Hear from Our Customers
You’re standing at your front door. Keys aren’t in your pocket. Your phone’s inside. It’s getting dark.
That moment of panic is exactly why you need spare keys—not someday, but now. Having duplicate keys means your roommate has one, your parents have one, and there’s one hidden where you can actually find it. No more expensive emergency locksmith service calls at 10 PM. No more sitting on your porch waiting for someone to rescue you.
When you get your house keys duplicated, you’re buying peace of mind. You’re making sure your day doesn’t get derailed because of one small mistake. And if you just moved into a new place in Swarthmore, getting fresh keys cut means you’re the only one who controls access—not the previous owner, not their relatives, not anyone else who might still have a copy floating around.
We’ve been cutting keys since the late 1800s. That’s not a typo—over 140 years of locksmithing expertise, passed down through four generations of the McCausland family. Today, Tom McCausland and his daughter Chrissy run the largest locksmith operation in the Delaware Valley from our Prospect Park storefront, just minutes from Swarthmore.
When you walk into our shop, you’re not dealing with a franchise or a kiosk. You’re working with people who’ve seen every type of key, every type of lock, and every type of problem. We know what works and what doesn’t because we’ve been doing this longer than anyone else in the area.
Swarthmore residents have relied on us for generations because we show up, we do the work right, and we don’t waste your time. Whether you live near Swarthmore College, in one of the borough’s historic homes, or in a newer development, you’re getting the same expertise that’s served Delaware County families for more than a century.
You bring in the key you want duplicated. Our team examines it to determine the correct key blank—because not all keys are the same, and using the wrong blank means a key that won’t work properly.
We insert your original key and the blank into professional key-cutting equipment. This isn’t a basic machine you’d find at a hardware store—it’s precision equipment designed to create an exact duplicate. The cutting process takes just minutes, and the result is a key that fits your lock perfectly, turns smoothly, and works just like the original.
Before you leave, we test the duplicate to make sure it works. If you need multiple copies—say, one for each family member or a few backups—we can cut those at the same time. You walk out with functional spare keys, ready to use immediately.
For hard-to-find keys or specialty locks, we have the blanks and expertise that most places don’t. We’ve been stocking key blanks for over a century, so if your home has older locks or unusual hardware, we can handle it.
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When you get your keys duplicated at McCausland, you’re getting precision cutting that ensures each duplicate works smoothly in your locks. No sticking. No forcing. No worrying whether the key will actually turn when you need it to.
You’re also getting access to a full range of key types. Standard house keys, high-security keys, deadbolt keys, patio door keys—whatever you need duplicated, we have the blanks and equipment to handle it. If you’re not sure what type of key you have, we’ll identify it and cut the right duplicate.
In Swarthmore, where many homes date back decades and feature unique architectural details, you might have locks that require specialty keys. Our storefront keeps an extensive inventory of key blanks, including types that big-box stores don’t carry. That means you can get duplicates for older homes, vintage locks, or high-security systems without tracking down obscure suppliers or waiting weeks for special orders.
The service is fast because we do this all day, every day. You’re not interrupting someone’s side project—you’re working with professional locksmiths who have the tools, the training, and the experience to get it done right the first time. Most key duplication jobs are completed while you wait, so you can stop in on your way home from work or during errands and leave with working spare keys in hand.
Basic house key duplication typically costs between $2 and $5 per key. Standard residential keys—the kind most homes in Swarthmore use—fall into this price range and can be duplicated quickly.
High-security keys or specialty locks run between $8 and $25 per duplicate. These keys require specific blanks and often involve additional security measures. They’re common in newer homes or situations where homeowners want extra protection against unauthorized duplication.
The cost is straightforward—no hidden fees, no surprise charges. Compare that to emergency locksmith service if you get locked out, which can easily run $100 to $250 depending on the time of day. Having spare keys is one of the smartest investments you can make.
Most standard house keys can be duplicated in just a few minutes—often less than five minutes from start to finish. The process is quick because we use precision key-cutting equipment designed specifically for this purpose.
When you bring your key to our Prospect Park location, we examine your original key, select the correct blank, and use our key duplication machine to cut an exact copy. We test the duplicate before handing it to you. The entire process happens while you wait.
If you need multiple duplicates made at once—say, five keys for different family members—the process takes a bit longer, but you’re still looking at minutes, not hours. For specialty keys, there might be a short wait while we locate the correct blank, but our extensive inventory means this is rarely an issue.
Yes, but it requires a different process and costs more than standard duplication. If you’ve lost all your keys, we can create a new key by taking an impression of the lock itself or by using the lock’s code.
This process is more complex because we need to determine the exact cuts required for the key to work in your specific lock. It involves specialized tools and expertise, which is why the cost is higher—typically $30 to $50 for the key creation, plus any service call fees if we need to come to your home.
For Swarthmore homeowners who’ve lost all their keys, this service can save you from having to replace your entire lock, which would cost significantly more. If you’re in this situation, it’s also worth considering whether you should rekey your locks entirely, especially if you’re concerned about security or if you’ve recently moved into the home.
Yes. Rekeying your locks when you move into a new home is one of the smartest security decisions you can make.
When you buy or rent a home, you have no way of knowing how many copies of the keys are floating around. The previous owner might have given keys to neighbors, contractors, cleaners, or family members. Those people might still have those keys.
Rekeying changes the internal pins in your locks so that old keys no longer work. You get a fresh set of keys, and you’re the only one who has them. The process is faster and less expensive than replacing all your locks entirely, and it gives you complete control over who has access to your home.
The main difference is precision, expertise, and the range of keys that can be duplicated. Hardware stores often use basic key-cutting machines operated by employees who cut keys as a small part of their job. We use professional-grade equipment and have specialized training in key duplication, lock mechanics, and security.
When you go to a hardware store, you might get a key that works most of the time—but if the cut isn’t precise, you’ll end up with a key that sticks, requires extra force to turn, or doesn’t work at all. We cut keys to exact specifications, test them before you leave, and can troubleshoot any issues on the spot.
We also have access to a much wider range of key blanks. If you have high-security locks, older locks, or specialty hardware, a hardware store might not have the right blank in stock. With over 140 years in the business, we keep an extensive inventory and have the expertise to handle keys that other places can’t duplicate.
Most homeowners should have at least three to four spare keys beyond the ones they use daily. This gives you enough backups to handle common situations without scrambling in an emergency.
At minimum, you should have one spare key stored in a secure location at home, one with a trusted neighbor or family member nearby, and one in a safe place outside your home. If you have a partner, roommate, or family members living with you, each person should have their own key rather than sharing one.
For Swarthmore residents, especially those near Swarthmore College or in neighborhoods with a mix of students and long-term homeowners, having extra keys is particularly useful. Students move in and out, roommates change, and you don’t want to be stuck paying for emergency services every time someone loses a key. Getting duplicates made ahead of time costs a few dollars per key—far less than the stress and expense of dealing with a lockout situation.
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