Locksmith invoice template for call outs, rekeys and after hours jobs

The call out fee and what it covers

Most locksmiths charge a fee to attend, then price the work on top. Say on the invoice what the call out includes, such as travel and the first 15 minutes on site, so the customer is not surprised when labour or parts appear on the lines below it.

Keep the call out on its own line even when the job takes five minutes, because distance, not the work, often sets that cost.

After hours, weekend and public holiday rates

Emergency work outside business hours usually carries a higher call out fee or a surcharge. Write the date and time of the call next to it, such as ‘Saturday 9:40 pm’, and name the rate you used. A timestamp beside the words after hours explains the price; a bare higher number invites a phone call.

• Define your normal hours once in your terms, for example 7 am to 5 pm on weekdays.
• Show the surcharge as its own line or as a separate after hours call out line, never buried inside a part price.

Example lines on a locksmith invoice template

Locksmith lines read best when each names the door or lock and the unit charged: per visit, per cylinder, per key or per lock. These are example prices in AUD before GST, to show the unit rather than a rate to copy. Region, brand, security level and time of day all change the real figure.

Lockouts paid on the spot: invoice or receipt?

When a customer pays by card before you leave, give them a document marked paid. That can be the invoice with ‘Paid in full by card, 26 October’ added at the bottom, or a separate receipt. Either way, list what you did, because a tenant may need to pass the cost on to a landlord or strata manager.

For quick cash and card jobs the free receipt maker is faster, and our guide to when you need an invoice versus a receipt explains which one fits.

GST, ABN and tax invoice rules in Australia

A locksmith registered for GST adds 10% and must give a tax invoice for any taxable sale over $82.50 including GST, or whenever the customer asks for one. When asked, you have 28 days to provide it. Registration is required once your GST turnover reaches $75,000 a year.

• The words ‘tax invoice’ and your business name.
• Your ABN, the 11 digit Australian Business Number.
• The date of issue.
• What you supplied, with quantity and price.
• The GST amount.
• For sales over $1,000, the buyer’s identity or ABN. A master key system or a full office lock change can pass that easily.

If you are not registered, leave GST off and do not use the words tax invoice. The Australian tax invoice template covers both cases.

Locksmith billing mistakes to avoid

Locksmith invoices are short, so a missing detail stands out. Two problems come up again and again: a single lump sum that hides the call out, and a document that says more about a building’s security than it should.

1. Key codes on the invoice. Key numbers and restricted key codes can let someone copy a key. Keep them in your job records, not on paper that gets emailed and filed.
2. ‘Lockout, $250’ with no breakdown. Split the call out, the entry and any parts.
3. No lock locations. On a multi door job, write front door, rear slider and garage.
4. Billing the wrong person. A rekey between tenancies is usually ordered by the agent, not the new tenant. Confirm before the job.

Try the sample after hours job

Download the layout as Word, Excel or PDF, or open the locksmith sample in our invoice maker. It loads a Saturday night call out to a clinic with entry, three rekeyed cylinders, new keys and a deadlock, with GST at 10%. Swap in your own times and prices, then save the PDF.

If you also install cameras and alarms, see the security services invoice, and odd jobs around the house fit the handyman billing layout. More trades are in the invoice template library.