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What Do I Need to Know Before Hiring a Locksmith in Miami?

Always check your prospective locksmiths are licensed and registered to operate in Miami before engaging their services. Contact the right kinds of locksmiths to ensure satisfactory service delivery. You are better off hiring a residential locksmith if you are locked out of your home. An auto locksmith would be the better option for lockout situations involving cars, trucks, and motorcycles.

Other criteria that you should consider before hiring locksmiths in Miami include:

• Your location and the urgency of the problem
• The availability and present location of your preferred locksmith
• The locksmith's prices

Are You Licensed as a Locksmith in Miami?

The Miami-Dade County Consumer Protection Division must license locksmiths before operating in the city. Locksmith businesses must also register with this department and have at least one licensed locksmith on staff. Be aware that Miami locksmiths who perform electrical work during their services may require a contractor's license (this can be obtained locally or from the state's Department of Business and Professional Regulation).

You can verify your intended locksmiths' license and registration status and check their complaint history by contacting the Miami-Dade County Consumer Protection Division at (786) 469-2300 and the Miami-Dade County Mediation Center at (786) 469-2333 respectively. It is always in your best interest to do this before finalizing committing to any locksmiths in Miami.

What Rates Do You Charge for Your Locksmith Services in Miami?

Miami locksmiths charge average hourly fees of about $25 - $50 for their services. Some locksmiths may utilize a flat fee billing structure covering their labor and materials. Regardless of the locksmith's preferred billing method, the overall cost of hiring locksmiths in Miami is influenced by:

• The nature and complexity of your required services
• The urgency of the situation
• The time of day
• Your location within the city
• Trip fees

We recommend getting and comparing cost estimates from about two or three locksmiths before hiring. This helps you avoid shady locksmiths who overcharge for their services or deliberately offer initially low rates to reel clients in.

What Kind of Locksmith Services Do You Offer?

Professional Miami locksmiths offer many residential, commercial, and emergency services. Some commonly requested locksmith services in Miami (and their cost estimates) include:

Note that you should always confirm that your preferred locksmith can provide the specific services you require and agree on their charges before they start work. Doing this goes a long way in preventing disputes and misunderstandings with the locksmith.

Do You Provide Auto Locksmith Services in Miami?

Unlike traditional locksmiths who focus on buildings, auto locksmiths specialize in cars, trucks, motorbikes, and other automotive vehicles. As such, you are better off contacting an auto locksmith in Miami for situations like:

• Unlocking car doors
• Car lock repair and replacement
• Extracting broken keys from vehicles
• Key fob programming
• Key copying and replacement
• Vehicle ignition repair
• Locked trunk reopening
• Door actuator replacement

Cost estimates for commonly requested auto locksmith services in Miami are listed below:

Always confirm your intended locksmith specializes in your vehicle make and model and has the proper tools for the job, especially if the vehicle in question is a motorcycle. This is because motorcycle keys use a unique coding system, and specialized training and equipment are required to cut new ones, even if the original key is still available.

Do You Provide Emergency or 24-hour Locksmith Services?

Any situation that requires the attention of a locksmith can be urgent; however, some scenarios can be outright emergencies, such as:

• You cannot gain access to your home or office
• You need to replace your locks after a robbery or suspected break-in
• Your keys got stolen
• Your key has broken inside the lock

Consider seeking out mobile locksmiths when dealing with lock-related emergencies. These locksmiths work out of mobile workshops, which gives them some advantages over regular (non-mobile) locksmiths, such as:

• Faster response times
• 24/7 availability
• Better accessibility for difficult-to-reach locations
• Minimal towing fees for car-related emergencies
• More on-the-job experience and efficiency due to the high volume of jobs typically received

Self-service locksmith brands that allow you to save digital copies of keys and create hard copies when necessary, like KeyMe and MinuteKey, are a helpful alternative for dealing with lock-related emergencies. However, there are certain drawbacks associated with using these services, such as:

• There may be limited availability of self-service kiosks near you
• You risk giving strangers access to digital copies of your keys

We recommend saving the contact details of one or two trustworthy local locksmiths you can call in emergencies. Take the following precautions to prevent lockout situations and minimize the need for emergency locksmith services:

• Organize your keys properly
• Get spare keys
• Use lockboxes
• Install smart locks/keyless lock systems

Do You Conduct Background Checks on Your Employees?

The Miami-Dade County Consumer Protection Division typically conducts criminal background checks on individual locksmiths and locksmith business owners before licensing and registering them. Nonetheless, most reputable locksmith businesses in the city also conduct the following types of background checks on their employees:

• Criminal background checks
• Civil record checks
• Credit checks
• Driving record checks
• Previous employment verifications
• Random drug screenings

Engaging with a licensed locksmith or locksmith businesses that vet their employees gives you peace of mind, knowing only reliable and trustworthy individuals will be granted access to your private space and personal information. This lessens the likelihood of theft, robbery, blackmail, and other offenses. It is a good idea to ask for the names and descriptions of the locksmiths that will be dispatched for your job and insist they carry official company IDs to verify this information.

Do You Offer Any Warranties on Your Locksmith Services?

Warranties assure you that your requested services will be done correctly and using high-quality products. Reputable locksmiths in Miami typically offer clients two kinds of warranties, which are:

• A manufacturer's warranty covers installed locks and other products used. Manufacturer's warranties are usually valid for a year
• A workmanship warranty that covers the actual work done by the locksmith

The scope of coverage these warranties provide is determined by the locksmith and the products used. Nevertheless, most standard warranties will not cover problems that are caused by:

• Improper lock installation
• Unauthorized repairs
• Misuse, negligence, or vandalism
• Natural disasters

We recommend requesting a written copy of any warranties offered to review their specific terms and conditions properly.