An employee just left your McKinney business fired, quit, or simply moved on and they still have a key to your building. You’re wondering if you need to act immediately or if you’re overreacting.
You’re not overreacting. Here’s exactly what to do and what it costs.
Do You Need to Rekey or Replace Immediately?
The answer depends on three factors: how the employee left, what they had access to, and whether you have a master key system.
| Situation | Recommended Action | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Employee fired or left on bad terms | Rekey or replace immediately | Same day |
| Employee left voluntarily, good relationship | Rekey within 1-3 business days | Within a week |
| Key to storage room or non-sensitive area | Rekey when convenient | Within 30 days |
| Master key or high-security access | Emergency rekey of entire system | Same day |
If the employee had access to cash registers, safes, customer data, or inventory, treat it as urgent. If they only had a front door key and you trust them, you have a bit more breathing room but don’t wait longer than a week.
What to Do Immediately
Step 1: Document Which Keys Are Missing
Write down exactly what the employee had access to: front door, back entrance, office, storage, filing cabinets, alarm code. You need to know the scope before calling a commercial locksmith.
Step 2: Change Access Codes First
If your alarm system or keypad entry uses a code the employee knew, change it immediately. This takes five minutes and costs nothing. Do this before you even pick up the phone to call us.
Step 3: Call a Licensed Locksmith
Don’t wait until Monday if the employee left on Friday. Most McKinney businesses we work with regret delaying this. We’ve shown up on Monday mornings to find someone’s already been in the building over the weekend.
Rekeying vs. Replacing Locks: What Makes Sense?
Most businesses assume they need to replace every lock. That’s rarely true.
Rekeying means we change the internal pins so the old key no longer works. Same lock, new key. This costs $75-$150 per lock and takes about 15 minutes per door.
Replacing the entire lock costs $150-$400 per door depending on the hardware. You only need this if the lock is damaged, outdated, or you’re upgrading security at the same time.
For a typical McKinney retail shop or office with three exterior doors, rekeying runs $225-$450 total. Full replacement runs $450-$1,200. If your locks are in decent shape and you just need the old key to stop working, rekeying is the smarter choice.
What About Master Key Systems?
If your business uses a master key system where one key opens multiple doors and individual keys open specific doors this gets more complicated. When an employee with a master key leaves, you often need to rekey the entire system to maintain security hierarchy.
The cost jumps significantly: $500-$1,500+ depending on how many doors are in the system. But skipping this step defeats the whole purpose of having a master key setup in the first place.
Preventing This Problem Going Forward
The businesses that never call us in a panic about former employees do three things differently:
- They use a key control policy with a sign-out log every key is numbered and tracked
- They install master key systems with restricted keyways that can’t be duplicated at hardware stores
- They transition to electronic access control where they can deactivate a code instead of rekeying a lock
The upfront cost is higher, but you never pay for emergency rekeying again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rekey the locks myself?
Technically yes if you buy a rekeying kit, but most business-grade locks require specific tools and pin sizes. If you’ve never done it before, you’ll spend two hours on YouTube and still probably mess it up. A licensed locksmith does it in 15 minutes.
What if the employee claims they returned the key?
Unless you physically saw them hand it back and tested it in the lock, assume they still have it. People lose keys, forget about copies in their car, or genuinely think they returned it when they didn’t. Rekey anyway.
How quickly can a McKinney locksmith rekey my business?
For a standard commercial building with 3-5 doors, we’re usually done in under an hour. Emergency situations get priority we’ve rekeyed entire offices in Frisco and Plano within two hours of the initial call.
Should I tell the employee I’m rekeying the locks?
That’s a business decision, not a locksmith one. Some managers prefer transparency, others don’t want to create confrontation. Legally, you don’t need their permission to secure your own property.
Ready to Secure Your McKinney Business After an Employee Departure?
We handle employee turnover situations for McKinney businesses every week retail shops in downtown, offices near Craig Ranch, warehouses off 380. You tell us what happened, we tell you exactly what needs rekeying and what doesn’t, and we get it done fast without upselling you on locks you don’t need.
Call (469) 905-9092 or visit Local Runners Locksmith to book your McKinney appointment.
