Key Cutting in Edmonton
We cut and duplicate keys for homes, businesses, and rental properties — from a single spare to a full building's worth. Every key is cut in-house on our own machines and tested before it leaves our hands, so it turns the first time.
Cutting is the easy part. The harder question is usually how many copies are out there and who has them, which is where a hardware-store key and a restricted one stop being the same thing.
We're a door and building locksmith, so key cutting here means home, business, and property keys — not vehicle keys.
What we cut
Home and apartment keys
Office, business, storefront, and commercial door keys
Mailbox, padlock, and cabinet keys
High-security and restricted keys for systems we're authorized on
Why a locksmith, not a hardware store
A key that almost works is a callback waiting to happen.
If you've ever had a hardware-store copy that jammed or wouldn't quite turn, the cause is usually simple: a worn original gets copied, and the wear copies with it. Do that a few times — a copy of a copy of a copy — and the cuts have drifted far enough that the key sticks, needs jiggling, or stops turning altogether. The lock hasn't failed. The key just isn't the shape the lock is expecting any more.
It's also why a key that works in one lock but not another isn't always a lock problem. If two locks were keyed alike and the key now opens only one, the key has drifted and the tighter lock noticed first.
We cut on professional-grade machines from a clean original where possible, check the bitting, and can account for wear on a damaged original. Where no good original exists, we can cut to code — producing a key from the lock's specification rather than from another key, so the result matches the lock instead of matching a copy. Every key gets tested against the lock or a matching sample before it leaves our hands.
Hardware stores can cut basic keys. They can't handle restricted keys, worn originals, or commercial profiles.
Restricted and high security keys
Restricted keys use blanks that aren't sold on the open market, in a keyway protected by patent. A hardware store can't copy one because they can't get the blank. Copies come only from an authorized dealer, only for people on your authorization list, and every copy is recorded.
Ace Locksmith Services Inc. is a licensed, certified provider authorized to duplicate restricted key systems — so you get the convenience of duplication without giving up the control that makes a restricted system worth having.
“Do not duplicate” is not a control
We see this all the time.
The stamp carries no legal force in Canada and puts no obligation on whoever operates the machine. Some shops honour it as policy and many don't. It's a request.
A standard key can be copied by anyone holding it, at any hardware store, for a few dollars, with no record and no permission. A tenant, a contractor, or a former employee can walk out with a key, make three copies, and hand the original back. Your records say one key is out. Four are.
A restricted keyway is the version of that stamp that actually works.
Key cutting for property managers
Across a building, cutting keys isn't a one-off — it's turnovers, lost keys, and access changes, month after month. We cut to your existing master key system and keep your keyway consistent across units, so one call covers the whole property.
The problem we're usually called about isn't cutting, though. It's records.
Keys get issued over years by several different people, some come back and some don't, the spreadsheet stops being updated, and eventually nobody can say with confidence who holds what. Then a key goes missing and there's no way to know whether it matters.
What helps:
One person issues keys, and every key issued gets logged — who, which door, when
Keep a master original that never circulates and cut from that, rather than from whatever came back on a returned keyring
Treat an uncollected key as a key that still works, because it does
Review the list annually. Most buildings find keys logged to people who left years ago
When the records have already gone, the reset is rekeying — a new key configuration on hardware you already own, and an accurate list from day one. Moving to a restricted keyway at the same time means the new list stays accurate, because nobody can add to it without you.
When to not cut keys
If keys are unaccounted for, cutting more doesn't help — every existing key still works. Rekeying changes what the lock accepts, so old keys stop working regardless of who has them.
If the lock is worn, a fresh key may turn today and stick again next month. Worn cylinders wear the key back, and the cycle repeats until the cylinder is serviced. That's a lock repair job.
If the key turns but the door won't latch, the key isn't the problem — the strike or the alignment is.
We'll tell you which of these you're dealing with rather than cutting keys that won't fix it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does key cutting take? Most keys take a few minutes. High-security and restricted keys take longer, and some need to be ordered.
Can you cut a key without the original? In many cases, yes. We can decode the lock and cut a new key from scratch. Give us a call to discuss your situation.
Why does my new key stick? Usually because it was copied from a worn key rather than cut to the lock's specification. A key cut to code normally resolves it. If it doesn't, the cylinder itself is likely worn.
Can anyone copy my keys? With a standard key, yes — at any hardware store, without your permission. A restricted keyway is what actually prevents it.
Does "Do Not Duplicate" stop copies being made? No. It has no legal weight in Canada and it's honoured at each shop's discretion. If controlling copies matters, a restricted keyway is the only reliable route.
How many keys should I have cut? Enough that you're not copying a copy later. One per person who needs access, plus an original kept somewhere secure that stays out of circulation.
How much does key cutting cost? It depends on the key type — a standard duplicate and a restricted key are very different jobs. Contact us and we'll tell you before we cut anything.
Do you cut car keys? No. Automotive keys need different equipment and different programming, and it isn't work we take on.
Call Ace Locksmith at (780) 999-0456 or contact us online about key cutting or key control for your property.
Testimonals
-
"Joe was nearby in the neighbourhood but was able to squeeze me in for a quick service. Super helpful, fast worker and really knowledgeable plus he was a polite guy. Would absolutely call again for any future needs. Thanks!!"
Wyatt U.
-
"Thank you very much for helping out! I totally recommend, very good prices, and easy to deal, no headache!"
D.