A customer asks you to change one front-door lock. On site, that door has a nightlatch and a separate mortice deadlock. A door count will leave one of them out of your locksmith lock change quote.
Count openings for location. Count cylinders, lock cases and mechanisms for work. Count finished keys separately. Then price the labour, materials, site costs, overhead and markup.
Choose a fixed quote or a lock change estimate
Use a fixed quote when you have inspected the hardware, settled the quantities and defined the required result. The customer should be able to accept one clear scope and price.
Use a lock change estimate while an important detail remains unresolved. Name that item. State the low-scope assumption, the high-scope assumption, the resulting price range and the work excluded from both ends. Then state what must be inspected or measured before you can issue a fixed quote. Build both ends of the range from your own inspection and costs, not a guessed market price.
Before booking a survey, record:
- Customer name and property address
- Authorised contact and key recipient
- Access date, time and restrictions
- Number and location of doors, gates or other openings described
- Whether the property is occupied
- Existing keys available
- The result the customer wants
- Known damage, stiffness or alignment problems
- Any written hardware requirement from an insurer, landlord or contract
Ask what the customer means by “change the lock”. They may mean a new euro cylinder, a replacement nightlatch, a mortice lock, a complete multipoint mechanism or simply new keys that no longer match the old ones.
Separate lock replacement from lockout work, repairs, changing a cylinder, repinning a suitable cylinder and changing the key operation. A supplier or tender may call the last two items rekey labour and materials. On your quote, name the exact component and work instead of using that broad label.
Confirm that the person instructing you has authority over the property. Use a separate property access and authority check rather than treating payment as proof of a right to enter or change the locks.
Build the locksmith lock change quote from a survey
Give every opening a location ID that the surveyor and attending tradesperson can recognise. “Door 1” is weak. “Front entrance from street” is clear.
Use the same ID on photographs, the quote, the work order and the completion record. If the job changes, that ID also belongs on the variation.
Count each component at the opening. One front door might have a nightlatch and a mortice deadlock. One uPVC door might have a euro cylinder, handles and a separate multipoint mechanism. The opening count and replacement-component count are not the same.
For each item, record what stays and what changes. Do not write “replace front-door lock” when only the cylinder has been priced.
Use a copy-ready door-and-lock schedule
Add one row for each component. Do not squeeze different locks into one line.
| Opening ID | Plain-English location | Door or gate type | Existing arrangement | Component retained | Component replaced | Dimensions and operation | Furniture and finish | Key group | Included keys | Condition, access and photo | Quoted action, exclusion or option |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [ID] | [Location] | [Material and opening type] | [Cylinder, nightlatch, mortice lock, multipoint lock or other] | [Item staying in place] | [Exact item to change] | [Measured details, handing, thumbturn or key operation] | [Handles, escutcheons, keep and finish] | [Separate, keyed alike or unresolved] | [Quantity] | [Condition, access note and photograph reference] | [Replace, repin, adjust, exclude, inspect or offer as an option] |
Add these quote fields below the schedule:
Customer: [Name] Property: [Address and postcode] Authorised contact: [Name and role] Access window: [Date, time and restrictions] Requested result: [Plain-English outcome] Included labour: [Removal, fitting, adjustment, cutting, testing and handover] Included materials: [Scheduled hardware, fittings and finished keys] Other job costs: [Only costs that apply to this site] Options: [Defined alternative work and price] Exclusions: [Unlisted work and conditions] Assumptions: [Access, condition and compatibility relied upon] Quoted selling price: [Amount] VAT treatment: [Business treatment] Acceptance: [Name, date and instruction]
Take photographs that show the whole opening and the component details. Photograph identifying marks and measured features where useful. A close-up without a location reference is easy to attach to the wrong door.
Decide whether it is cylinder only or the whole multipoint lock
This decision matters on uPVC and composite doors. The removable euro cylinder is not the complete multipoint locking system. The handles and other door furniture are separate. The gearbox, faceplate and locking points form the door-mounted mechanism, while the keeps are fixed to the frame. State which of those parts stays and which is being replaced.
