Commercial Locksmith Cost

By Anthony Limpert, Supercanic, Riverside County, California

Author Source EEAT Authors · Anthony's Author Page

Rekeying and Lock Changes

A business rekey is priced like a home rekey. There is a service call, then a charge per cylinder, usually 20 to 40 dollars. Fixr lists 20 to 30 dollars to repin a rim or mortise cylinder, 25 to 35 for a high security cylinder and 30 to 35 for a Best style interchangeable core.

One Phoenix shop lists 160 to 200 dollars to rekey a two door business. Larger sites cost more, but the per door price falls because you pay one call out.

New commercial hardware costs more than home locks. A commercial grade deadbolt is often 90 to 250 dollars for the part. It is built for doors that open hundreds of times a day. The lock replacement cost guide has more on labor.

Master Key Systems

A master key system lets each person open only the doors they need, while a manager key opens them all. It is set up by planning the levels, then pinning every cylinder to fit.

Pop-A-Lock's Bradenton office lists 1,200 to 2,500 dollars for a small office with 10 to 15 doors and standard cylinders. The same job with a high security, restricted key system like Schlage Primus or Medeco is 3,000 to 6,000. A site with 50 to 100 doors and several levels can run 8,000 to 20,000 dollars or more.

The same page puts master keyed cylinders at 30 to 100 percent more than standard ones, and a yearly maintenance plan at 500 to 2,000 dollars.

Ask who keeps the key records. Whoever holds them controls who can get new keys cut.

Keycard and Access Control

Access control replaces or adds to keys with cards, fobs, codes or phones. Kisi, an access control maker, puts a keypad system at 1,000 to 2,500 dollars per door and a keycard or fob system at 1,500 to 3,500 per door. Mobile and biometric systems cost more.

The ongoing costs matter. Kisi lists software at about 30 to 100 dollars a month for keycard systems, and 5 to 10 dollars for each card or fob.

Install costs depend on the wiring. Kisi puts install labor at 500 to 1,500 dollars per door when working locks are already there, and 1,200 to 2,500 when they are not.

Ask for the total over three years, including software. A cheap install with a high monthly fee can cost more in the end.

Panic Bars and Exit Devices

A panic bar lets people push a door open from inside in an emergency. Many commercial buildings need them by code.

Prices vary a lot by device. Automatic Door and Hardware puts a panic bar install at 200 to 600 dollars. One Phoenix shop lists 600 to 1,900 dollars installed for a rim device, 900 to 2,700 for a mortise device and 1,100 to 4,100 for a vertical rod device, depending on grade and trim.

A rim device mounts on the face of the door and is the simplest. Mortise and vertical rod devices take more work. A fire rated door needs a fire rated device.

Ask your local building department or fire marshal what your door needs before you buy.

What to Ask Before You Hire

Ask if the locksmith is licensed where your state requires it, and insured for commercial work.

Ask for a written quote that lists each door, each cylinder, the key levels, the number of keys and any software fees.

Ask when they can do the work. Many shops will rekey after hours so the business keeps running, but ask what the after hours rate is.

Ask who owns the key records and the system codes when the job is done. It should be you.

Where These Numbers Come From

Sources. These ranges come from public pages we read on Fixr, Pop-A-Lock, Kisi, ACME Locksmith and Automatic Door and Hardware, checked against our locksmith cost guide. Commercial prices vary widely by city and building, so get a written quote.