Commercial & property management
Master keys or access control? An honest comparison
We do both, so we have no reason to push you toward the expensive one. Here is the answer we give building owners when they ask which they need.
By Timmy Creighton, founder and licensed locksmith · Major Key Locksmith · October 2026
Master keying is better when
- Access is stable. The same people need the same doors month after month.
- There is no power or network at the door.
- You do not want a subscription or software to manage.
- The building is small enough that a written schedule is easy to keep.
- It is a gate, a mechanical room, a closet or storage.
Access control is better when
- Access changes often: staff, contractors, tenants.
- You need a record of who opened what door and when.
- You want to cut someone off at four in the afternoon without rekeying anything.
- A lost credential has to stop working immediately.
What most buildings end up with
A mix. Access control on the main entrances and anywhere access changes often, and a well-designed master key system everywhere else. The electronic doors still have mechanical cylinders as an override, and those cylinders belong in the master key system too.
The honest cost comparison
Mechanical keys cost little per door and nothing per month, but every lost key that matters means rekeying. Access control costs more per door to install and often carries ongoing software costs, but a lost fob costs a few seconds to delete. If people come and go at your building, access control usually pays for itself in rekeys avoided.
Not sure? Our master key design visit covers the mechanical side, and we will tell you plainly which doors would be better on access control.
Questions people ask
Can access control and master keys work together?
Yes, and they usually should. Electronic doors keep a mechanical cylinder for override, and that cylinder can be keyed into your master system.
What happens to access-controlled doors in a power cut?
It depends on how the hardware is set up. Doors are configured to either release or stay locked without power, and the right choice depends on the door and the life-safety requirements. That decision is made when the system is designed.
Is access control only for big buildings?
No. A single keypad or fob reader on a front door is access control. Small businesses use it to stop handing out keys to every new hire.
Want a straight answer about your building?
Tell us what you are dealing with. We will say what it needs, what it costs, and whether it is a job for us at all.
Keep reading
Any price mentioned here is the one published on our pricing page as of October 2026. The final price is always confirmed with you before any work begins. More answers from the blog →