Key cutting sounds simple, and for a standard house key it is. The difference between a copy that turns smoothly and one that sticks is the original you bring, the blank used and the machine. Locksmiths and key cutters copy everyday house keys, lever keys, padlock and gate keys, dimple keys and restricted keys that need a key card. Tell us what keys you need and how many, and key cutters near you will send free quotes, with no obligation.
The keys a key cutter can copy
- Cylinder keys for euro, rim and knob locks, the common flat house key
- Lever keys for mortice locks, the long key with a bit on the end
- Padlock and gate keys, including padlocks on the yard gate
- Dimple keys for security cylinders, cut on a separate machine
- Restricted keys, copied only with the owner's key card
Car keys with a chip are a different job; see car keys. Remote gate and garage transmitters are coded, not cut, by gate motor installers.
Key cutting near me: where to go
A locksmith's shop or a key cutting counter at a hardware store handles everyday house keys while you wait. Dimple, high security and lever keys usually need a locksmith with the right machine and blanks. Mobile locksmiths cut keys on site, which helps when you need a batch of keys for new locks or a whole master key system.
Getting copies that work
Always cut from the original key, not a copy of a copy: each copy adds small errors, and by the third one the key catches or fails. Bring the key that came with the lock if you still have it, since it was cut to the exact code, and keep that original at home as the master for future copies. If a new copy is stiff, take it back to be checked and deburred before you force it. Worn originals are better replaced by rekeying the lock and getting fresh keys.
What affects the price
The key type, the blank and the number of copies change the price. Restricted and dimple keys cost more, and some blanks must be ordered in. A mobile locksmith adds a call-out fee, which makes sense for a batch of keys but not for one spare. Before the keys are cut, ask:
- the price per key for each type
- whether they have the blanks in stock
- whether a copy that does not work will be recut free
- for restricted keys, what proof and key card they need
Test every new key in its lock at home the same day.
What to include in your request
- The type of key, or a photo of it
- How many copies of each key
- Whether you have the original key
- Key card for restricted keys
- Whether you need keys cut on site
Key Cutting for different clients
- Homeowners: spare front door, security gate and garage keys for every person in the house
- Complexes, estates and body corporates: extra unit and pedestrian gate keys for residents, cut from the original
- Offices, shops and practices: spare keys for staff, cut from originals and recorded in a key register
- Landlords and letting agents: sets of keys for each new tenant and one spare for the letting agent
- Factories, warehouses and workshops: padlock and roller door keys for shift supervisors and the security office
- Farms and smallholdings: copies for the farmhouse, stores, pump house padlocks and camp gates
- Schools, clinics, churches and hostels: restricted keys for staff, copied only with the key card and signed for
- Builders, shopfitters and contractors: batches of keys for contractors and new owners at the end of a build
Frequently asked questions
How much does key cutting cost?
Where can I find key cutting near me?
Why doesn't my newly cut key work?
Can any key be copied?
Key Cutting by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg