Pittsburgh locksmiths discuss key points about their business

Published on February 1, 2008

As a locksmith, what are some of the services you provide?

Steve Jones: "[We work on] car and home lockouts and rekeys."

Jeff Wagler: "I rekey, master key, install and repair locks."

Steven Malivuk: "We cut keys, and we rekey and repair locks."

What's the most common request you get from customers?

Steve Jones: "The thing I do most would be changing locks."

Jeff Wagler: "The most common is rekeying and key changing."

Steven Malivuk: "To change or rekey locks is the most common [request]."

Are there any types of jobs you won't do?

Steve Jones: "If there's a domestic dispute going on, I won't do it."

Jeff Wagler: "I don't service autos."

Steven Malivuk: "We don't do automobiles."

How do you charge?

Steve Jones: "By the distance and whatever service I'm providing."

Jeff Wagler: "I have a service call depending on how far I go and an hourly rate, plus parts, once I'm there."

Steven Malivuk: "We have a standard service call and then an hourly rate."

What's the average fee for customers locked out of their house, their car or their safe?

Steve Jones: "The average price [for a home or car] would be around $50. A safe could be way more, depending on what you have to do to open it."

Jeff Wagler: "I charge $75 for house lockouts. Safes vary depending on the [type]. On average I'd say they're $125."

Steven Malivuk: "A simple lockout is $75. For safes, we can drill it or change the combination. The combination change is $52. To drill can be anywhere from $175 to $500, depending on the safe."

What happens if the customer's ID is locked up and they can't get to it?

Steve Jones: "We unlock the car, and if it's not inside, we lock it back up."

Jeff Wagler: "I have them get it once I'm in the house to verify."

Steven Malivuk: "Once I get inside, I verify their identity."

What's the hardest lock you've ever had to open and how long did it take?

Steve Jones: "I can't really say one particular one. Sometimes the ones that are supposed to be hard open right up."

Jeff Wagler: "It depends on the type of lock. Sometimes you run into dead bolts that are hard to open. I would say a dead bolt might take me 25 minutes."

Steven Malivuk: "Medeco. It could take an hour [to open]."

Do you have any advice for people who lock themselves out of their cars or homes all the time?

Steve Jones: "Don't try to get in yourself. It's a lot cheaper to call a locksmith."

Jeff Wagler: "Give a key to a neighbor you can trust."

Steven Malivuk: "Put a digital keypad on your garage door."