Operate the door before choosing the work. Test it open and closed where safe. Note stiffness, handle movement, key operation, engagement and visible alignment. Do not imply that a new cylinder will repair a stiff or failed multipoint mechanism.
If the customer asked for “a new lock” but you have surveyed only the cylinder, write a cylinder-only scope. State that the existing handles and multipoint mechanism remain in place. Record any stiffness as a condition note or excluded repair.
If the mechanism needs investigation, do not hide it inside the cylinder price. Inspect it before issuing a fixed quote, exclude it clearly or offer a defined diagnostic or replacement option.
Measure the hardware by type
For a euro cylinder, record the internal and external lengths from the centre of the fixing screw, the overall length, the cylinder profile and the door thickness. State whether each side uses a key or thumbturn. Record the cam arrangement, fixing-screw position, projecting furniture and any cylinder guard that affects removal or fit.
For a mortice deadlock or sashlock, record the case depth and height, backset, faceplate length and width, and fixing-hole positions. For a sashlock, also record the spindle position, spindle size, handle centres and latch handing. State the key operation on both sides, the furniture being retained and the position and condition of the frame keep.
For a nightlatch, record the backset from the door edge to the spindle or cylinder centre, case footprint and fixing centres. Note the door thickness, handing, rim-cylinder arrangement, tailpiece, internal handle or snib operation and outside key operation. Record the keep type and frame fixing separately.
For a multipoint system, record the gearbox case size, backset, handle centres, spindle size and spindle arrangement. Measure the faceplate width and length, note its profile and fixing points, and record the type and position of hooks, rollers, bolts or other locking points. State the handing, lift-to-lock or other operating sequence, key operation, cylinder arrangement and door furniture. Survey the frame keeps as separate parts and say whether they remain, need adjustment or are included for replacement.
If the customer gives you an insurer, landlord or contract specification, get it in writing. Quote the named hardware requirement rather than making a broad compliance promise.
Define the key arrangement before pricing hardware
Ask whether each changed lock needs a separate key or whether listed locks should work from one key. Record the request against each opening ID.
Do not promise keyed-alike operation until you have checked the selected cylinders and locks. Mixed hardware, different key systems or unresolved product details can change the work. Mark each proposed key group as confirmed, replacement required or still to be inspected.
The quantity of finished keys is separate from the quantity of locks. State how many keys are included for each lock or key group and name the person who will receive them.
Use plain fields:
Key group: [ID] Locks or cylinders included: [Opening and component IDs] Operation: [Keyed alike or separate keys] Finished keys included: [Quantity] Additional keys requested: [Type and quantity] Handover recipient: [Authorised name or role]
A request for a hierarchy, controlled key issue or different access levels is not an ordinary same-key request. Move it into the master-key suite survey and pricing process before promising the arrangement.
Calculate labour, materials, overhead and markup
Price from the completed schedule. Not from the number of doors mentioned on the first call.
Set the expected fitting time for each scheduled component. Add time for removal, preparation, fitting, adjustment, key cutting, testing and handover. Add those task times to get the expected job hours, then multiply the hours by your direct labour cost per hour. Build that hourly cost from your own pay and direct employment costs. Keep general business overhead out of this figure so it is not counted twice.
Build materials from actual quantities. These may include cylinders, nightlatches, mortice locks, multipoint components, keeps, furniture, fixings and key blanks. Use the hardware you have specified. Do not insert an invented allowance for items you have not identified.
Keep other job-specific costs separate. Travel, parking or special access costs belong here only when that job causes them. Name the cost in your internal build.
Choose one overhead-allocation basis and use it on every comparable job. Productive labour hours are a practical basis for fitting work. Divide your overhead for the chosen accounting period by your productive labour hours for the same period. Multiply that overhead rate by the expected job hours.
