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Service

Key cutting

Copying a standard cylinder key costs £4 to £7 in Home Secure Shop's guide, and the Master Locksmiths Association's 2026 list starts at £5.55, with mortice keys from £7.40. High-security and restricted keys cost more and are usually cut only against proof that the lock is yours. Shops cut most everyday keys while you wait; a locksmith covers the keys a shop cannot.

Illustration: a cut cylinder key

What this covers

What it costs. A security or restricted key costs from £21.15 on the Master Locksmiths Association's 2026 list and £10 to £20 or more in Home Secure Shop's guide, against £4 to £7 for a standard cylinder key. Full cost breakdown.

What the job covers

  • Copying a standard Yale-type cylinder key from the original
  • Cutting mortice keys for a lever deadlock
  • Restricted keys cut against the key card that came with the cylinder
  • Cutting a key to code when the original is lost, for locks that allow it
  • Spare keys for a whole house or office cut in one visit

What is involved

Key cutting is really two different jobs. Everyday keys, the flat Yale-type key for a nightlatch or euro cylinder and the larger key for a lever mortice deadlock, are copied by clamping the original beside a blank and tracing its cuts. Timpson and other key cutting shops do this while you wait, and some hardware stores have a machine. A copy cut from a worn key copies the wear too, so if the original is old, ask whether a new key can be cut to code instead.

Restricted and high-security keys are where a locksmith comes in. Many anti-snap cylinders, including much of the Ultion, ABS and Mul-T-Lock ranges, use a key profile protected by patent or registration, so blanks are not on general sale. Copies are cut by the maker or a dealer it supplies, against the key card or registration that came with the lock, and sometimes only for the named holder. That control is the point: nobody can copy the key from one they have borrowed. If the card is lost, expect to prove you own or manage the property before a copy is cut.

Keys cut to code are made from a number stamped on the key or lock rather than from a copy, and suit locks whose original key is lost or badly worn. Filing cabinet, garage door and some window keys are often available this way.

A mobile locksmith can cut keys on site, which suits a landlord or business needing a set of spares, or an unusual key for an old lock. Car keys are a separate job, because most need programming as well as cutting.

Choosing someone for the job

Ask the price per key, and the total for the set, before any cutting starts, and whether a mobile visit adds a charge. For a restricted or high-security key, bring the key card and photo ID; a careful locksmith or dealer asks for both and cuts only for the registered holder or someone they have authorised. If the original is worn, ask whether they can cut to code rather than copy the wear. Test every new key in each lock it is meant for before you leave, and ask what happens if one sticks.

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Common questions

Can any key be copied?

Most everyday keys can, by a shop or a locksmith. Restricted and high-security keys, used on many anti-snap cylinders, are copied only by the maker or its dealers against the key card, and sometimes only for the named holder. That is what stops anyone copying them from a borrowed key.

What if I have lost the key card for a restricted key?

Contact the maker or the locksmith who fitted the lock. Most will reissue a card or cut a key once you prove you own or manage the property, usually with photo ID and proof of address. If that is not possible, a new cylinder may be the simpler route.

Why does my copied key not work properly?

Usually because the original was worn and the copy reproduces the wear, or the cut was slightly out. Take it back to whoever cut it first. A locksmith can often cut a fresh key to code, to the lock's original depths, which runs more smoothly.

Can a locksmith cut keys at my home?

Many mobile locksmiths carry a cutting machine and blanks for common keys, which suits a landlord or business needing several spares, or a lock with no spare left to copy. Ask whether they hold the blank for your key before they set off, and the total for the set.

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