Two different problems, two different systems
Most people arrive here wanting one thing and needing both. Worth separating them at the top.
Problem one: who opens which door. You want everything. The cleaner needs the front door and the amenities. The bookkeeper needs the office but not the stockroom. The casual needs the staff entrance and nothing else. Right now everyone either carries five keys or has one key that opens too much. That's a master key system.
Problem two: who can make a copy. A standard key can be cut at any hardware store or key kiosk for a few dollars. No ID, no permission, no record. So you have no idea how many keys to your business exist. That's a restricted key system.
They're specified together on nearly every job, because solving one without the other leaves the door open — literally.
How a master key system is built
Every lock cylinder has a set of pins that must line to a single height for the key to turn. Master keying adds a second break point in some of those pin stacks, so two different keys can both line that cylinder — the individual key for that door, and the master key above it.
| Level | Opens | Typically held by |
|---|---|---|
| Grand master | Everything on site | Owner, GM |
| Master | A defined group — a floor, a department, a building | Managers |
| Sub-master | A smaller group within that | Supervisors |
| Change key | One door only | Individual staff |
It's designed on paper before a single cylinder is touched. That's the part people don't expect — the value is in the schedule, not the cutting.
Why more levels isn't better
Every level of masterkeying you add uses up more of the available pin combinations in the cylinder. Push it far enough and two things start happening.
Key interchange. With enough master levels in a small keyway, you can end up with keys that open doors they were never meant to — purely by mathematical accident, not by anyone doing anything wrong.
Reduced pick resistance. More break points in the pin stack means more ways for a cylinder to be manipulated.
A well-designed three-level system on a properly chosen keyway is genuinely more secure than a sprawling six-level one on cheap hardware.
If your site needs a lot of levels, the answer is usually a better keyway or splitting it into separate systems — not cramming more levels into what's already there. Ian will tell you which, and he'll tell you if you're over-specifying.
Keys that can't be copied
A restricted key is cut on a patented profile that isn't available to hardware stores or key kiosks. Blanks are controlled. The only person who can cut one is the locksmith who holds your system, and only on written authority from whoever you nominate.
- A register. Every key ever cut on your system is recorded — how many exist, who signed for each one.
- A real answer when someone leaves. “Did they copy it?” becomes a question with an answer instead of a shrug.
- Control that survives staff turnover. Nobody adds a key to your system without your named authority.
- Contained losses. Lose one key and Ian can tell you exactly what it opened and rekey only those doors — not the whole site.
The trade-off, stated plainly: a restricted system ties you to the locksmith who holds it. You can't get a key cut at the shops on a Saturday, and moving to another provider means changing the system. That's the mechanism working as designed — but it's a real commitment, so pick someone who'll still be trading in ten years.
What it looks like in practice
A small Gold Coast business with eight doors: front entrance, back door, office, stockroom, staff room, comms cupboard, roller door, yard gate. Before, everyone with a key opens the front and back. The manager carries six keys. Two ex-staff never returned theirs.
| Who | Key | Opens |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | Grand master | Everything |
| Manager | Master | Everything except the comms cupboard |
| Full-time staff | Sub-master | Front, back, staff room |
| Casuals | Change key | Staff entrance only |
| Cleaner | Change key | Front door, staff room, amenities |
| Contractor | Change key | Roller door and yard, issued and signed for |
One key each. Registered, so the count is known. And when the casual leaves, their key opens a staff entrance and nothing else — and it can't have been copied.
Confirm: swap the worked example for a real de-identified job of Ian's
Staff turnover, cheapest option first
- 1
If it's a fob or card — delete it
Minutes, no hardware touched, nothing to collect.
- 2
If it's a restricted key — check the register
You know what it opened. Rekey only those doors if you want to be sure, not the whole site.
- 3
If it's an ordinary key — rekey the affected doors
You have no idea how many copies exist, so the key coming back doesn't settle anything.
- 4
If this keeps happening — move to a restricted system
The point at which it pays for itself is usually the second or third unplanned rekey.
Ian will tell you which tier you're actually in. If deleting a fob solves it, he'll say so rather than quoting you for a system — access control covers that side.
This one's a long relationship
Most locksmith jobs are done when he drives away. A master key system isn't — it becomes part of how your business runs. In eighteen months you'll need three more keys cut. In three years you'll add a door. If it's a restricted system, only the locksmith who holds it can do either.
So the question isn't only “who's cheapest today”. It's who's going to answer the phone in 2032.
Ian has been a locksmith on the Gold Coast for over thirty years, and he holds his clients' systems himself rather than subcontracting them out.
- Trade qualified
- Confirm: QLD Security Provider licence no.
- Confirm: public liability insurer + cover
- Confirm: ABN
Site visit, then a written quote
There's no price table on this page. The number depends entirely on doors, hardware and hierarchy, and a phone quote on a master key system is a guess.
- 1
Phone call
Rough size, what you're trying to solve.
- 2
Site visit
Ian walks the doors, checks the existing hardware and maps who needs access to what. No charge.
- 3
Written quote and a key schedule
Every door, every key level, who holds what. In writing before you commit.
- 4
Manufacture and install
Scheduled around your trading hours where possible.
- 5
Handover
Keys signed for, register established, and you keep a copy.
Locals rate us
“Absolutely brilliant service. Had our spare car keys stolen — they chased up replacements in quick time, then travelled outside their normal service area to reach us on holidays. Cannot recommend highly enough.”
“Absolute legend! Genuinely helped me over the phone without making a cent for himself — saving me a potential $500. Will definitely recommend to anyone in need.”
“Highly recommend this business. Excellent customer service, excellent knowledge and excellent work. Professional manner matches his high-quality work.”
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Request a site visit
Ian walks the doors, checks the existing hardware and maps who needs access to what, then comes back with a written quote and a key schedule.
Locked out right now? Do not use this form.
Master key questions
What's the difference between a master key and a restricted key?
Can our existing locks be master keyed?
What if we lose a restricted key?
Can someone copy a restricted key at a hardware store?
What happens if we want to change locksmiths later?
Can we add doors later?
Is this overkill for a two-door business?
Commercial work across the Gold Coast
- Arundel 4214
- Ashmore 4214
- Benowa 4217
- Biggera Waters 4216
- Bilinga 4225
- Broadbeach 4218
- Broadbeach Waters 4218
- Bundall 4217
- Burleigh Heads 4220
- Burleigh Waters 4220
- Carrara 4211
- Coolangatta 4225
- Coombabah 4216
- Coomera 4209
- Currumbin Valley 4223
- Currumbin Waters 4223
- Elanora 4221
- Gaven 4211
- Gilberton 4208
- Gilston 4211
- Gold Coast Airport 4225
- Helensvale 4212
- Highland Park 4211
- Hollywell 4216
- Hope Island 4212
- Jacobs Well 4208
- Labrador 4215
- Main Beach 4217
- Mermaid Beach 4218
- Mermaid Waters 4218
- Merrimac 4226
- Molendinar 4214
- Oxenford 4210
- Pacific Pines 4211
- Paradise Point 4216
- Pimpama 4209
- Reedy Creek 4227
- Robina 4226
- Runaway Bay 4216
- Sanctuary Cove 4212
- Southport 4215
- Surfers Paradise 4217
- Tallebudgera 4228
- Tugun 4224
- Upper Coomera 4209
- Varsity Lakes 4227
- Worongary 4213
- Yatala 4207
Not listed? Ring anyway.
Get the key situation under control
Site visits and written quotes at no charge.