Locally owned in Las Vegas since 2011
Cairn Lock & Key is a locally owned Las Vegas locksmith company. Our people answer the calls, drive the vans and do the work at your door.
- Founded by locksmith Owen Brandt
- 14 team members and 9 marked service vans
- Licensed, insured and staffed by W-2 employees
Our story
From one van to a valleywide team
Owen Brandt founded Cairn Lock & Key in 2011 with one van, after spending eight years working as a locksmith for a Las Vegas property management company.
From one van, Cairn grew into a team of 14 people with 9 service vans covering the Las Vegas valley. The team includes mobile locksmith technicians, a safe and vault technician, dispatchers, a commercial accounts coordinator and an office manager. A cairn is a stack of stones that marks a desert trail.
Cairn remains a mobile locksmith operation. Customers are served where the lock, door, vehicle or safe is located, with nine vans carrying equipment for common repairs, replacement hardware and key work. The company also maintains a key and safe workshop in Las Vegas, available by appointment rather than as a retail counter.
The people who built Cairn
Six milestones trace the company's growth from residential property work into automotive keys, safes and commercial accounts.
2011: Founded with one van
Owen Brandt establishes Cairn Lock & Key after eight years working as a locksmith for a local property management company.
2013: Marcus Ellery joins Cairn
Marcus joins the company and becomes its lead residential technician, working on household locks and door hardware.
2014: Janelle Ortiz joins dispatch
Janelle joins the dispatch team and becomes the lead dispatcher coordinating calls between customers and technicians.
2015: Hector Ruiz brings safe work
Hector joins as safe and vault technician, adding specialized safe opening, combination changes and lock repair.
2017: Sofia Reyes adds automotive keys
Sofia joins to handle automotive key cutting and programming, including transponder keys, remotes and proximity fobs.
2018: Priya Nair joins commercial accounts
Priya joins to coordinate work orders, authorized contacts and billing arrangements for businesses and managed properties.
Owen Brandt, owner and lead locksmith
Owen still works on the details
Owen Brandt is Cairn's owner and lead locksmith. Before founding the company in 2011, he spent eight years working as a locksmith for a Las Vegas property management company.
He still conducts commercial walkthroughs and designs master key systems himself. That work starts with the doors, who needs access to each one and how the system will accommodate additional rooms or buildings. He does not attend every service call. Cairn's mobile technicians handle the fieldwork assigned through dispatch.
Owen's approach is to inspect before recommending replacement, explain the available options and put the price in writing before work begins. A repair should address the actual fault. A new lock should suit the door. A key system should make sense to the people responsible for managing it.
Qualifications you can verify
Cairn is licensed and insured, and every technician holds a current locksmith work card and works as a W-2 employee.
Licensed locksmith company
Cairn Lock & Key is licensed. The site footer displays the license line: NV License #0000000.
General liability insurance
The business carries general liability insurance. Commercial clients can request a certificate of insurance.
Individual locksmith work cards
Every field technician holds a current Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department locksmith work card.
Pre-employment screening
Background and driving record checks are completed before a technician's first shift.
Directly employed technicians
Field locksmiths are Cairn W-2 employees. We do not send subcontractors into customers' homes.
Monthly technical training
In-house sessions address changes in mechanical locks, smart lock systems and vehicle key technology.
What to expect at your door
A service visit follows a set procedure, whether the technician is opening a vehicle, repairing a deadbolt or working on a commercial entrance.
An arrival update
Dispatch sends the technician's first name, photograph and assigned van number by text when the van is on its way.
Visible identification
The technician arrives in a marked Cairn van and wears a company uniform with photo identification.
A prepared service vehicle
Vans carry key cutting equipment, key blanks, common lock hardware and equipment for automotive key programming.
Inspection before decisions
The locksmith examines the lock and surrounding hardware before recommending repair, rekeying or replacement.
Careful work on existing hardware
Entry methods are selected to preserve the lock where its condition permits. Cutting, drilling and replacement require separate approval.
A working lock at handover
The technician checks keys, latch operation and locking with the customer before closing out the visit.
How we prepare people for the field
Technical ability alone is not enough to work at someone's home or business. Each technician must meet our hiring and field conduct requirements.
Background checks
A background check is part of the hiring process and must be completed before the employee begins field work.
Driving history review
Driving records are checked before a technician is assigned work involving a company service vehicle.
Work card verification
The required locksmith work card is verified before an employee is permitted to perform field service.
Six weeks with a senior technician
New technicians spend six weeks riding with a senior locksmith before handling calls independently.
Uniform and photo ID
Company identification is required on every call, so customers can check who has arrived before allowing access.
Respect for the customer
Technicians explain the work, verify authority before opening locks and obtain approval before changing the agreed scope.
On the road and in the workshop
Most work is performed at the customer's location. Workshop appointments support key and safe work that requires a shop visit.
Mobile service
Our mobile technicians travel to homes, businesses and vehicles throughout the service territory. Dispatch assigns vans according to location and availability.
- Residential, automotive and commercial calls
- Emergency and scheduled service
- Keys, tools and common hardware carried on board
The workshop
The Las Vegas workshop handles key and safe work by prior arrangement. It is a working shop, not a retail storefront for walk-in customers.
- 000 Main St., Las Vegas, NV 89108
- Visits by appointment only
- No walk-in counter or safe showroom
Scheduled service operates Monday to Saturday, 7 AM to 6 PM. Call before visiting the workshop to arrange an appointment.
In the community
Work that stays in the community
Cairn provides free lock rekeying for clients of a Las Vegas family shelter. Each spring, the team also holds a free lock check day for seniors at a Henderson community center.
Seniors, active military personnel, veterans and first responders can also receive 10% off labor with ID. The discount does not apply to parts or the service call fee. It must be mentioned when arranging the work, and it cannot be combined with another offer.
The standards behind every service call
From the first conversation to the final invoice, we follow a process that gives customers control over access, repairs and charges.
A person answers emergency calls
A Cairn dispatcher answers the emergency line 24 hours a day, every day, including holidays.
An estimate before dispatch
The dispatcher quotes the $39 service call fee and a price range for the described work, then estimates arrival based on the nearest van and traffic.
Authority checked before entry
Technicians verify identification and the customer's connection to the property or vehicle before granting access.
Repair considered first
An existing lock is assessed for serviceability. Replacement is recommended when condition, security grade or the requested change calls for it.
A written price for approval
The technician lists every charge after inspection. Work begins only after approval, and any change in scope requires a revised price.
Entry suited to the lock
Non-destructive entry is preferred where practical. If drilling is necessary, the customer approves it and the replacement cost first.
Testing before departure
Keys and locking hardware are operated with the customer present, including checking that the door latches and locks.
An invoice that shows the work
Every job ends with an itemized invoice showing the service call, labor and individual parts, supplied on paper or by email.
What customers say about working with us
We have a 4.9 average rating from about 1,180 reviews across Google, Yelp and Nextdoor.
Demo badges
These are fictional badges for demonstration purposes only. A live site shows the business’s real awards and credentials.
Put the right locksmith on the job
We serve Las Vegas, Henderson and the surrounding valley. Call for urgent lock or key problems, or use the request form for planned work.