Master-Keyed Locks & Cylinders
A master-keyed lock is an ordinary lock with an extra shear line pinned into the cylinder, so two different keys both open it. Everything else about it, the grade, the finish, the bolt, stays the same.
We pin cylinders to an existing chart or to a new one, in the keyways your building already uses or in a restricted profile if you want copying controlled. Mixed hardware across a site is normal and we work with it.
There is a security cost to mastering that nobody mentions: more pins means more shear lines and a cylinder that is marginally easier to pick or decode. On sensitive doors we recommend high-security cylinders to claw that back.
What the job involves
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Pinned to your chart
Existing system or a new one designed with you.
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Mixed hardware handled
Different brands across a site keyed into one system.
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Honest about the trade-off
Mastering weakens a cylinder slightly; we say where that matters.
Master Locks: what it costs
Typical Austin-metro ranges. Your exact number is quoted on the phone.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Cylinder keyed to the systemChange key included | $25 – $45 each |
| Master key system designKeying chart, one-off per system | $150 – $400 |
| High-security cylinder fittedPatented key, restricted duplication | $110 – $280 |
| Cylinder replacement, per lockLabour plus a standard cylinder | $65 – $145 |
| Service call / dispatchCharged once per visit, never per lock | $29 – $49 |
| Nights, Sundays & holidaysQuoted on the phone before a van is sent | +$25 – $65 |
These are the ranges most jobs in the Austin metro land between. The exact number is quoted on the phone before a technician is dispatched, and it is the number on the invoice. Parts are itemised separately and priced from a rate card, not invented at the door.
Common questions
Can different brands be on one master key?
Often yes, where the keyways are compatible. Where they are not, we swap the odd cylinders out so the whole site matches.
Does mastering make locks less secure?
Marginally, because there are more shear lines. It matters on a server room door and barely matters on a stationery cupboard.
Can a tenant copy their key?
Not on a restricted keyway, which is usually the point of specifying one.
Part of our Commercial Locksmith & Master Key Systems work. Covering Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown, Leander, Lakeway, Kyle, Buda, Hutto, Manor and Dripping Springs.
What Austin says
about us
Reviews left by customers across Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park and Pflugerville.
Locked myself out at eleven at night with a toddler asleep upstairs. Quoted me on the phone, arrived in half an hour, had the door open in under five minutes without a scratch on it. Charged exactly what was quoted.
Marisol Trevino
Homeowner, Mueller
We turn over about forty units a year and they handle every rekey. Invoiced to the office, keying schedule emailed the same day, never had to chase them.
Dwayne Whitfield
Property manager, North Austin
Dealer wanted a tow plus two days for a lost Kia key. These guys did it in my driveway in about an hour for a lot less. Two keys, both tested before he left.
Priya Raghunathan
Driver, Cedar Park
Panic bar failed on a Friday during service. They came out after close, fixed it properly and talked me through what the inspector would be looking for.
Ben Ostrowski
Restaurant owner, East Sixth
Locked out? We answer the phone at 3 a.m.
One call gets a licensed, insured technician rolling to you anywhere in the Austin metro.
