20 Years Ago
Bill Neff provided valuable information on locating and removing Toyota and Lexus ECMs and then how to profit by reprogramming these expensive computer modules. Jerry Levine explained the use of the TCL-1 transponder key programmer, an early original from ASP. Red Howell discovered a way to service broken Volvo trunk locks. Jerry Levine also reported on the Sargent & Greenleaf Pulsetronic safe lock. Joy Skowron provided information on GM vehicle locks supplied by STRATTEC. Gale Johnson studied the new key cut decoder by Speedypik. Tim O’Leary profiled locksmith distributors Dugmore & Duncan, IDN and U.S. Lock. Tom Gillespie showed a new Yale Heritage Premier deadbolt. Jerry Levine reported on the new Everest key system by Schlage. Jeff Trepanier solved the mysteries of the FIC trailer locks and the hidden ignition lock retainer on 1991–1994 Ford Explorer models.
10 Years Ago
Our March 2012 cover focus was electronic access control. Jerry Levine took a look at the electronic keypads on the market, including stand-alone, weatherproof, dual-credential and networked. Chris Clark from Allegion took a look at the connected home. Jerry Levine’s “Powering Up Your Access Control System with Command Access” article provided tips on choosing the right power supply. Tim O’Leary explained how a Cansec Zodiac biometric system helped to solve security issues for a college sorority house. Gale Johnson tested the Schlage FE51 grade 2 lever lock that combined a deadlocking latch for security and an alarm system in the same unit. Locksmith Ledger took a look at the “Build Your Own Safe” custom ordering system from Inkas Safes. Steve Young covered servicing the 2011 Hyundai Sonata that uses a then-new Hyundai high-security four-track lock system. Back in 2011, this model wasn’t transponder-equipped.
Take Our National Average Price Survey
Pricing can be a sensitive topic and a balancing act. Charge too little, and your bottom line will take a hit. Charge too much, and customers will shop around and go elsewhere. You have to factor in travel time, the size and cost of living in your market and your competitors’ prices, all while facing substantial increases in fuel and supplies.
A November 2021 Forbes article, “How Much Does a Locksmith Cost?,” found that emergency locksmith services (home or auto lockouts) average about $160 per incident. The article also estimated the average hourly rate at $75 and the average residential lock-replacement cost at $40–$100 per lock, plus another $15–$40 per lock for labor.
Locksmith Ledger hopes to provide more-detailed guidance with our 2022 National Average Price Survey, which addresses common residential, commercial, automotive and safe servicing jobs, along with the traditional key fitting and duplication tasks. We added more electronic access control categories this year. (Note that our price survey is only an indicator of pricing trends and not a scientific poll.)
Please fill out our online survey at the link at the bottom of this article to help us to accurately determine prices in the marketplace. The survey is anonymous; we don’t ask for your business name or location. And you can skip over services you don’t provide. There’s a space at the bottom for comments and recommendations of categories to include.
Thank you for taking the time to continue this longstanding Locksmith Ledger tradition for 2022. We will share results later in the year.
2022 National Average Price Survey: https://cygnuscorporate.wufoo.com/forms/z5sm9nc0eqx2vy/
