A spare key is the cheapest insurance in motoring. Making a duplicate while you have a working original is a routine job at a modest price. Originating a key when every key is gone costs several times as much, takes several times as long, and always happens at the worst possible moment.
Typical range: $110–$500 CAD. Ranges are typical for the GTA and depend on the door, the hardware and the time of day. We confirm the price before dispatching.
The cost difference is large
With a working key in hand, a duplicate is a straightforward cut-and-program. No ownership verification chain to work through, no code retrieval, no lock decoding, no extended programming procedure.
All keys lost requires all of that, and on many makes a manufacturer-imposed security wait on top. The price difference is typically a multiple rather than a margin, before you count the time standing in a car park.
If you own a vehicle with only one key, this is worth dealing with on a quiet afternoon rather than discovering the difference the hard way.
Used vehicles are the common gap
Buying used almost always means receiving one key, and it is worth asking a question that rarely gets asked: how many keys exist for this vehicle, and where are they. The previous owner may still have one. So may a family member who borrowed it.
For that reason, the right move on a used purchase is often not just cutting a spare but erasing all previously registered keys and programming fresh ones. It costs a little more than a duplicate and it means you actually know how many working keys exist.
What we can make
- Duplicate transponder keys, cut and programmed
- Remote head keys and flip keys
- Proximity smart keys for push-to-start vehicles
- Plain mechanical spares for older vehicles
- Valet keys that open the doors and start the engine without boot or glovebox access
- Emergency blade spares for smart keys
- Fleet keys keyed alike across multiple vehicles where the makes permit it
Fleet and multi-vehicle
For businesses running several vehicles, spare key management is an operational matter rather than a convenience. A vehicle off the road because a key is lost is a lost day.
We supply spare sets for fleets, maintain records of what has been issued, and can attend on site to do a whole fleet in one visit rather than vehicle by vehicle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to get a spare key made now than after losing my only key?
Considerably, and the gap is a multiple rather than a small margin. Duplicating from a working key is a routine cut-and-program. Originating with no key requires ownership verification, code retrieval or lock decoding, and a longer programming procedure often carrying a manufacturer-imposed security wait. It is the clearest case of cheap prevention in the trade.
I bought a used car with one key. What should I do?
Get a spare, and seriously consider erasing all previously registered keys at the same time. You have no way to know how many working keys exist for that vehicle or who holds them — the previous owner, a family member, a former partner. Erasing and programming fresh keys costs a little more than a plain duplicate and means you actually know the answer.
How long does a spare key take?
Usually thirty to sixty minutes on site with a working original present. Proximity smart keys can take longer where the vehicle imposes a security wait during programming. We come to you, so it can be done while the car sits in your driveway or your workplace lot.
Can you make a spare for any make?
For the large majority of makes and years on GTA roads, yes. A small number of very recent vehicles have security access restricted to dealers, and we will tell you on the phone if yours is one rather than attending and charging for a visit that cannot succeed. Give us the year, make and model and we will confirm before dispatching.
Spare Car Keys across the GTA
We provide spare car keys throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Pick your city for local detail, or call and we will tell you straight away whether you are in range.
Related services
Car Key Replacement
Keys cut and programmed on site for virtually every make on the road — mechanical, transponder, remote head, flip and proximity.
Key Fob Programming
Remotes and proximity fobs programmed, replaced and repaired — including fobs you bought yourself online.
All Keys Lost
Every key gone and no original to copy — key originated from the vehicle itself, on site, without a tow.
Fleet Keys
On-site key service for vans, trucks and commercial fleets — keyed-alike sets, spare programmes and rapid response for downed vehicles.