Calculate Security Guard Cost From Posts and Coverage Hours

Count posts before multiplying a rate

Create a row for every fixed post and patrol assignment. Record days, start and end times, overlap, relief and seasonal changes. A property with one eight-hour lobby post is a different purchase from a site that needs a gate, roving patrol and supervisor at the same time.

Do not assume large regional properties can be covered by one person. The Port of Los Angeles spans 7,500 acres with 25 cargo terminals and 122 miles of rail. Your site may be much smaller, but the same lesson applies: route time and simultaneous duties must be measured.

Use public rates as attributed examples only

The Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners schedule effective February 20, 2025 lists these regular contract rates:

The same City schedule lists overtime rates of $45.98 unarmed and $51.21 armed. Its bike and vehicle columns add $1.50 and $3.00 to the regular rate, and City-designated holidays bill at the overtime rate. These figures belong to that contract schedule. They should not be presented as a Los Angeles market average or a private quote.

Model the weekly and monthly hours

For each post, multiply hours per shift by shifts per week. Add overlapping posts rather than treating them as one line. For monthly planning, a simple annualized model uses weekly hours multiplied by 52 and divided by 12. The actual invoice follows the contract calendar, minimums and billing rules.

Keep temporary work separate. A fire watch that runs continuously until authority release needs a different hours model from three patrol visits each night.

Separate regular, overtime and holiday assumptions

Ask the bidder to identify regular hours, overtime trigger, holiday list, emergency extension and short-notice rate. State whether buyer-requested schedule changes can create overtime and whether the provider needs written approval before incurring it.

Check how a shift that crosses midnight or a holiday is billed. Compare the same calendar across proposals rather than accepting one blended rate with unknown assumptions.

Price supervision and relief honestly

A low officer rate can be offset by separate supervisor, field-check or relief charges. Ask whether meal and rest coverage is included, whether the post remains continuously staffed and who pays when a qualified replacement is needed.

Define the supervisor’s deliverable. A charge for supervision should correspond to field visits, report review, issue escalation, training or another stated activity.

Record vehicle, equipment and setup charges

List patrol vehicles, mileage or fuel, radios, phones, checkpoint systems, report platforms, uniforms, guard booths and temporary equipment. Ask what is included, what is optional and what continues after setup.

Post-order development, site surveys, onboarding and training can also be priced separately. Compare one-time and recurring charges in different columns.

Connect price to license and insurance checks

A proposal should identify the legal entity furnishing guards. Verify it in the DCA license search and request the current insurance certificate for that same entity. BSIS requires at least $1 million per occurrence general liability insurance for continued PPO licensure, but buyers may set additional contract requirements.

Do not trade away basic verification for a lower rate. Use the PPO and insurance guide before award.

Compare the total agreement, not one number

Put minimum shifts, deposits, invoice cycle, taxes or fees, rate changes, cancellation, termination and renewal beside the coverage model. State how missed service, late arrival or an unqualified substitution is handled. Ask who can approve added hours.

Use the post-orders checklist to keep scope stable and the company worksheet to compare the complete offer. Then Get a Quote from the written assignment.