What Our Locksmith Work Costs in Oceanside
The numbers, the trip charge, and what pushes a job above the range.
The trip charge
One flat trip charge of $39 for scheduled work anywhere inside Oceanside, from the Harbor to Morro Hills. It covers the drive, the van, and the first look at your locks. It is not charged on lockouts, where the fee already includes it, and it is not charged twice if we do two things on one visit.
Prices below are what our techs actually charge, listed per line so you can add up your own job. Licensed and insured. Last reviewed September 2026.
Rekeys
Rekeying keeps your existing deadbolts and knobs and changes the pins inside so old keys stop working. Priced per lock, with the first lock covering setup.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| First lock rekeyedIncludes two new keys | $45 |
| Each additional lock, same visit | $25 |
| Keyed-alike (one key opens every door)With a same-visit rekey, where the keyways match | Included |
| Extra keys cut on sitePer key | $4 |
| Restricted keyway upgradePer cylinder, hardware included | $95-$150 |
Landlord and multi-unit
Turnover rekeys for owners and managers who rekey at every lease change. Per-door pricing drops with volume, and accounts get net terms and unit-tagged invoices.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Turnover rekey, per doorSingle unit, scheduled; deadbolt and knob keyed alike | $55 |
| Per door, 5 or more doors in one visit | $45 |
| Per door, account rate (10+ units under management) | $40 |
| Manager key setup (keyed-alike master for a building)Priced per building after a door count | By quote |
Lockouts
Quoted before we start, and the trip charge is part of the lockout fee, not added to it. Lockouts run during posted hours, 8:30 AM to 8:45 PM every day.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| House or apartment lockoutNon-destructive entry | $95-$145 |
| Car lockoutMost makes and models | $85-$135 |
| Storefront or office lockout | $115-$165 |
Installation
Labor only. Bring your own hardware or choose from what is on the van. New-hole boring on a door that never had a deadbolt is extra.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Deadbolt install, existing prep | $75 |
| Deadbolt install, new bore in the door | $145 |
| Smart lock install and app setupWi-Fi or Bluetooth | $125 |
| Handleset install | $110 |
| Gate or slider lock install | $95-$145 |
| Strike plate reinforcement (per door)Long screws and a heavy strike | $45 |
Vacation rentals and lockboxes
Set up once, then rotate codes yourself. Same-day changeovers between check-out and check-in when a key goes missing.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Key-to-code changeover (smart deadbolt, setup, three codes)Hardware separate | $145 |
| Emergency changeover between guestsRekey or swap the keyed backup | $125-$165 |
| Wall-mounted lockbox, supplied and mounted | $95-$135 |
| Mount a lockbox you bought | $65 |
Car keys and fobs
Car keys and fobs are quoted by make, model, and year over the phone. We do lockouts on most vehicles; for replacement keys and fob programming, tell us the year and model and we will say yes, no, or who to call.
Military discount, applied
10% off labor for active duty, reserve, National Guard, veterans, and military spouses, with ID. Labor means the rekey, lockout, and installation lines above; hardware and the trip charge are not discounted.
Worked example: a four-lock move-in rekey in San Luis Rey
| First lock | $45 |
|---|---|
| Three more locks | 3 × $25 |
| Labor subtotal | $120 |
| Military discount | − 10% of labor = − $12 |
| Trip charge | $39 |
| Total | $147 |
What makes a job run higher
- High-security cylinders. Restricted or patented keyways take longer to pin and use blanks that cost more. Quoted per cylinder.
- Damaged or corroded locks. A deadbolt that has been on the beach side of Coast Highway for fifteen years may not come apart. If it will not rekey, it gets replaced, and you hear the number before we go further.
- Nothing after hours. We work 8:30 AM to 8:45 PM every day and do not run an after-hours truck, so there is no surcharge to list. Calls after 8:45 PM are returned the next morning.
- New bores. A door that never had a deadbolt needs a hole, and that is its own line under installation.
- Extra keys. Two per rekey are included; more are cut on site at the per-key price.
- Far edges of Morro Hills. The trip charge is the same. A gate a mile up a dirt road with no cell signal is still the same, but tell us in advance so we bring the right hardware and do not have to come back.
Summer is our busiest season because of PCS orders and lease turnovers, and the prices do not change with demand. Book early to get the date you want, not to save money.
Questions
How do I pay?
Card, cash, Zelle, or Apple Pay at the door, and net-30 invoicing for property-management accounts. You get a photo invoice by text or email on every job whether you paid by card or cash.
Do I get the price before you start?
Yes, every time. You get an estimate on the phone from the ranges on this page, and the tech confirms the exact total at the door after looking at the locks, before any tool comes out. If something changes mid-job, such as a cylinder that turns out to be seized, we stop and tell you the new number.
Why ranges instead of one exact number?
Because a rekey on a builder-grade deadbolt in Rancho Del Oro and a rekey on a corroded high-security cylinder on the beach are not the same hour of work. The ranges cover nearly every job we do; the exceptions are listed under what makes a job run higher, and you hear about them before we start.
Is the trip charge extra on a lockout?
No. The lockout fee includes the trip. The trip charge is a separate line only on scheduled work such as rekeys and installs, and it is one flat amount anywhere inside Oceanside.