Spare Keys Cut Right and Tested in Your Lock
A spare key is only useful if it works on the day you need it. We cut copies at your door and try each one in the lock before we hand it over, so nobody finds out later that the copy was off.
Why a copy sometimes fails
Most of us have had a freshly cut key that refuses to turn. The machine copied an original that was already worn, or the blank was not quite the right profile, or the cut drifted a little. You only find out at night with your hands full.
We avoid that by checking the original first. If it is badly worn, we can decode the lock and cut to the right depths rather than copying the wear. Then we test each new key in your actual lock, not on a counter.
We also look at the lock while we are there. A key that drags may be a key problem, or it may be a cylinder that needs cleaning and lubricant. A new key in a gritty lock will soon feel just as bad as the old one, so we tell you which it is.
What we can copy
Front door and deadbolt keys, back door and garage side doors, mailbox keys, gate keys, office and suite keys, padlocks, cabinet and desk locks. Car keys are their own service because most have a chip, and we handle those under car key cutting and programming.
Restricted keys, the ones stamped do not duplicate or tied to a patented key system, are a different case. Those are controlled on purpose. If you own the system or have written authorization from the owner or property manager, tell us when you text, and we will explain what is possible.
Fold it into another visit
Spare keys are a natural add-on when we are already there. If we are rekeying your home, changing a lock or installing a new deadbolt, ask for extra copies at the same time. Roommates, a dog walker, a parent who checks on the house: decide who needs one before we arrive and we cut the lot.
A tip from the field: keep a spare with someone you trust nearby, not under a mat or a planter. Those are the first places anyone looks.
It also helps to label spares in a way only you understand. A tag that says front door, with your street on it, tells a stranger exactly where the key works. A color or a number on the key head does the same job for you and nothing for anyone else.
Before we cut your spares
Often needed with this
Common questions
Will you come out just to make spare keys?
Yes. Text us a photo of the key and how many copies you need, plus your ZIP code. We give a price and arrival time first. Many people combine it with a rekey or lock change to make the visit worth more.
Can you copy a key that says do not duplicate?
That stamp is a request, and on restricted systems it is enforced. We need to know you are entitled to the key, usually the owner or a manager with authority. Tell us the situation and we will tell you plainly what we can do.
My only key is very worn. Can you still copy it?
Often we can do better than copy it. We can read the lock or the key's code and cut a new key to the original depths, which works more smoothly than a copy of a tired key.
Can you make one key work for front and back doors?
Yes, by rekeying the locks so they share one key, as long as they are compatible brands. That is a rekey job rather than duplication, and we can quote both on the same visit.