Master Key System in Plandome Heights, NY

A master key system isn't priced as a flat fee because no two buildings need the same hierarchy. A small multi-family building with a single owner key over individual unit keys costs far less than a commercial property with three or four access tiers (master, sub-master by floor or department, individual).

The $195 to $850+ range reflects door count and how many key levels you need designed and cut. When you call, the technician who quotes your job will ask how many doors, how many tiers of access, and whether you're keeping existing cylinders or replacing them, then give you a firm number before scheduling the install.

Plandome Heights is a small, car-dependent village off Plandome Road with no LIRR station of its own, so a technician driving in from elsewhere in the North Hempstead area typically reaches the property in 15 to 30 minutes. When you call, the dispatcher takes down the job and your number, and the technician assigned to your area calls back within a few minutes to go over the building's layout and access needs before anyone drives out.

That callback is also when you'll get your firm price, not a guess over the phone.

Have a door count ready, including which doors need to be on the master and which (if any) should stay on separate, non-master keys for security. If you're a property manager, know who needs which tier of access: owner-level, staff-level, tenant-level.

If existing locks are being incorporated into the new hierarchy rather than replaced, having the current keys on hand speeds up the technician's assessment. Building access matters too: if the technician needs a key, fob, or someone to let them into a locked commercial space, arrange that ahead of the appointment so the visit isn't wasted.