What Does a Security Guard Really Cost?

Start with the hours you buy

Multiply the hourly bill rate by the number of guards on shift, the hours covered per day and the days covered per week. Multiply the weekly total by 52 for an annual planning estimate. For a short project, multiply by the number of weeks you actually need coverage.

Ask the provider which shifts carry a premium and which fees sit outside the quoted rate. Check for holiday rates, minimum shifts, relief coverage, supervisor visits and taxes. If rates or staffing vary by shift, calculate each shift separately and add the totals.

Worked example for an overnight site

Suppose a site needs one guard for 10 hours a night, seven nights a week, at a quoted bill rate of US$32 per hour. The rate is illustrative and the totals exclude taxes and any separately quoted fees.

If the site only needs coverage five nights a week, the same shift and rate total $83,200 over 52 weeks. The $33,280 difference comes with two uncovered nights each week. Compare what is exposed on those nights before changing the schedule.

Ask what you can verify at 2 a.m.

Ask each bidder to show what you would receive after a missed patrol, an open gate or a camera outage. Useful evidence can include time-stamped checkpoint photos, arrival and departure records, incident notes and a named escalation contact.

Compare coverage options against the same site risks and response requirements. A guard can physically check a gate or respond on site. Remote monitoring can verify an alert where cameras have a usable view. A combined plan should spell out who responds in person, how they are dispatched and what is included in the price.