How we chose
We built the candidate list from Google Places listings across Telford, Companies House records and each firm's own website, then checked claimed memberships against the Master Locksmiths Association listings [1][2][6]. Before we score anyone, we check that each business is who it says it is, is trading today and can actually be reached, and that any claimed registration checks out. We then score every eligible business against our scoring system, which looks at the things you care about when hiring: what customers say, the qualifications and registrations that matter for this trade, how the business responded when we contacted it, how long it has traded, insurance and safeguards, how clearly it prices, and how useful its website is. Anything we cannot verify stays neutral rather than counting against a business. Each ranking carries its evidence date so you can see how fresh every check is.
How to hire
Match the locksmith to the job. A lockout needs someone genuinely local who can reach you in under an hour; a planned upgrade, such as anti-snap cylinders across the house or a new multipoint gearbox on a stiff uPVC door, suits a diary appointment where parts are ordered in advance. Burglary repairs, smart-lock fitting and commercial shutters each need their own experience, so describe the door, the lock and the urgency when you call. If anyone is locked inside, a child or a vulnerable person, say so first and call 999 if there is immediate danger.
Locksmithing has no government licence, so association membership and proof of identity carry the weight. Check claimed membership on the Master Locksmiths Association's own find-a-locksmith listings rather than trusting a badge on a website [1][2]. Ask for the business's full name and address, and check limited companies on Companies House for active status and a matching trading name [6]. Look for DBS-checked staff where the site claims it, ask to see public liability insurance, and prefer firms that quote an arrival window and a price structure before dispatch [4].
Agree the money before anyone travels. A proper quote states the attendance or call-out fee, the labour rate, likely parts with their lock standards, and VAT, plus what changes the price after hours [4][5]. Ask whether gaining entry will be non-destructive: a skilled locksmith picks or bypasses standard cylinders and drills only as a last resort, explaining why first [1]. Ask what happens if the door cannot be opened or parts are missing from the van: is there a temporary securing, a return visit, and what does each cost. Get the attendance figure confirmed by text before they set off.
Check the hardware going into your door. For uPVC and composite doors ask for anti-snap cylinders rated to TS 007, and look for the star marks on the box; for timber doors ask for five-lever mortice locks meeting BS 3621, which many home insurers require [3]. Products carrying Secured by Design accreditation have passed police-preferred testing, which is a useful extra signal rather than a substitute for the lock standard itself [3]. Pay by card where you can, keep the itemised receipt showing each part's standard, and test every key and handle yourself before the locksmith leaves.
Pricing
As of autumn 2026, rough Telford guides look like this. A daytime lockout opening commonly falls between £80 and £160; evenings, weekends and bank holidays often double the attendance fee [5][4]. An anti-snap euro cylinder supplied and fitted is frequently £60 to £140; a multipoint gearbox replacement often lands between £140 and £280 including labour; a five-lever mortice lock fitted to a timber door commonly costs £120 to £220 [3].
Timing moves the price most, then the parts: high-security cylinders, obsolete gearboxes and smart locks all cost more than standard stock. Travel distance and parking around your street add smaller uplifts. Get the attendance fee, labour, named parts with their standards, and VAT confirmed by text before dispatch, and treat any quote that cannot say what happens after hours as incomplete [4][3].
Red flags
Quotes only a low attendance fee and will not state labour, parts and VAT, or says the price can only be decided on the doorstep.
Reaches for the drill on a standard cylinder without attempting non-destructive entry first or explaining why drilling is needed [1].
Gives no firm name, no Telford base and no arrival window, or the person who arrives answers to a different business name.
Fits unbranded cylinders with no TS 007 stars or mortice locks with no BS 3621 mark, and leaves no itemised receipt [3].
Demands cash only, refuses a receipt, or adds an after-hours uplift to a job booked and priced as daytime work.
Corrections and business responses
Tell us what needs checking, or ask to claim a listing and reply to an assessment.