The question comes up on nearly every call, usually in the first sentence: what is this going to cost me? It is a fair question and it deserves a straight answer, not the classic "it depends, we have to see it on site".
Reference prices in the Algarve
Every service we offer starts at €49 — door opening, lock repair and replacement, car opening and safe opening. What varies is what the situation turns out to need beyond that.
What moves the price up
- Armoured doors and high-security locks, which take longer and more tooling
- Certified anti-bumping, anti-snap cylinders, when parts are replaced
- Work in the small hours, on a Sunday or on a public holiday
- Outlying areas, where the journey is longer
Transparent pricing
The figures above are starting points. Since plenty of people are not sure what kind of door or lock they have, the final price is confirmed by the technician on site — always before work starts and always with your agreement.
Three things that push the price up
1. The hour
A three-in-the-morning job costs more than a three-in-the-afternoon one. That is how any on-call service works. What is not normal is discovering that supplement only when the invoice appears.
2. The type of lock
An ordinary euro cylinder opens by manipulation in minutes. A certified high-security cylinder is by design built to resist — and takes longer and more tooling. When you describe the door on the phone, that detail is what lets us give you a reliable number.
3. The distance
An isolated villa in the Monchique hills is not the same as a flat in central Portimão. We tell you the travel charge before we leave, never after we arrive.
How to spot an inflated quote
- 1The phone price is vague or far below market rate — usually bait.
- 2They refuse to give a figure before arriving.
- 3They arrive and raise the price with a reason never mentioned on the call.
- 4They issue no invoice, or only take cash.
- 5They reach for the drill immediately, without trying non-destructive methods.
A locksmith who has worked the same region for years lives on reputation, not on a single job. It is a difference you can hear on the phone, before anyone leaves the yard.
