Decide which doors need new keys
When an employee leaves a Las Vegas business, the first question is not how many keys came back. It is which doors those keys opened. A front entrance, stockroom and office may use separate keys or share a master key system.
Start with the employee’s assigned access. Check your key records, including any master or sub-master keys. Ask the person responsible for the building whether other staff still need those same doors.
Rekeying changes the pins inside a compatible lock cylinder. The existing hardware stays in place, but the previous key stops operating that cylinder. It is useful when the lock itself is in good condition and the goal is to change who has access.
If the employee had a key to a shared entrance, everyone using that cylinder may need a replacement key. Plan that handover before arranging the work.
Choose the timing around the business
A routine departure with documented keys can be handled as a scheduled change. An unreturned key, uncertain copy history or a departure that requires access to end at a particular time calls for closer coordination.
Commercial work can be arranged after business hours when changing keys during the workday would interrupt operations. Decide who will meet the technician, approve the work and test the new keys.
Cairn charges $22 per cylinder for rekeying, plus a separate $39 service call fee inside its service area. An after-hours fee of $45 applies from 9 PM to 7 AM, on Sundays and on major holidays. Hardware condition and the number of cylinders affect the full written price.
Not every cylinder can be rekeyed. Damaged or incompatible hardware may need replacement instead.
Count the keys before closing the job
Key handover should be recorded, not handled as an informal exchange. The business should identify the authorized contact who receives the replacement keys and maintains the distribution record.
For a straightforward rekey, use a short handover checklist:
- List every affected door and cylinder.
- Record the number of new keys issued.
- Identify each person receiving a key.
- Test the new keys in the corresponding locks.
- Update the business’s key register.
For master and restricted key accounts, Cairn maintains key records in a locked file. New keys are released to named authorized contacts on a signed request.
The technician should test the completed work with the manager. A door-by-door record makes the result easier to check later.
Consider restricted keys for physical access
Ordinary keys can leave a business with little control over additional copies. A restricted key system uses a patented keyway with blanks available only through the contracted locksmith. Keys are stamped and logged, and a hardware store or kiosk cannot duplicate them.
This does not eliminate the need to retrieve keys or rekey cylinders. It gives the business a record of issued keys and more control over who can request another.
Restricted cylinders can also work within a planned master key system. That matters when managers need broader access while individual employees should open only their assigned areas.
Know when electronic access makes more sense
If a business frequently changes staff, repeated mechanical rekeying can become cumbersome. A keypad or card and fob system lets an authorized manager change individual access credentials without issuing a new physical key to every remaining employee.
Standalone electronic locks may suit a small number of doors. A managed system may make more sense when several entrances need separate access permissions.
Cairn installs and services small managed access systems up to 16 doors. Larger networked installations and systems connected to a fire alarm involve a licensed low-voltage contractor.
The choice depends on staff turnover, door hardware and who will manage access records. A walkthrough can establish whether rekeying, restricted keys or electronic access is the sensible next step.