Pricing
Quality private investigators are never cheap, but we do our best to be affordable to everyone and to make our services worth every penny.
Every case is unique, and costs vary widely. Every client will sign an agreement prior to services beginning which outlines the costs involved.
Most cases will require a minimum retainer of $1,000. Hours worked will be billed against the retainer in 15-minute increments. Typically, each investigator who is involved in your case will be paid hourly for most work. So for example, a retainer of $1000 would cover 20 hours of work if your investigator was working for $50/hour.
There are typically other costs involved in an investigation as well. If your investigator must drive to perform their duties, you will be charged for mileage (billed at the 2024 federal rate of $ 0.67/mile). There may be other fees for searches run through paid databases, vehicle sighting reports, GPS tracker use, records requests, etc. We do bill for lodging as well if the investigator must travel overnight in order to work the case. We do not bill for meals when an investigator must travel.
We often offer flat rates for things like service of process or simple database searches (see our Process Service page for information on pricing). Sometimes we can offer a flat daily rate for work, such as in some surveillance cases. Occasionally we will work at reduced rates for clients in poverty who have the greatest need.
Rest assured that we will do our best to work within your budget and still meet your needs.