FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

As Vancouver’s Premier Locksmith, we pride ourselves in our transparent and upfront pricing and the best warranty in Vancouver.

Our standard service rate is $175  per hour with a minimum 1 hour charge during normal working hours. Our normal working hours are Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm.

Parts are extra and a delivery and fuel surcharge may apply. Rates may differ for different types of services.

Pricing outside of our normal working hours ranges from $195 to $295 per hour. We highly recommend you contact us to find out more.

We have promotional discounts throughout the year and volume discounts, call or text us to get the best prices.

Skilled professional locksmiths bring experience and knowledge in lock, safe & security problems and are better prepared to solve any security issues to your unique situation. A professional Vancouver locksmith can prescribe the best solution for you given your needs and budget.

In the past, keys marked “Do Not Duplicate,” ” Do Not Copy,” or “Unlawful to Copy” could be duplicated only if a letter of authorization from the owner or supervisor is presented with the request for duplication. A professional locksmith would then keep a log of how many keys were cut and write down your personal information. However, there is no legal authority in BC who actively reviews these logs.

This was necessary before the advent of high security locks and restricted keys. These days, the words “Do Not Duplicate” is more of a request. If you want to ensure your keys cannot be copied without your authorization, contact us today to find out more.

Absolutely! Everyone has someone that they trust with their house keys; this does not mean you can trust them. How many neighbors, old baby sitters, cleaning people are walking around with the key to your home? Change the locks and then give keys to people you and you alone trust.

No. A “master” key is a key which works many locks. In order for a particular master key to work in a lock, the lock has to be set up to work on that master key. Locks are typically master keyed in hotels, office buildings, and schools. Rest assured that there is no such master key that opens all locks.

No, it is illegal in most provinces to sell or possess burglary or entry tools.
Vancouver Locksmiths will not sell entry tools to anyone.

First, never spray the lock with WD-40. This commonly found penetrating oil is a lubricant AND a degreaser. It might work at first, but may make things worse. At locksmith Vancouver, we highly suggest a product like Tri-Flow which we personally use. You can pick up a small bottle at our Key Store in downtown Vancouver. This small bottle lasts most of our customers a lifetime can be used on your door hinges as well.

If you’re in a pinch, try using bicycle chain oil. It has a similar composition to Tri-Flow.

Do not take the lock apart if you are not confident you can put it back together. If lubricating your lock doesn’t work, it’s time to call your friendly Vancouver Locksmith.

The amount of time it takes to complete a locksmith task depends on what exactly the task at hand entails. Our service calls are always booked for at least an hour. Feel free to call or text us to discuss how we can serve you today.

Unfortunately, our industry is plagued by networks of unlicensed and uninsured scammer locksmiths whose call centres and headquarters are based offshore. These scammers prey upon customers who are at their most vulnerable.

They are ranked quite highly on online searches as they are essentially mass marketing machines. They do not have a local physical address and nothing personal to identify as to who they are.

The $15 to $29 service call is just for them to show up at your location. They often ask for your credit card information before dispatching a “technician”, who is more of a Salesperson than a locksmith, whose job is to drastically upsell you on everything. Also once they have your money, they offer little to no warranty nor any after sale service.

If in doubt, always ask to see a locksmith’s BC Security License or ask for their BC Security Business License Number. All Locksmiths are legally obligated to carry our BC Security License for locksmithing while working.

Locksmith Vancouver is proud to have the best warranty in Vancouver. All parts come standard with a 1 year warranty. Many of our commercial hardware have warranties lasting 3 to 10 years.

Our limited standard 1 year labour warranty includes after hours service and full product replacement at no additional cost. There’s nothing else like it in town!

We turn off the ringers on our cell phones after midnight for the sake of our families’ well-being. If you wish to contact us after midnight, we recommend you text us at 604-363-2760. If we are available, we will respond.

As for pricing, all service calls after midnight begin at $295 per hour with a 1 hour minimum charge.