Apply markup after direct job cost and allocated overhead have been added. The calculation is:
Expected job hours × direct labour cost per hour = Direct labour cost Direct labour cost + Direct materials + Other job-specific costs = Direct job cost Period overhead ÷ period productive labour hours = Overhead per productive labour hour Expected job hours × overhead per productive labour hour = Job overhead allocation Direct job cost + Job overhead allocation = Cost base Cost base × chosen markup percentage = Markup amount Cost base + Markup amount = Quoted selling price
The customer-facing locksmith lock change quote does not need to expose your internal wages, supplier costs or overhead allocation. It should show the scheduled work, included keys, options, exclusions and selling price clearly.
Use the job pricing framework for labour, materials and markup when turning the completed schedule into a selling price.
Keep markup and margin separate
Markup is what you add to cost. Margin is the profit left as a share of the selling price.
The Oak Street electrical job is the house example. All figures are sample currency units, not locksmith prices or rates. The original quote was 1,105. Job cost was 850, so profit against that quote was 255.
- Markup: 255 ÷ 850 = 30%
- Margin: 255 ÷ 1,105 ≈ 23%
The calculation uses the original quote. Do not swap markup and margin when setting your price.
Check whether to register, charge VAT and issue VAT invoices through HMRC’s VAT guidance (opens in a new tab). If the locksmith work forms part of a construction subcontract, use HMRC’s CIS guidance (opens in a new tab) to check whether that arrangement falls within the scheme before setting up invoices and deductions.
Show extra key pricing as a separate quantity
Included keys and additional keys are different quote lines. State the number supplied with each lock or key group, then list any extra quantity requested.
Extra key pricing should cover the correct blank, cutting labour and job-specific handling. Apply your overhead and markup method in the same way as for the rest of the job. Do not absorb extra copies because the machine is already set up.
State whether the line covers keys produced during the planned visit. If the customer asks for more after completion and another visit is needed, quote that visit separately.
At handover, count the finished keys with the authorised recipient. Record the quantity against the key group. Do not leave unrecorded keys with an unidentified person at a managed or tenanted property.
Put assumptions, exclusions and options beside the total
Beside the total, state the listed openings, components being replaced, components staying in place, included key quantities and normal access arrangement. Name any door condition, mechanism operation or hardware compatibility relied on when building the price.
Use direct exclusions:
- Door repairs and alignment work not listed in the schedule
- Concealed damage found after removal
- Failed multipoint components outside a cylinder-only scope
- Replacement of unlisted locks, keeps, handles or furniture
- Lockout work or destructive entry
- Electronic access work
- Additional keys beyond the stated quantities
- Work outside the agreed access window
Offer an option only when both scopes have been inspected and specified. State exactly what triggers each option and what it includes. Do not use a vague allowance for “anything else needed”.
Stop and write a variation when the site differs
The accepted quote is the boundary. Stop when the opening, hardware or instruction does not match it.
A variation might be triggered by an unlisted second lock, concealed damage, an incompatible cylinder, a failed multipoint mechanism or a request for more keys. Link the changed condition to the opening ID and photograph. Describe the added labour, materials, keys and price effect.
Get approval from the authorised contact before continuing. Do not fit the fifth item and argue about it on the invoice.
The Oak Street electrical job shows the document sequence. Its quote was 1,105. The lined ceiling meant chasing and extra cable became an approved 160 variation. The invoice was then 1,265.
The original job cost was 850, but the costs of the variation are not given. Do not calculate profit from the 1,265 invoice or combine it with the 850 cost. Record variation costs separately if you want to measure whether the changed work made money.
Turn the accepted schedule into the work order
Move the accepted locksmith lock change quote into the work order without shortening the hardware descriptions. Keep the opening IDs, retained components, replacement items, key groups, included keys, exclusions and approved options attached to the job.
After fitting, operate every listed lock from both sides where the arrangement allows. Test every supplied key. Record unresolved door or mechanism defects, the keys handed over and the actual labour and material costs. Use the job-costing calculation for actual cost and profit to compare the original quote with what the job consumed.
Yes Foreman can keep the accepted quote, work order, variation and actual costs on the same job record. Start by copying your next surveyed door-and-lock schedule into the work order, then give the attending tradesperson one clear line for every component to test.