Rekeying Prices?

How do you guys charge to install a 'customer supplied' deadbolt (for instance). I charge $50 S/Call (Local area) + $28 install on door with steel / concrete door jamb, and $22 install on timber jambs. You have to take into account hole saw and drill bit mortality, as well as something for your time. I honestly believe I should be charging more, BUT, as usual the market here seems to be controlled by a couple of el-cheapo locksmiths.

that sure sounds cheap in your $$'s. we charge $30 / $35 US

g'day Steve

I don't know. Arrow is okay. I sell a lot of it. Their grade II knob lock is the same exact lock as a Sargent (which sells for quite a bit more).

The one problem I've noticed it that they are often installed in a situation where a grade I should have been used and someone thought cheaper was better.

Must have been either rough (door hanging up/dragging) or excessive (more that a several times a day) use. They are intended for residential use. If you use them for what they are intended for they hold up pretty well.

They don't make knobs at all. And Lori is now owned by ILCO (which is owned by KABA). You may have more luck searching under those names.

Why by online? Go to a locksmith shop and buy one. You may find it a little cheaper on line but once you pay S&H you're back to close to retail.

Never really had the problem. maybe the locksmith in question wasn't tightening them down enough in the first place. Did they have the "waffle washers" installed?

$5 more per lock and no guarantee.

It was; thanks. (Memory is the second thing to go... especially in summer...)

the local large chain auto parts stores got on a kick and went through and bought a PILE of Arrow handicapped lever.. replaced all the knobs on all the stores.. 5 months later, I got a call-they were REPLACING every one, too many failures of various knobs.. latches mostly.. with Schlage.. That was 6-7 years back and the Schlage are still doing good..

AGREE, and my FIRST 'new rule' would be that an ARCHITECT CANNOT set hardware specs. Most are idiots..

local school added on 120 doors in a new building and the builder installed Sargents.. the maintenence man was telling me the builder was ticked-was replacing 1+ locks a week on average-some weeks 2.. (he had to guarantee everything for a year)

AGAIN, replaced them as a unit with some Schalge and his problem went away..

in both these cases they could very well have been grade 2, there is no easy way of finding out.. but in both situations, they IMO had far too many breaking, even tho I am betting on the school it was grade 2's that he started with.

I know if I get a call to fix a Sargent-its trashed by me, cause the time frame of figuring out which variation it is, are parts available, and how far away.. I needed a simple couple of pieces for a dead bolt once, the parts were 95 cents my cost, and delivery was scheduled in 10 months.

now all you on the east coast CAN PROBABLY get information a lot faster AND easier for Sargent.. but here in the'wilds of America' its hard to get that..

My current pet peeve is Yale.. which model lock, which grade,.. I can devote an hour on the phone easy trying to get info on what the heck do I have.. took me 3 hours couple of weeks back, , and many faxes to find what the latest Yale was..this was a burglary situaion, and it had to be replaced... ended up being a $1250 panic bar..the customer had a cow when he found that out..

--Shiva--

YES !!! It's amazing how many people 'try it on' and call you 6 months later when their crummy el-cheepo lock karks it, and they try to tell you that the lock YOU installed back in (whenever) has mal-functioned, and they demand that you come out to repair it under waranty. This is when having Quickbooks really pays for it's self. While you are talking to them on the phone you are instantly looking at their job sheet / invoice on your monitor. They quickly back peddle when they are caught out !. Gotta Love it !

Yep. I make it a point to write "NO GUARANTEE" in the middle of the invoice. And anytime I get a "warrantee" call, I pull the invoice while they are still on the phone.