When researching the answer to a question “how much do private investigators cost”, it is important to keep in mind that each and every case is unique.

If you want to hire a private investigator, make sure that the costs of hiring a private investigator to perform his professional services are clearly outlined on the firm’s website, and call the organization up to double-check.

How Much Does A Private Investigator Charge?

The answer to the question “how much does a private investigator charge” usually comes in the form of an hourly rate. Indeed, the agencies that charge for private investigator services per hour are much more common than those who charge per day. The private investigator cost per hour depends on the job to be done – for example, surveillance rates vary between daytime and night-time surveillance, and these rates differ in most cases from, for example, close protection service hourly rates. Private detective hourly rate is also influenced by the location – for instance, international surveillance is not always available, and when it is, private investigators charge more for it than domestic surveillance.

Private detective charges vary not only depending on the complexity of the case, but also on their skills and experience. A cheap private detective is likely to be less experienced and use cheaper equipment, and might not even have a private investigator license. The better reputation the detective has, the more he charges.

It can be argued that there is no such thing as a UK average private investigator price, for the reasons outlined above. Hiring a private detective for a particular case is going to involve, in many cases, a mix of various services, both hourly and fixed price. Even if your case is less complex than that, there are still expenses to be factored in – investigations’ costs such as mileage and others.

The costs and expenses are calculated separately from the main service rates and can include things like traveling expenses, mileage, specialized equipment expenses, and even international travel costs. Make sure to find out the agency’s expenses policy and whether VAT is included in the main rate or also calculated separately.

Customers pay private investigators for their services, professionalism, and confidentiality. All the services and prices are outlined in the client contract, and the final costs are calculated following the investigation. These costs include the costs of the services provided, the additional expenses including, but not limited to, the ones listed above, and VAT.

For example, if you are wondering how much does it cost to hire a private detective to find someone, the relevant service is called tracing and can either be a fixed price service or the investigator can charge by the hour. The price usually includes desk-based search and interviewing relevant people, followed by surveillance. Private investigator can also charge for a mix of services, each at a different hourly rate.

If you want to hire a private investigator to find out if your spouse is cheating, you would most likely pay an hourly rate for surveillance services, which is higher for night-time surveillance. You can also hire a private investigator for “honey-trapping” services, which would involve additional costs.