5 Basic Facts You Need To Know About Locksmith Services

The locksmith industry is among the world’s most successful. Locksmiths are an essential part of life, and as such, they are in ready supply throughout virtually all communities. The market has been saturated to the point that it can sometimes be difficult to know whom to choose however. Some of your options might be less than scrupulous, unfortunately. In order to help you pick the best locksmith for your needs, here’s a basic overview:

1 – 35 Out Of Our 50 States Have No Locksmith License Requirements

AL, CA, CT, IL, LA, MD, NE, NV, NJ, NC, OK, OR, TN, TX, and VA are the only states where locksmiths need certification to work. If you live elsewhere, you should be very carefully whom you decide to hire. Any advertised locksmith may lack any degree of sufficient training, or even the right tools for the job. Make sure to ask for the ID and certification before hiring any particular individual or locksmith in Houston.

2 – Many Countries Actually Have No Regulation For Locksmiths

The ideal locksmith in the United States and Canada is one that has gone through extensive training and a thorough background check before becoming fully certified. Elsewhere however, the chances for scammer or untrained locksmiths are even higher since there are so little regulation requirements. Notable exceptions to this include countries such as Japan, Poland, and Hungary.

3 – Some Locksmiths Will Replace Locks By Default

Many locksmiths are taught that they should always drill out locks and then replace them during their services. This isn’t always going to be necessary, and it can serve to make the job much more expensive. This is often done merely to charge more, putting customers into a rough spot where they must pay for something they never needed to begin with. Replacements are indeed warranted at times, but be sure to discuss whether or not you’re interested in that particular service beforehand.

4 – There Are No Standard Prices For Locksmiths

You can usually find an average for particular locksmith jobs, but the price will fluctuate from one provider to the next. This isn’t exclusive to the world of locksmithing of course, but it’s worth noting. You should always shop around a bit, request an estimate and price compare before hiring anyone in particular. You’ll quickly be able to suss out which providers are giving you quotes that are far too high for the work required. Be sure to ask about flat rates and any potential fees up front as well; many locksmith services will conveniently neglect to mention additional costs when you first speak to them!

5 – The Locksmith Industry Is Still Growing

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the locksmithing industry is set to grow a further 12 percent within the next year. By 2018, there will be nearly 25,000 individual locksmiths working within the United States alone. This level of market saturation will only serve to make finding a trustworthy service even more difficult. It can be even more troublesome for customers that may have an emergency on their hands. With that in mind, you should do some research and have a trusted locksmith already in your contacts in the event that you even need them at a moment’s notice.