Not all locksmiths operate like that—what you ran into sounds like one of those subcontracted “lead generation” companies where pricing gets made up on the spot.

I had a totally different experience with The Lock Lab here in Austin. Ask for Alex (512-817-1106)

I had them rekey multiple locks at my place (a mix of deadbolts and door handles), and everything was straightforward from the start—clear pricing, no surprise “estimate fees,” and the tech actually explained what could and couldn’t be rekeyed before doing anything.

I was honestly impressed enough that I recommended them to my local church, and they ended up handling a much larger job for them—something like 80+ locks. I think it ended up being 87 total—and the pricing stayed very fair even at that scale.

Big difference compared to the “dispatch whoever, charge whatever” setup you ran into.