You're standing outside your own door, and somewhere in the back of your mind is the picture of a locksmith taking a drill to your lock and handing you a bill for a new one. It is the most common worry people have when they call about a lockout, so here is the plain answer first: most of the time, no, a locksmith does not have to drill. On a typical home lock a skilled locksmith opens the door without damaging anything, you keep the same lock, and you keep your existing keys. Drilling is the last resort, not the starting point.
This is about homes and businesses only. Roger does not handle car lockouts or vehicle keys of any kind, and nothing here applies to a car door.
The short answer
Non-destructive entry is the whole point of hiring a professional rather than forcing the door yourself. A locksmith has picks, tension tools, and bypass techniques that manipulate the lock open the way a key would, leaving the mechanism intact. For most residential knobs and deadbolts, and plenty of commercial hardware, that is the normal outcome — the door opens, the lock still works, and there is nothing to replace.
Drilling is different. It destroys the lock cylinder to get past it, which means that lock is finished and has to be replaced afterward. A locksmith who reaches for the drill first, before trying to pick or bypass, is either not skilled enough to open it cleanly or is choosing the option that lets them sell you a new lock. Neither is a good sign.
When drilling is actually necessary
- A high-security lock built to resist picking — some premium cylinders have anti-pick and anti-drill features specifically designed to defeat manipulation, and on those, drilling can genuinely be the only way in.
- A lock that has already failed internally — a seized, rusted, or broken mechanism cannot be picked open because the parts a pick relies on no longer move.
- A key snapped off deep in the cylinder that cannot be extracted — sometimes the broken piece can be pulled and the lock saved, but not always.
- A lock that has been damaged in a break-in attempt, or one so worn that the pins no longer set the way a pick needs them to.
Even in these cases, a good locksmith tries the non-destructive route first and moves to drilling only after it is clear the lock will not cooperate. Drilling being possible is not the same as drilling being needed, and you are entitled to hear why it is the only option before it happens.
Will I end up with a new lock?
It comes down to how the door was opened. If the locksmith picks or bypasses it, the same lock goes right back to work and your keys still fit — there is nothing to buy. If the lock has to be drilled, that cylinder is destroyed in the process and gets replaced, so you leave with a new lock and new keys for it.
The useful move is to ask before any work starts: can you open this without drilling, and if not, why not? A straight answer to that question tells you a lot about who you are dealing with. You should also expect to see a price range up front, with the locksmith confirming the price in person after seeing the actual lock and what it takes to open it.
The unnecessary-drilling upcharge, and how to avoid it
The trap that gives the trade its bad name works like this: a very low quote over the phone, then an arrival where the tech announces the lock "has to be drilled," adds a drilling charge, and bills you for a replacement lock on top — for a door a competent locksmith would have picked open in minutes. Drilling is where the padded numbers hide, because it turns a quick pick into a parts-and-labor job.
Two things protect you. First, get the price range and the method before anyone comes out — ask directly whether they will attempt to pick or bypass the lock first. Second, use a service that matches you to one vetted, published local locksmith rather than an anonymous call center that dispatches whoever is cheapest to it. Have proof that you live there ready too — an ID or a piece of mail. A legitimate locksmith will ask for it before opening a home, and that is a good sign, not a hassle.
Don't try to drill it yourself
It is tempting to attack a stubborn lock with a household drill, but it usually makes things worse. A half-drilled cylinder can jam a lock that a professional would otherwise have opened cleanly, turning a pick job into a guaranteed replacement, and a slipped bit chews up the door and the hardware around it. Forcing the door itself can damage the frame and the weatherstripping, which is a bigger repair than the lock ever was. If you are locked out, the cheapest path is almost always to let someone open it without breaking anything.
Booking a locksmith through Roger
Describe the situation — locked out, the kind of lock on the door, whether a key is stuck or snapped in it — and Roger books one vetted local locksmith and confirms the appointment, so you know which company is coming before they arrive. Home and business only, never automotive. You see a price range up front, and the locksmith confirms the price in person after seeing the lock. Homeowners pay Roger nothing, and Roger does not add a markup on the locksmith's price.
Need this fixed?
Describe the problem. Roger matches you to one vetted local pro and books it. $0 to you.
Common questions
Can a locksmith open my door without drilling?+
Most of the time, yes. On a typical residential knob or deadbolt a skilled locksmith opens the door non-destructively by picking or bypassing the lock, which leaves the mechanism intact — you keep the same lock and the same keys, and there is nothing to replace. Drilling is a last resort for locks that genuinely cannot be manipulated open, not the normal way in.
When does a locksmith actually have to drill a lock?+
When the lock is built to resist picking, as many high-security cylinders are; when it has already seized, rusted, or broken internally so the parts a pick needs no longer move; when a key is snapped off too deep to extract; or when it is too damaged or worn to manipulate. Even then a good locksmith tries the non-destructive route first and drills only after it is clear the lock will not open any other way — and a drilled lock is destroyed and replaced.
How do I avoid being charged for unnecessary drilling?+
Ask two things before anyone comes out: what is the price range, and will you try to pick or bypass the lock before drilling it. The classic trap is a low phone quote followed by a drilling charge and a new-lock bill on arrival for a door that could have been picked open. Use a vetted, published local locksmith rather than an anonymous call center, and have ID or proof of residence ready.