job | $135 | $315 |
| Security audit (home) | $160per visit | $260 | $420 |
| Safe opening / combination reset | $210per job | $370 | $630 |
| Car key replacement (transponder / remote, cut and programmed) | $160per key | $315 | $580 |
You're in.
A local installer will be in touch about your job. No spam, no middleman.
Getting quotes for locksmith work in Melbourne? Get a quote from a verified local tradie — free, no obligation.
Get Melbourne quotes →Prices include GST. Based on Melbourne metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
Melbourne locksmith prices: emergencies, key cutting and the low end
How much does an emergency locksmith cost in Melbourne?
An after-hours emergency lockout in Melbourne costs $210–$525, typically $295. In business hours a standard lockout is $125–$315, typically $190: $105 less at the typical price.
How much does it cost to get a key cut in Melbourne?
Cutting a standard key in Melbourne costs $5–$32, typically $13. Re-keying a lock, so that the old keys stop working, is $47–$125 a lock.
Cheap locksmith in Melbourne: the low end of each price
At the low end of our Melbourne range, a standard lockout is $125, re-keying a lock $47 and replacing a basic lock $125.
Locksmith call-out fees in Melbourne
Our Melbourne table prices each job as a whole and has no separate call-out fee row. A standard lockout, for example, is $125–$315 per job.
These answers use the prices in the table on this page.
How much does a locksmith cost in Melbourne (2026): lockouts, changing locks and cheap vs after hours
A locksmith in Melbourne costs $125–$315 to unlock a door in business hours, with $190 typical, including the call-out and the time on site. Changing the locks on a house is priced per lock: $125–$370 to replace a basic lock or $47–$125 to re-key an existing one so the old keys stop working.
| Job | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard lockout (business hours) | $125 | $190 | $315 |
| Lock replacement (single, basic) | $125 | $230 | $370 |
| Re-keying a lock | $47/lock | $68 | $125 |
| Deadbolt installation | $160 | $260 | $420 |
| Broken key extraction | $84 | $135 | $315 |
| Car lockout service | $105 | $190 | $315 |
| Key cutting (standard key) | $5/key | $13 | $32 |
Cheap locksmith in Melbourne: the lowest price for a lockout is the business-hours band above, from $125. Quotes well under it are usually a call-out fee only, with the labour and parts added on site. The cheapest way to change locks on a house is re-keying ($47–$125 per lock) rather than replacing, when the existing locks are sound.
24 hour and emergency locksmiths: after-hours, weekend and public-holiday call-outs carry a surcharge on the business-hours price. If you are locked out at night, ask for the total before the locksmith leaves, not the call-out fee alone.
What moves a locksmith quote in Melbourne:
- Time of day: business hours is the base; nights, weekends and public holidays are dearer.
- Lock type: a basic knob or lever set is the low end; deadbolts, restricted keys and smart locks cost more in parts and time.
- Number of locks: per-lock prices fall when several doors are done in one visit.
- Damage: a snapped key or a jammed deadbolt that has to be drilled takes longer than a clean pick.
- Travel: outer suburbs can carry a longer call-out.
Before you call: say whether it is a lockout, a lock change or a broken key, and how many doors. Melbourne locksmiths quote the bands above when they know.
What Affects Locksmith Costs in Melbourne
When you call
The hour you ring matters more than the lock. A lockout is $125–$315 in the daytime and $210–$525 after hours. On a July night Melbourne averages a low of 6.0 °C (BOM averages), so nobody should wait outside to save money, but if you can get into a neighbour's place or a car, a morning booking keeps you in the cheaper band.
Houses, townhouses and units
Melbourne has more semi-detached homes than the nation (16.2% against 12.6%), alongside 67.8% separate houses and 15.6% flats (ABS 2021 Census). A unit may have just one entry door to deal with, while a house with front, back, side and garage access multiplies the per-lock cost, whether that is re-keying at $47–$125 each or new locks at $125–$370 each.
Renters and lock changes
About three in ten Melbourne households rent (30.2%, ABS 2021 Census). Consumer Affairs Victoria lists missing items such as locks, and changes made to the property without asking, among the reasons a rental provider can claim on the bond. Before re-keying or fitting a deadbolt ($160–$420), get the rental provider's agreement in writing and keep the original lock in case it has to go back.
Re-key or replace
When the hardware is sound, re-keying changes the pins so old keys stop working, at $47–$125 a lock against $125–$370 for a new basic lock. Replacing makes more sense when a lock is worn, stiff or a low grade you want to upgrade. If several doors are being done at one visit, ask for a whole-house price rather than adding up single-lock rates.
Cutting keys, house and car
The cost of cutting a key is one of the questions Melbourne readers search most often. A standard house key is $5–$32. A car key with a transponder chip or remote must be cut and then programmed to the car, which is $160–$580. Getting into a locked car with no key at all is a separate callout, $105–$315.
Master keys, smart locks and safes
Larger jobs are priced on hardware as much as labour. A residential master key system for three to five locks is $420–$1,250, a digital or smart lock $315–$840 supplied and fitted, and opening or resetting a safe $210–$630. A home security audit at $160–$420 shows which doors and windows need work before you buy anything.
How to Save Money on Locksmith Cost in Melbourne
Locksmith Cost in Melbourne by Job Size
Say a house has four doors that take a key, all re-keyed, with four keys cut. Four locks at $47–$125 each plus four keys at $5–$32 each comes to $208–$628. The same four doors fitted with new basic locks at $125–$370 each come to $500–$1,480.
A unit with a single entry door is a one-lock job: one re-key at $47–$125 and a spare key or two at $5–$32. A house adds a lock for each extra door, and the work on each lock changes the sum: a deadbolt is $160–$420, and a key snapped in a cylinder is $84–$315.
Locksmith Cost in Melbourne: What the Quote Should Include
Melbourne's mix of houses, townhouses and units means a locksmith quote can be for one front door or for four. Whether the address is in Richmond, Carlton or South Yarra, the quote should show the number of locks and the work on each, so the total can be checked line by line.
- State the type of home, unit, townhouse or house, and the number of doors that take a key, so the lock count on the quote is not a guess.
- For a house with doors on several sides, ask for a per-lock total and a whole-house price to be shown together.
- In a rental, ask for the rental provider's agreement to be noted, and ask whether the original lock is kept in case it has to be refitted.
- A lockout is $125–$315 in business hours and $210–$525 after hours; ask for the total in the first call and have the same figure confirmed on the doorstep.
- A key snapped in the cylinder is $84–$315; ask for it as its own line, and ask that no replacement be started until the broken piece is out.
- Ask if spare keys can be cut on the spot, and have them counted on the quote at $5–$32 each.
- For a car, give the make and ask whether the key is a transponder or remote type, since $160–$580 a key is quoted apart from a lockout at $105–$315.
- Name the lock for each door, and for a deadbolt at $160–$420 ask which door it goes on and which key it matches.
Frequently Asked Questions — Locksmith Cost in Melbourne
Our Methodology
These are independent estimates from public cost guides, marketplaces and industry rate data, and no tradesperson can influence them, so always get a few quotes. Last reviewed October 2026. Read our full methodology →