First, identify what kind of price you have

A quotation normally gives a fixed price for defined work, while an estimate is an approximate indication of cost. Business Companion's guidance on forming a contract explains this distinction. Read the conditions as well as the heading, particularly where a final quotation depends on a survey or further information.

Check whether a figure supplied by telephone covers the full job, attendance and assessment only, or an initial stage. If an inspection is needed, ask what you are authorising now, what it will cost and when you will receive a price for the proposed repair. An advertised “from” price leaves questions about the work and conditions it covers.

Read the charges one line at a time

The following items are questions to check against the offer. They are not a statement that every locksmith charges separately for each one.

On a small screen, scroll the table sideways if needed.

With a time-based charge, clarify when chargeable time starts and whether collecting parts or returning to complete the job affects it. With a fixed quotation, check the listed assumptions and exclusions. Neither format is useful if the task itself is vague.

A parts description should be specific enough to compare the proposed hardware. If two offers name different products or include different quantities of keys, ask for those differences to be explained. If a specification matters to you, get the proposed make and model recorded before accepting a substitute.

A lockout quote and a replacement quote cover different outcomes

When the immediate task is gaining entry

A quotation for a home lockout service should explain the access task and any limits that depend on inspection. Clarify whether assessment and opening are included, what would be charged if entry cannot be completed under the agreed scope, and how proposed damage to existing hardware would be discussed.

Ask whether leaving the door usable and secure is included in that price or could require further work. Gaining access does not, by itself, specify a new lock, new keys or a security upgrade. Do not assume a non-destructive method can be guaranteed for every lock.

When the task is fitting replacement hardware

For door lock replacement, check which component is being replaced and whether the quote includes removing it, supplying and fitting the agreed part, checking operation and handing over the included keys. Confirm any separate alterations or finishing work.

If the door is locked shut, establish whether gaining entry is included in the replacement quotation. A price prepared for replacing accessible hardware may cover a different scope. These questions define the quotation; deciding whether repair or replacement is appropriate needs a separate assessment.

Compare matching scopes before comparing prices

Ask each provider to separate the immediate task from optional or conditional work. Keep an unpriced item visible as “to be confirmed after assessment”; a blank parts line should not be treated as free hardware. This also makes it easier to see whether the same labour or attendance charge has appeared twice.

Agree additional work before it begins

Inspection may reveal that the proposed job needs to change. Ask for the finding, the revised work and its effect on the total before deciding. For household consumer contracts in England, Business Companion's service guidance explains that extra charges require the consumer's express agreement.

1. Clarify the change: which extra task or different part is proposed, and why?
2. Confirm the revised amount: ask for the updated total, including applicable VAT, and whether earlier charges remain included.
3. Record your decision: agree the specific change in writing before additional work starts.

If you are arranging the visit for someone else, identify who can authorise a higher cost and how they can be reached. Agree what will happen if that person is unavailable. When declining extra work, ask what remains payable for the work already agreed and what condition the door will be left in.

Keep the quote, agreed changes and final invoice together

Before booking, confirm when payment is due, whether any deposit is requested and what it covers. Keep the dated quotation and its validity period, the job address and the name of the business providing it. Cambridgeshire County Council's Trading Standards guidance recommends written quotations describing the work and including VAT where the trader is registered.

At completion, compare the invoice with the original scope and any approved changes. Check the parts, labour, additional charges and any deposit already paid. If a line is unexpected, ask what it relates to and where the change was agreed. Clear records make that conversation more specific than relying on a remembered headline price.