First: is it lost, or is it locked inside?
Worth confirming, because the two are different jobs at very different prices.
Locked inside means the key exists and is visible or known to be in the car. Opening the vehicle is the whole job, and you drive away with your original key.
Lost means no working key exists. Now you need entry and a replacement key, which is a bigger piece of work.
Before assuming the worst, check the usual places: yesterday’s coat, the bag you carried, the counter of the last shop you were in, and the footwell of the car itself. Keys turn up in those four places with striking regularity.
Your realistic options
1. A mobile auto locksmith
For a large share of everyday vehicles, an auto locksmith can open the car, read the lock or use vehicle data to determine the key pattern, and cut a replacement blade on site.
The advantages are speed and location: we come to the car, so nothing needs recovery, and it can often be done the same day.
2. The main dealer
For some vehicles, particularly newer models with advanced immobiliser and key systems, manufacturer-level programming is required and only a dealer can do it. That usually means the car being recovered to the dealership, proof of ownership, and a wait for the key to be ordered.
More expensive and slower, but on certain vehicles it’s simply the correct answer. Our locksmith versus dealer comparison sets out where the line falls.
3. Recovery to a garage
Sometimes the practical middle path, particularly if the car is somewhere awkward and you’re not in a hurry. Your motor insurance or breakdown cover may include recovery, which is worth checking before paying for it separately.
What to have ready
Have these when you ring:
- Make, model and year. This determines everything that follows.
- The VIN if you can find it — at the base of the windscreen on the driver’s side, on a door pillar sticker, or in your vehicle documents.
- Proof of ownership. Registration document, insurance certificate, or the vehicle showing in your name on an app.
- Photo ID.
- Where the car is, precisely.
The ownership check isn’t optional. Cutting a key for a vehicle is exactly the kind of thing that must not be done for someone who isn’t entitled to it.
What it’s likely to cost
Honest answer: it depends entirely on the vehicle, and anyone giving you a firm figure before knowing the make and model is guessing.
Opening the car is the predictable part — typically €80 to €160 in Waterford, including the call-out.
The replacement key varies far more widely. A simple mechanical blade is modest. A key requiring decoding and programming is considerably more. That’s why we quote in two parts and confirm the second part only once we know the vehicle.
Preventing the repeat
Once you have a working key again, get a spare made immediately. This is the single most cost-effective thing you can do, because “lost my only key” and “lost one of my two keys” are wildly different problems.
Keep the spare somewhere that isn’t the same bag, the same coat or the same house shelf as the original. A drawer at home, a partner’s keyring, or a family member’s house all work. Our key cutting service covers vehicle and household spares alike.