Business phone system for locksmiths

Locksmiths in the United States

County Business Patterns counted 3,961 locksmiths in the U.S. in 2023 (NAICS 561622, Locksmiths). They employed 16,123 people in mid-March and paid $828.2 million in annual payroll. The average establishment has 4.1 employees. That is 1.2 establishments for every 100,000 residents.

California has the most (477), followed by Florida (466), New York (330), and Texas (322). Relative to population, Florida leads with 2.0 per 100,000 residents, and South Dakota has the fewest at 0.5.

Why the phone matters for locksmiths

Many locksmith calls are lockouts, and the caller hires whoever answers and can arrive fastest. Being reachable on the road, around the clock, is the business.

Calls locksmiths commonly handle:

• A driver calls locked out of a car.
• A homeowner calls to rekey locks after moving.
• A business calls about access control.
• The locksmith calls a customer with an arrival time.
• A property manager calls about a lockout.

Texting and after-hours calls

Locksmiths text arrival times and quotes.

Lockouts happen at all hours, so after-hours calls are core business.

How big locksmiths are

73.8% of U.S. locksmiths with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023. 91.8% had fewer than ten. Most phone decisions in this industry are made for small teams, where one shared number and sensible routing matter more than a desk phone per person.

Locksmiths by state

Establishment counts for the 51 states (and DC) where Census published a figure, with the rate per 100,000 residents.

Largest metro areas for locksmiths

Census published locksmith counts for 230 metro and micropolitan areas. The 25 largest:

What a phone system costs a locksmith in the U.S.

The average U.S. locksmith has 4.1 employees, so the comparison uses a 4-person team. Per-seat business phone plans bill every one of those people. At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 4 users on RingCentral RingEX Core cost $120.00 a month and 4 on Ooma Office Pro cost $99.80. Callata comes to $99.00 a month for 4 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Over a year, that is $252 less than RingCentral for a locksmith in the U.S. of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

How Callata works for locksmiths

For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.

Texting from a local number requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee. Porting an existing number is free.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.