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Estimates and invoices for locksmiths, so the price at the door matches the price on the phone.
Locksmith work is often an emergency, and an emergency is when a customer is least able to argue about a price. That is why the paper matters most. Here is what to write down and when.
By Abrar · Updated · 7 min read
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The short answer
The Federal Trade Commission tells customers to get a price that covers the service call, labor, parts and extra fees such as mileage and night calls, in writing before work starts, and a written invoice at the end. Do all three. Check who the customer is, write the check down, and have the customer sign on their phone. InvoiceWren puts the estimate, the signature and the payment on one job.
How a locksmith job runs on paper
The steps follow the advice the Federal Trade Commission gives customers, so a customer who has read it will expect them.
- 1
The call
A lockout at a home, a car or a business, or a planned job such as a rekey after a move, new deadbolts or a lock upgrade. Write down the address, the lock type and what the job is.
- 2
The phone price
Give a price that covers the fee for a service call, labor and replacement parts, and name any extra fees such as mileage and night calls [1]. A very low phone price that grows at the door is the pattern the FTC describes.
- 3
The check at the door
The FTC says a legitimate locksmith should confirm the customer's identity and make sure they really own the property or vehicle before starting work [1]. Write down what you checked.
- 4
The written estimate
Bring the estimate in writing, with every fee that can apply, and have the customer sign it before you start [1].
- 5
The work
Open the lock, rekey it, repair it or install new locks or hardware.
- 6
The extra
A worn cylinder, a damaged lock, a reason to replace and not open. The new price is agreed before the extra work. The FTC tells customers to think about hiring someone else if they are told a lock must be drilled and replaced [1], so write the reason on the estimate.
- 7
The invoice
The FTC advises customers to get a written invoice that shows the company name and lists labor, replacement parts and all fees, before they pay [1].
- 8
The payment and the receipt
Card or cash at the door, as the quote said. Record the amount and the date and give a receipt.
Where locksmith paperwork goes wrong
Most of these are in the FTC's advice to customers, so a customer who has read it may already be watching for them.
A low phone price and a high price at the door
A call center gives a very low estimate. The technician arrives, the price jumps and the customer is pressed to pay in cash. The FTC describes exactly this pattern [1]. The customer feels cheated and disputes the charge.
What to do: Quote on the phone the service call fee, labor, parts and mileage or night fees. At the door, bring the estimate in writing and have the customer sign before you start.
Fees the customer did not hear about
Night call, mileage, tool use, fuel. They appear on the invoice and the customer refuses to pay them.
What to do: List every fee that can apply on the estimate and on the invoice.
No check of who owns the property
A lockout is opened for someone who cannot show that they live there or own the vehicle. That is a risk for the real owner and for you. The FTC says a legitimate locksmith confirms identity and ownership before starting work [1].
What to do: Write the check on the job: the kind of ID, the name and the address. Have the customer sign.
Drilling a lock that did not need it
The technician says the lock must be drilled and replaced. The FTC tells customers to think about hiring a different person if they are told this [1].
What to do: Write the reason and the extra cost on the estimate, and have the customer agree before you drill.
Working without a license where one is required
The FTC said in guidance archived in Jan 2021 that fifteen states require locksmiths to be licensed or registered [1]. California's Bureau of Security and Investigative Services licenses locksmith companies [2]. New York City requires a locksmith license to repair, service, install, inspect, and open and close locks by mechanical means [3].
What to do: Check what your state and city require. Print your license number on every estimate and invoice.
A receipt with one lump sum
The customer asks what they paid for, and the receipt cannot say. The FTC advises a written invoice that shows the company name and lists labor, replacement parts and all fees [1].
What to do: Send an itemized invoice with your company name and, where you have one, your license number.
What InvoiceWren does for a locksmith
The written estimate reaches your customer in the time it takes to say hello, and the signature, the extras and the payment stay with it.
A written estimate at the door, signed on their phone
Write the estimate on your phone while you check the lock. The customer reads it and signs on their own phone before you start. There is nothing to print.
