You never know when you can get locked out of your home or your car. This can happen either because you locked the keys inside, lost them, or they broke on you. Whatever the case, a locksmith is the best person to call in order to get yourself out of this situation quickly. Here are five tips for hiring a locksmith: 

1. Hire a Locksmith With Convenient Services: Since you never know what time of the day you could be dealing with these situations, you will want to hire a locksmith that offers 24/7 services. This way you can be sure that you can count on them no what time of day. You should also consider hiring a locksmith who has a short response time. When you call to find a locksmith in your area in order to save their number in your contacts, you can ask what their average response time is. 
2. Avoid Drilling Out the Lock: If you are locked out of your home, be sure to hire a locksmith who will try other methods than just drilling out the lock. This is because drilling out the lock is expensive and takes some time because of the additional repairs that will need to be done to your door afterwards.  
3. Wait Until Business Hours: If you are able to wait before hiring a locksmith because you don't need to get in your house right away or drive your car, it's best to wait until business hours to call. Hiring a locksmith during emergency hours is convenient if you have an emergency, however, it can be expensive. So, because of this, it's best to wait if you can. 
4. Get a Written Estimate: Before any work is done, be sure to receive a written estimate. This guarantees that you know exactly what you are going to pay when the work is complete. Plus, if things change, you can go over the written estimate in order to determine the true cost of the services. 
5. Hire in Your Area: It's always best to hire a locksmith that is located in the same zip code as you. This is because if you hire a locksmith that is not close to your area, it is going to lead to longer wait times. 

When you follow these five tips for hiring a locksmith, you can be sure that you receive the services that you need in a timely manner at the most affordable cost possible.