What a car key costs
What decides the price of a car key
There is no single price for a car key, because a plain metal key, a remote key and a push-to-start smart key are three different jobs. Here is what moves the price, so you know what to have ready — and you get the price for your own car before you book.
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- Public liability insured
- 24/7, including public holidays
- 15–25 minutes typical response
- No call-out fee*
- No hidden rates*
- 1 year workmanship warranty*
- 6 years in Melbourne
- Home, business and vehicle
- No call-out fee
- No call-out fee when the job goes ahead as booked. If you cancel after your locksmith has already set off, the trip is charged — the cancellation policy on your booking says how much.
- No hidden rates
- The figure you approve is the figure you pay for the job as described. If the job turns out genuinely different on site, that figure still stands until you approve a new one. Anything you have not agreed to is never charged.
- 1 year workmanship warranty
- What the warranty covers depends on the job and on the parts — ask us what applies to yours. It sits alongside your rights under the Australian Consumer Law, which no warranty can exclude.
Recent work
Photos from our own jobs.
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Holden Spark remotes Mercedes-Benz smart key Two Mercedes-Benz smart keys Subaru WRX STI smart key Two Holden flip keys Renault keys Mercedes-Benz dash opened up Two Mazda smart keys Holden Commodore flip key Mercedes-Benz, under-dash work in progress Holden Cruze flip key Fuso Canter truck key
The key your car takes
A plain metal key is cut and done. A remote key has a chip and buttons that are programmed to the car as well as cut. A smart key, the kind you keep in your pocket for push-to-start, is the most involved of the three.
Each make page lists which key its common models take, by year.
Whether you still have a key
Copying a key that works is simpler than making one for a car with no key at all, so a spare is usually the smaller job. When every key is lost, the new key is cut to the lock and programmed to the car from scratch.
The make, model and year
Two cars of the same make can be different jobs if they are a few years apart, because makers change their key systems over time. That is why we ask for all three before giving a price.
When and where
Jobs after hours cost more. The work is done where the car is parked, so for most cars there is no tow to pay for. There is no call-out fee.
Getting your price
Call with the make, model and year, or ask for a price on this page. You have the figure before you book, and nothing extra is charged unless you agree to it first.
From our job sheet
Two Holden flip keys 
Renault keys 
Mercedes-Benz dash opened up 
Two Mazda smart keys
Related services
What we can help with
- Car Key ReplacementLost every key? We can cut and code a new one.Priced on the phoneYou get the figure before anyone comes out
- Spare Car KeyA second key, cut and coded before you need it.Priced on the phoneYou get the figure before anyone comes out
- Key Fob & RemoteRemote not working, or a replacement fob programmed.Priced on the phoneYou get the figure before anyone comes out
- Car LockoutKeys locked in the car? We’ll open it without damage.Priced on the phoneYou get the figure before anyone comes out
Common questions
Why can’t you give one price for every car key?
Because the key type, the car and whether you still have a working key change the job. Tell us the make, model and year and you get the price for your car.
Is a spare key cheaper than replacing a lost one?
Usually the spare is the smaller job, because it is copied from a key that already works. Making a key when every key is lost takes more work.
Do I have to pay for a tow?
For most cars, no. The key is cut and programmed where the car is parked.
Get a quote for your car key replacement
Answer what you can — anything you are unsure of, leave it. Your locksmith reads it and comes back with a price, usually within the hour during business hours.
Stuck right now? Ring — it is faster than any form. If it can wait, the form below gets you an exact figure.
Priced by the job, not by the hour — the figure you approve is the figure you pay for the job as described.*
*If your locksmith arrives and the job turns out genuinely different from what you told us — a different lock, extra doors, damage nobody mentioned — you get a plain explanation and a new figure before any work starts, and you can say no. Anything you haven’t agreed to is never charged.
