What determines the price of a guard
Contract security in Ontario is almost always billed by the hour. Your monthly invoice is that hourly bill rate multiplied by the number of guard-hours on your schedule, plus any agreed extras such as statutory-holiday premiums, mobile patrol visits or equipment. Two buyers can be quoted the same rate and receive very different invoices because one needs four evening hours and the other needs a post staffed day and night.
That is why reputable agencies are reluctant to give a figure over the phone. The rate depends on who the guard needs to be and what the post demands; the total depends on when you need them. Pinning down both is the purpose of a site assessment, which we provide free of charge before quoting.
What sits inside one billed hour
Industry commentators describe the bill rate as the guard’s wage plus a mark-up that covers everything else needed to put a qualified person on your post and keep them there. The wage is the largest single component, which is why rates shift when Ontario’s general minimum wage is adjusted each October and when the labour market for licensed guards tightens.
- Guard wagethe largest slice
- Statutory costsCPP, EI, WSIB, vacation
- Training& supervision
- Insurance& licensing
- Overhead& margin
The mark-up is not pure profit. It pays employer contributions and workplace insurance, uniforms and equipment, licensing and training, the dispatcher who answers at 3 a.m., the supervisor who checks posts, the relief guard who covers a sick call, reporting software and general liability insurance. When a quote is dramatically lower than others, one of these lines has usually been removed.
The factors that move your quote
Not every variable carries equal weight. The table ranks the factors we see shaping Toronto quotes most, with a practical lever for each.
| Factor | Weight | Why it moves the price | Your lever |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total hours | High | The multiplier on everything else. Overnight, weekend and 24/7 posts add up quickly. | Match hours to when incidents actually happen, not to habit. |
| Post duties | High | Concierge, loss prevention or crowd work needs more experienced guards than a quiet static post. | Write clear post orders so the agency staffs to the real role. |
| Timing & holidays | Medium | Work on Ontario’s nine public holidays can trigger premium pay; overtime applies after 44 hours a week. | Ask how holidays are billed before December, not after. |
| Notice period | Medium | Same-day deployments pull guards off rest days and can trigger overtime. | Book planned coverage ahead; keep emergencies for emergencies. |
| Contract length | Medium | Longer terms let an agency hire and train a dedicated team rather than rotating staff. | Trade term length for a stable roster and rate review dates. |
| Site conditions | Lower | Remote or exposed posts may need a vehicle, shelter, lighting or extra check-ins. | Provide a heated space, washroom access and power on site. |
| Technology & reporting | Lower | Digital reports, photo logs and GPS-tracked patrols carry software costs. | Treat it as proof of service; it pays for itself in disputes. |
Weightings reflect our experience quoting in the GTA and are a guide, not a formula.
Why schedule matters more than rate
A week has 168 hours. