Locked out of your house at 11pm. Need to rekey after a roommate moves out or a break-in. Adding a smart lock to your front door. These are the three most common calls. The DMV area has plenty of locksmiths, but quality varies a lot.
A good locksmith arrives when they say they will and doesn't damage your door or lock getting in. For rekeying, they should be able to explain exactly what they're doing - changing the pins so old keys don't work, without replacing the whole hardware. For smart locks, they should be familiar with the brands you're considering and honest about which ones are actually secure vs. just convenient.
Lockout calls run $75-$150 during business hours, $100-$200 after hours. Rekeying a house typically runs $150-$250 for all the locks. Avoid the national locksmith chains that appear in Google Ads - they're known for bait-and-switch pricing where the quote doubles when they arrive. Local shops with real reviews are the move.