Master Key Systems across greater Los Angeles, Ventura County & the Bay Area.

Here is how One & Only Locksmith approaches master key systems.

A master key system lets one key open every door while individual keys open only their own, with as many levels in between as your organization needs. We design the keying chart around how your people actually move through the building, pin every cylinder to that chart, and hand you records that let the system grow without being rebuilt. Done well, a master key system is a map of who can go where; done badly, it is a system nobody can expand.

We dispatch across greater Los Angeles, Ventura County, Silicon Valley and the Bay Area; see the city pages for local detail. The dispatch line at (888) 492-0666 is answered around the clock.

• A keying meeting: which roles need which doors, which doors should never share a key, and where growth is likely
• A written keying chart with top master, sub-masters by department or floor, and change keys per door, with spare combinations held back for future doors
• Cylinders pinned to the chart on site, whether they are conventional, interchangeable core, or restricted
• Keys cut and stamped with a code (not the door name) so a lost key does not announce what it opens
• A key register listing every key issued, to whom, and when, plus a blank sign-out sheet for your office
• Optional restricted keyway so blanks are only available through us, with your signed authorization on file

• Multi-tenant office building
• Restaurant with kitchen, office, storage zones
• Retail chain with managers and shift leads
• Medical office with HIPAA-protected rooms
• Industrial facility with controlled access areas

• Authorization from the business owner or property manager; for a leased space, confirm the landlord allows a private keying system on their doors
• A door list or floor plan with each door labeled by room and who should be able to open it
• The number of keys you want per level (how many managers, how many staff per area)
• One sample key from the existing locks so we can see the keyway and whether the current hardware can be reused
• The name of the person who will be allowed to authorize additional keys in the future

Typically 15-25 minutes per cylinder once the chart is designed, which is done ahead of the visit. A small suite can be completed in a few hours; a building with dozens of doors is scheduled as a one- or two-day project. Doors with mismatched brands or keyways that have to be swapped before they can join the system add time.

• On a standard keyway (Schlage C, Kwikset, Sargent LA and the like) any key, including the master, can be copied at a hardware store. A Do Not Duplicate stamp has no legal force. True key control requires a restricted keyway
• Every master level adds pins to each chamber and reduces the number of usable combinations, so very large or deep systems need planning; a system squeezed into too few chambers runs out of room or becomes easier to decode
• A lost master key compromises every door it opens. The honest fix is re-pinning those doors, which is why we hold back spare combinations in the chart
• Mixed brands can only share a system when they are in the same keyway family or converted to interchangeable cores. Some cylinders will need replacing
• Rekeying a system or adding keys requires authorization from the person on file; we will not issue extra master keys on a verbal request from staff

The number of cylinders, how many master levels the chart needs, whether the current locks can be re-pinned or must be replaced, the keyway (standard versus restricted), and the number of keys cut determine the price. System design is included when we do the pinning; keys ordered later are priced per key.

The dispatcher gives you a range on the phone, and the technician confirms a written quote before any work starts.

Payment is by Cash, Credit Card, Debit Card, Apple Pay and Google Pay, and you receive an itemized receipt listing what was done.

• Schlage C / E / F keyways and Everest 29 restricted
• Sargent LA and Yale GA keyways
• Best A2 SFIC with control key
• Medeco M4, Mul-T-Lock MT5+ and ASSA restricted keyways
• Master pins and top pins to the manufacturer's spec
• Key stamping by code, numbered key tags

A master key system organizes who opens which doors. A restricted keyway controls who can copy a key. Many buildings need both: master keyed for convenience, restricted so a departing employee's key cannot be duplicated at a kiosk. Interchangeable cores add a third option, letting a lost key be dealt with by swapping the core rather than the lock.

We dispatch across greater Los Angeles, Ventura County, Silicon Valley and the Bay Area; see the city pages for local detail. For master key systems, the city pages list ZIP codes, nearby communities and any local access notes.

Greater Los Angeles includes the San Fernando Valley, the Westside, the South Bay, the San Gabriel Valley, the Gateway Cities, the Santa Clarita Valley and the Antelope Valley. Ventura County includes the Conejo Valley and the coastal cities. In the Bay Area we cover Silicon Valley, the Peninsula and the southern East Bay.

For master key systems, tell the dispatcher your address and what is wrong. You get an ETA before anyone is sent, a written quote before any work starts and a receipt when it is done. The line is answered around the clock.

One & Only Locksmith is bonded and insured; a certificate of insurance is available on request.