What does a locksmith cost in Paris?
Updated 12 August 2026 · 5 min read
Nobody knows what a locksmith costs until they need one, which is exactly what keeps this market opaque. Here are the real ranges in Paris and Île-de-France, what makes them move, and the reference points that let you say "this figure is normal" or "this one isn't".
The short version
- Opening a slammed door runs around €110 incl. VAT; a cylinder swap around €140 incl. VAT. Beyond double that, ask for the breakdown.
- Four factors, and only four, legitimately move the invoice: the type of lock, the state of the existing hardware, the hour (night, weekend, public holiday) and the hardware fitted — not how urgent your situation is.
- A “from” price with no basis is not a price. Ask for the total inc-VAT figure for your specific case, in writing, before anyone travels.
- Compare two quotes on three lines: call-out, labour, parts. A single-line quote cannot be compared, and that is not an accident.
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Orders of magnitude, job by job
The figures below are our starting prices, including VAT and travel. They cover the most common standard case, during the day, and they're representative of the Paris market for a tradesperson working directly rather than through a platform.
- Opening a slammed door, no damage: from €110 incl. VAT.
- Opening a locked or damaged door: from €150 incl. VAT.
- Cylinder replacement alone: from €140 incl. VAT.
- Full lock replacement: from €220 incl. VAT.
- High-security lock: from €300 incl. VAT.
- 3-point multi-point lock: from €420 incl. VAT; 5-point: from €540 incl. VAT.
- Securing after a break-in: from €180 incl. VAT.
- Door reinforcement: from €1,070 incl. VAT.
What legitimately moves the invoice
Four factors, and only four, explain most of the legitimate gap between two invoices for what looks like the same work.
- The type of lock. A door that has pulled shut is nothing like one deadlocked with three turns, and a multi-point lock takes longer than a simple cylinder.
- The state of the hardware. A seized cylinder, a dropped door or a mechanism already forced turns a twenty-minute job into an hour's work.
- The hour. Night, weekend and public-holiday surcharges are legitimate and used across the trade; what isn't legitimate is discovering them on the invoice.
- The hardware fitted. Between a budget cylinder and a certified A2P protected-key model, the purchase-price gap is real and belongs on the quote.
The headline-rate trap
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"Door opening from €39" is the most profitable number in the sector — for whoever advertises it. It usually covers travel alone, sometimes nothing at all.
It exists only to make you dial. The real invoice arrives afterwards, once someone is on your landing and the pressure is on.
A starting price is only worth something if it says what it includes: travel, labour, VAT. A "from" price with no basis isn't a price, it's bait.
The test is simple: ask for the total price including VAT for your specific case, in writing, before anyone travels. A tradesperson working directly can answer. A platform subcontracting the job can't, because its margin depends precisely on what it doesn't tell you.
Ex-VAT or inc-VAT: a 20% difference
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Many locksmith sites publish ex-VAT prices. That is perfectly legal, and it is the norm between businesses — but for a private customer the 20% VAT is added at invoice time, and the gap comes as a surprise.
Door reinforcement quoted at around €890 ex-VAT is settled at close to €1,070 inc. VAT.
For a consumer, the advertised price should be the price paid, taxes included. That's why our grid shows the inc-VAT figure first and the ex-VAT figure in brackets, rather than the other way round.
One case is worth knowing: some improvement or maintenance work in homes completed more than two years ago qualifies for a reduced VAT rate. Where it applies, it appears on the quote and you pay less than the advertised price — never more.
What you should receive, whatever the amount
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A detailed written quote before work starts. That's the requirement of the order of 24 January 2017 for repair, maintenance and emergency work in the building trades.
That obligation depends on no threshold: the old €150 floor was removed for this sector in 2017. The quote must separate materials from labour, state the travel charge, and say whether producing it is chargeable.
An itemised invoice afterwards, echoing the same lines. If the final amount differs from the quote, it must have been agreed by you explicitly before the work — not explained after it.
These two documents aren't paperwork: they're the only things that let you dispute effectively, claim on insurance, or simply compare two providers on a real basis.
Comparing two quotes without being in the trade
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Don't compare totals, compare lines. A €250 quote fitting a certified A2P cylinder with three protected keys is not more expensive than a €190 quote fitting a standard cylinder: it isn't selling the same thing.
A quote showing a single line reading "locksmithing: €480" compares to nothing, and that isn't an accident. Look instead at three specific points. A quote that answers yes to all three is comparable.
- Is the hardware named, with its brand and certification?
- Is labour costed separately from travel?
- Are out-of-hours surcharges stated up front?
Frequently asked questions
What's the average price of a door opening in Paris?
For a door that has simply pulled shut, expect from €110 incl. VAT including VAT and travel during the day. A locked door, or one whose lock is damaged, starts at €150 incl. VAT. Above €250 for a simple slammed door in daytime, ask for the line-by-line breakdown before agreeing.
Are night and weekend surcharges legal?
Yes — they're normal in a trade available around the clock, and used across the profession. What isn't acceptable is seeing them for the first time on the invoice. They belong in the published price list and should be repeated to you on the phone before anyone travels.
Why does door reinforcement cost several hundred euros?
Because it isn't a lock, it's an assembly: steel plating, frame reinforcement, anti-crowbar angle, reinforced hinges and a certified multi-point lock, fitted to measure. From €1,070 incl. VAT for door reinforcement is the Paris market price. A quote far below that should raise a flag: it almost always covers something other than what you think you're buying.
Is the quote chargeable?
With us, no: quotes are free and without obligation. The regulations only require that whether a quote is chargeable is stated clearly — so read that line before having anyone travel. Only a diagnostic call-out with no work carried out can be charged, at the published rate and stated in advance.
What we do
A question about your own situation?
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