What do Private Investigators Charge?

Trying to find the right private investigator for you is no different than finding the right plumber or cable provider. The focus of the industry is to provide a service and to provide it at a rate that works for the provider and the customer.

Whether you’ve worked with a Private Investigator before or if it’s your first time, you will probably find yourself wondering “How much is this going to cost me?”

To be brief, the standard range for hourly rates in California will be $70-$150+ an hour.

However, because each investigator is unique, you might want to consider the following factors that go into what an investigator will charge for their services.

1. Experience

Just as you want highly trained plumber or electrician working on your house, it is equally important to have a seasoned investigator working on your case.

One indicator of how long a private investigator has been in the field will be their hourly rate. Do be aware that there are some investigators out there who charge an exorbitant rate without the record to back it up.

In the early stages of working with a private investigator, make sure to ask them about their previous clients or cases that are relevant to your situation. An experienced investigator will be able to tell you dozens of similar examples like yours.

If they brush off such a question or give vague answers, that might be a good sign to move along and find someone else.

2. Resources

Just as a plumber or electrician has their tool box, so does a private investigator have their own tools they use during a case.

Typically, these will be online resources. They include databases, utilizing other service providers, or web search tactics that save time.

But with today’s ample amount of technology available, the best resources will be gadgets.

For surveillance, that can mean having covert cameras, an appropriate surveillance vehicle, or even specialized apps on their phone.

Having valuable resources also pertains to the type of business they run.

A one-man-show is not going to have the same accessibility as an investigation firm with several PIs. Additionally, depending on your type of case, you might need multi-language speaking people or even a group of investigators with different ethnicities.

When retaining an investigation firm, the hourly rate may be higher than the lone private investigator, but will usually mean getting results in a timely and cost effective manner.

3. Type of Case

Most cases are priced hourly because there’s no way to determine exactly how much work will be needed.

The most common type of investigation is surveillance. Be it following a cheating spouse, documenting the actions of a worker’s comp claimant, or conducting interviews about an on-site accident, investigations require an PI to be on the move.

Because of this, make sure to inform your investigator of exactly how much time you want them in the field.

If you know that the person isn’t home from 6am until 6pm, tell the PI before hand. This way, he’ll be better prepared and you won’t get charged for the hours you knew the person wouldn’t be home.

But some investigations can be priced with a flat rate. These investigations are typically formulaic and provide the same kinds of results.

These can include:

Asset Checks
Background Checks
Locate/Skip-Trace Investigations
Service of Process
Database Searches

Be wary of an investigator who doesn’t provide a flat rate for those types of cases. If they’re asking for an hourly rate because they don’t know how much time they’ll need to spend on it, you might want to walk away.

PRO TIP: Get It In Writing

To save yourself from getting jerked around, it is important to have everything in writing before the investigator starts your case.

This is true of most business transactions, but is critical when working with a Private Investigator.

In your agreement with the investigator, you can work to define what constitutes necessary fees.

For surveillance cases, you can put in the agreement how long you want them in the field.

For flat rate cases, the expected results of the cases should be laid out in the agreement. That way you can get a better understanding of what you are buying.

Next time you’re ready to hire a Private Investigator, keep these things in mind. Resources and experience should match the price that is being asked.