Every fee on its own line
Service call, labor, night call, mileage, parts. Each is a line, so the invoice at the end matches what the customer signed.
Saved items for the lines you quote every day
Save the service call, a rekey, a deadbolt, a replacement cylinder and the night call. Each takes a tap on the next estimate.
Photos on the line they belong to
Add up to 3 photos to a line. A photo of the damaged cylinder sits beside the line that prices replacing it.
Change orders when the job grows
If the lock must be replaced and not opened, send a change order. The customer approves it on their phone, and it is not counted as approved until they do.
Paid by Zelle, bank transfer or your own link
Your customer pays you directly and we take no fee. Write the ways you accept payment on the estimate. They tap "I've paid", you confirm it, and the receipt goes out.
Estimates and approval · Change orders · Deposits, progress and final invoices · Getting paid and receipts
Need a document right now? Make a free estimate or a free invoice with no sign-up, then bring the job into InvoiceWren when you are ready.
Rules to check, by state and city
Locksmith licensing is set by states and, in some places, cities. These are examples from official pages we read on Nov 13 2026. They are not every rule. Check yours.
- Federal advice: the FTC tells customers to get an estimate in writing that covers the service call, labor, parts and extra fees, to expect the locksmith to confirm identity and ownership, and to get a written invoice listing labor, parts and all fees [1]. We read this from a copy of the FTC page archived on Jan 27 2021, because we could not find the live page.
- The same guidance said fifteen states require locksmiths to be licensed or registered [1]. That count was current in Jan 2021 and may have changed.
- California: the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services licenses locksmith companies. An individual who simply duplicates existing keys is not considered a locksmith. If the company does work at a single site that costs more than $500, a contractor's license is also required [2]. The company license is valid for two years [4].
- New York City: a locksmith license from the city's consumer and worker protection department is required to repair, service, install, inspect, and open and close locks by mechanical means [3].
- We did not read an official page on locksmith licensing in Texas or Florida, or on sales tax for locksmith work, so ask your state.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Checklist
Questions
What should go on a phone quote?
The fee for a service call, labor and replacement parts, plus extra fees such as mileage and night calls if they apply [1]. Say that the written estimate at the door will list them.
Do I have to give a written estimate at the door?
The FTC advises customers to get one before work starts [1], so a customer who has read that will ask. In InvoiceWren you write it on your phone and the customer signs on theirs.
Do I have to check who owns the property?
The FTC says a legitimate locksmith should confirm the customer's identity and make sure they really own the property or vehicle before starting work [1]. Write down what you checked.
Do I need a license?
It depends on the state and the city. California licenses locksmith companies through its security and investigative services bureau [2]. New York City requires a locksmith license [3]. The FTC said in archived guidance that fifteen states license or register locksmiths [1]. Check yours.
Is copying keys regulated?
In California, an individual who simply duplicates existing keys is not considered a locksmith [2]. Other states differ.
Do I need a contractor's license as well?
In California, if the company does work at a single site that costs more than $500, a contractor's license is also required [2].
What should my invoice list?
The company name, labor, replacement parts and all fees [1].
When should I drill and replace a lock?
Only when it is needed. The FTC tells customers to think about hiring a different person if they are told it is necessary [1], so write the reason and the extra cost on the estimate before you drill.
Can I ask for cash only?
The FTC describes call centers that insist on payment in cash [1]. Write the payment methods you accept in the quote, and take the ones you wrote.
Send your next estimate from the job.
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Sources
- Federal Trade Commission: Finding a Locksmith (archived copy, captured Jan 27 2021). Checked .
- California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services: Locksmith Company and Locksmith Employee Fact Sheet. Checked .
- New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection: Locksmith License Application Checklist. Checked .
- California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services: FAQ, Locksmith Company. Checked .
Prices and features change. We check these pages before each update. If something here is out of date, tell us at hello@invoicewren.com and we will fix it.