There is a simple and clear rule of thumb you should use when thinking about whether or not to hire a professional locksmith: if you have thought about hiring a locksmith, you should do it. 

The temptation can be great to try to solve a nuisance of a situation yourself; breaking into a car you got locked out of, for example, with a credit card. But you will almost always and inevitably create more challenges for yourself than simply hiring a professional. If you work with pros to cut your hair and clean your teeth, there is no reason to not do the same when it comes to your lock needs. Hiring a locksmith will also generally allow you greater flexibility to deal with your situation or challenge, as you generally gain access to a number of services. One individual can help you with fixing a broken key, unlocking a lock, creating new keys, and other services you need that you would be unlikely to handle all on your own.

You might balk at the prospect of paying an upfront price, but after gaining a cost estimate, you might find that the price is less than you imaged – and you will ultimately save yourself the opportunity cost of dealing with more problems created by trying to “go it alone”.