Knowledge base · Technical note
Master key hierarchy for multi-site storage
Multi-site operators rarely have a key problem — they have a permission problem. The key hierarchy is just that permission structure written down.
Draw the permission structure before the key structure
Answer this question first: who should be able to open what? The key hierarchy is only the physical expression of that answer. Starting from the hardware end produces a system nobody can explain to a new hire.
The five levels that cover most operators
| Level | Opens | Held by |
|---|---|---|
| Tenant key | Its own unit only | The tenant |
| Group / zone key | A defined block of units | Staff responsible for that zone |
| Site key | Every unit on one site, plus common doors | Site manager |
| Regional key | Every site in a region | Regional manager |
| Group key | Every site in the group | A named few, recorded |
If you are still deciding between the levels themselves, the three keying structures compared covers that choice separately.
Three decisions that must be made before production
- Does the tenant key open anything else? In most designs, no. One key per unit is the default because it makes accountability possible.
- How many levels do you actually need? Every extra level adds cost and complexity. A three-site operator usually needs three levels, not five.
- What happens when a key is lost at each level? Losing a tenant key and losing a site key are different events with different responses. Write both rules down.
Why the hierarchy cannot be changed later
Keying is set when cylinders are assembled. Changing the hierarchy afterwards is not a matter of cutting new keys — it means replacing cylinders, which means reissuing keys to every tenant affected.
This is why the plan is worth an hour of someone's time before the order, even if you only fit out one site now.
What to send us
- Units per site, and how many sites
- The five levels above, filled in for your organisation
- How many keys at each level, and who holds them
- Your lost-key rule at each level
- Whether vacant units need overlock hardware on the same schedule
Those five answers are enough for us to return a key plan with the quotation.
Confirm it on your own doors
Send a door photo, the cylinder size or the mounting dimensions. We confirm fit with a physical sample before you commit to a quantity.
What readers ask next
Drawing the permission structure first raises these points.
How do we add a site later without rekeying the others?
Build the hierarchy with room for it, so a new site becomes a new branch under an existing level instead of a new top level. That is a decision made before production, so raise it while the first plan is still being drawn.
Can a regional manager be restricted to their own sites?
Yes, if the levels are defined that way in the plan. Send the permission list exactly as it should read and the key plan is confirmed against it before anything is cut.
What happens if the hierarchy turns out to be wrong after delivery?
A key hierarchy cannot be corrected by re-cutting keys, because it is fixed by the cylinders already made. That is why the plan is agreed in writing before production starts.