Duplicate or Originate
A spare key is cheap insurance against an expensive afternoon.
Duplication traces a key you already hold. It is the cheapest lock service a Fort Collins locksmith does, and the one people put off until there is nothing left to trace. House keys are cut while you wait. A car key takes longer, because the blade is only half of it and the chip inside has to be paired to the car before the engine will turn.
What Key Duplication Covers
Three groups, and each is a different job at a Fort Collins address.
House and Padlock Keys
A door lock, a padlock, a mailbox or a filing cabinet. Traced on the machine in minutes and the cheapest lock service we do.
Car Keys
The blade is cut from your existing car key, then the chip is programmed to the car. Both halves happen at the car in Fort Collins.
Restricted Keys
A patented commercial key stamped do not duplicate. Only the dealer network holds the blank, and we will say so rather than take the job.
What Changes the Price of Key Duplication
Six things move a key duplication quote, and you can ask about all six on the phone.
- What it opens — a house lock is minutes, a car key needs programming after the cut
- How many — the second and third copy off the same key are cheaper
- Condition of the original — a worn car key may need cutting to code instead
- Blank type — a laser-cut car key blank costs several times a house blank
- Keyed alike — several locks brought onto one key is a bigger service than a copy
- Where it happens — at your car or door in Fort Collins, or on the bench
What Happens on a Key Duplication Visit
Trace, cut, test. The testing is the part a Fort Collins kiosk skips.
The original is checked
A worn car key traced faithfully gives a worn copy of the car key. If the original is past it we say so and cut to the lock code instead.
The blank is matched
Right profile, right length, right chip cavity. A near-enough blank enters the lock and jams halfway, and a jammed lock is a bigger job than a copy.
Every copy is tried
In the lock it is meant to open, from both sides of the door, before anything is handed over in Fort Collins.
When It Takes Longer
Most duplication is minutes. Three things are not.
A car key has to be programmed as well as cut, and on some makes every existing car key must be present or the ones left at home stop working. A restricted commercial blank cannot be supplied outside its dealer network, so the honest answer from a Fort Collins locksmith is a lock rekey rather than a copy we are not allowed to cut. And an original worn past tracing has to be cut from the lock code, which is originating rather than duplication and is priced as the larger service.
Who Asks Us for Spares
Three situations account for most of the duplication service we do in a week.
One Car Key Left
A single car key is one bad afternoon in Fort Collins away from an all-keys-lost locksmith job that costs many times a spare. This is the cheapest hour of locksmith service you will spend on the car.
New Household Members
A lodger, a grown child, a cleaner. A copy each, or a keypad lock in Fort Collins if you would rather hand out a code than a key, which is easier to keep secure.
Commercial Premises
Staff spares for a commercial door lock, or several locks keyed alike so one key runs the building instead of a ring. Security stays with whoever holds the master.
What Goes Wrong
Six failures we get called out to put right on a service call, and every one is avoidable.
- A copy of a worn original — the new one is born as tired as the old
- A kiosk car key — the blade is cut, the chip is not paired, the car will not start
- A copy of a copy — each generation drifts until the lock refuses the lot
- Never tested in the lock — it looks right on the counter and binds on the door
- Copying a restricted key — a blank that voids the commercial security it came with
- Losing count — spares handed out for years with no idea who holds one, which is a security problem rather than a filing one
Before You Call
Three things make the service visit shorter and the quote firm.
What the original opens
A car, a residential door, a padlock or a commercial cabinet lock. Each is a different blank on the van.
Whether it is stamped
Do not duplicate, or a maker's name and a number. That tells us in seconds whether it is a restricted blank.
Proof it is yours
Registration for a car, a bill or a lease for a door, before any service starts in Fort Collins.
Your Fort Collins Key Specialist
Licensed and insured locksmith key duplication service for cars, homes and commercial premises, cut at your address. Every copy is tested in the lock it opens on the same service visit, and the security of the original is never altered to make one.
House keys are cut while you wait. Car keys take longer because the chip inside has to be paired to the car, and that pairing is what a hardware store machine cannot do.
Two spares cost a fraction of one all-keys-lost call-out. A Fort Collins commercial premises can have several locks keyed alike so one key runs the building, and a master key system can be built at the same time so staff keys open what they should and nothing more. The whole job is quoted before anything is cut, so the number on the phone is the number on the invoice for the locksmith service.
Call a Fort Collins Locksmith
A locksmith answers this phone around the clock, and the response is fast when your security cannot wait.
Frequently Asked Locksmith Questions
The questions Fort Collins residents ask a locksmith most, on locks, keys and getting back inside.
Can you get in without damaging my lock?
Almost always, on a standard residential lock. Non-destructive entry is what a locksmith aims for, and the lock keeps working, so there is nothing to replace. Exceptions are a high security cylinder built to resist this, and one already damaged or drilled by someone else. If a lock must come out you hear that price first, never after, and the security of the property is restored on that Fort Collins visit.
We just moved in. Rekey or replace?
Rekey, in almost every case. If the lock works there is no reason to buy new, and changing the pins retires every key the last owner handed out for a fraction of the price. Replace only when a lock is worn out, is the wrong grade for the door, or you want a keypad instead. A Fort Collins locksmith pushing hardware on a working lock is selling, not advising, and the security gain is nil.
The door sticks. Is that the lock?
Usually not the lock. If it works with the door open and fails shut, the frame has moved and no new lock will fix it. A Fort Collins locksmith resets the strike or corrects the swing first. A worn residential cylinder differs: it fails whatever the door does, and that is an emergency waiting.
How fast can you get here?
In Fort Collins itself, quickly. The outer towns are an honest drive and the locksmith quotes that, not an optimistic figure. Snow stretches every run and fills the service diary at once. An emergency call runs around the clock, and an honest price is agreed on the phone before the van leaves.
What if I find a cheaper quote?
Compare the whole number. A professional locksmith quotes the lock, labour and call-out together, so nothing new appears on the step. A very low phone price that becomes three hundred dollars at the car is the oldest trick in this trade. We also cut car keys in Fort Collins and cover commercial premises, so one service visit takes care of the house, the car and the security of both.
Professional Locksmith Service Pricing
Locksmith service pricing in Fort Collins is quoted against the specific job before anyone starts.
Residential Locksmith Pricing
| Service | What it covers | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| House Lockout | Non-destructive entry | $55 – $145 |
| Rekeying | Per cylinder, less per unit on multiples | $25 – $45 each |
| Cylinder Change | Standard deadbolts and knob sets | $60 – $245 |
| Door Repair | Alignment, strike plates, worn cylinders | $55 – $195 |
| Deadbolt Installation | Door with no existing bore | $125 – $245 |
| Smart Entry Installation | Keypad and app-controlled hardware | $145 – $395 |
| Duplication | Standard house keys | $5 – $25 |
| Mailbox Cylinder | Swapped and keyed | $65 – $145 |
Service charge ranges vary with location, time of day and what the locksmith finds on site. Lock and security upgrades are quoted separately. Late nights, holidays and the longer runs out of Fort Collins can cost more.
Get a quote for the service you need today, call (970) 803-1100