Let me be straight with you before you read any further.
I’m not a Portsmouth locksmith. I’m a Hythe locksmith who covers Portsmouth.
That matters, and I’d rather you heard it from me in the first line than worked it out when I’m late. My van comes from the other side of Southampton Water. Depending on traffic and the time of night, that’s a fair drive.
So if you’re stood on your doorstep right now and somebody down the road can be with you in fifteen minutes, ring them. I mean that. I’d rather you were back inside your house.
Still here? Then here’s what I can actually offer you, and why people over there ring me anyway.
One price. Agreed before I turn the key in the van.
I’ll ask you a couple of questions, and where it helps I’ll ask you to send me a photo of the lock on WhatsApp. Then I’ll give you one price for the whole job, including getting there.
That price is the price. It doesn’t grow when I see your driveway. It doesn’t grow because it’s late. There’s no call-out fee, ever. There never has been, and adding a bit on for petrol when I arrive would be the same trick wearing a different hat.
If I can’t do it for the price I said, that’s my problem, not yours.
Why people over the water ring me anyway
Because I answer. Two in the morning, Boxing Day, that awkward Sunday afternoon. The phone is mine and I pick it up. A lot of the trouble people get into starts with ringing four numbers and only one answering.
Because you know who’s coming. You’ll speak to me, and I’m the one who turns up. Black van, gold lettering, my name on it. No call centre, no “engineer in your area”, no stranger you’ve never spoken to.
Because I’ll talk you out of it if you don’t need me. Plenty of doors don’t need a locksmith at all. I’ll tell you that on the phone for nothing rather than drive over and charge you for finding out.
What I’m good for over there, and what I’m not
Worth the drive
- Lock changes after a break-in, a break-up, or moving in
- Police Preferred key safes fitted properly
- Boarding up and making safe after damage
- uPVC doors that have stopped locking, where you can send me a photo of the mechanism first
- Planned work in daylight: landlords, agents, offices, shared houses
Ring someone closer
- You need someone this minute and somebody nearer can come
- A vehicle at the roadside
- Anything where waiting would leave you unsafe or out in the cold
That’s not me being modest. It’s me not wanting you sat on a wall for an hour because I fancied the job.
Before you let anyone into your house
Whoever you end up ringing, me or somebody else, ask them these, and listen to how fast the answers come:
- “What’s the full price, including getting here?” A real locksmith will give you a number. Treat “we’ll see when we get there” with both eyebrows up.
- “What’s your company name and where are you based?” If they have to check, that’s not their company.
- “Will you have to drill it?” Most locks come open without damage. The Master Locksmiths Association put it plainly on the BBC in February: a decent locksmith should “bypass this lock in seconds, no damage whatsoever.” Drilling is the last resort, not the opening move.
- “Are you taking a card?” I take a card on the van. Cash-only is for me to take to the shop.
If you didn’t ring them, they don’t come in. That one’s not negotiable.
I’ve written the longer version of this, how to spot a real local locksmith from a call-centre outfit, because it’s the thing I get asked about most.
The prices
The same list as everywhere else on this site, because I’ve got nothing to hide. Emergency lock-out from £80. Lock change from £90. Police Preferred key safe £150 fitted. The full list is on my prices page. For Portsmouth I’ll fold the journey into the number before I set off, so what I say on the phone is what you pay at the door.
No call-out fee. No VAT to add. Price agreed before I leave.
Ring me
07453 327708. That’s my mobile. I’ll tell you honestly how long I’ll be, what it’ll cost, and whether you’d be better off with someone nearer.
Even if it’s not me, I’ll point you to someone honest.
Bugsy, Keywise 24hr Locksmiths.
Keywise 24hr Locksmiths, Hythe SO45. Family run. DBS checked and insured. Hampshire & Isle of Wight PCC Awards recognition, 2024. More about me here.
Common questions about Portsmouth
Do you really cover Portsmouth?
Yes, but from Hythe, not from round the corner. I’ll always tell you the honest drive time on the phone before you commit to waiting for me.
Is there a call-out fee for Portsmouth?
No. There’s no call-out fee anywhere I go, and there never has been. There’s no VAT to add either.
Will you charge extra for the petrol?
Not as a surprise on the doorstep. The journey is folded into the one price I give you on the phone, before I set off. What I quote is what you pay.
How quickly can you get to me?
Honestly? Longer than a Portsmouth-based locksmith. If you need someone this minute and you can get them, take them. If you’d rather wait for a price you can trust, I’ll tell you exactly how long I’ll be.
What if I’ve already been quoted something silly?
Ring me and I’ll tell you for free whether it holds up. Even if the job isn’t mine, I’d rather you found out over the phone than after they’re inside.
Bugsy Edwards
Founder, Keywise 24hr Locksmiths. Family-run on the SO45 Waterside.
This advice comes from a working locksmith, not a content writer. Bugsy answers his own phone, and was recognised at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight PCC Awards 2024. 5.0 from 314 Google reviews.
Call 07453 327708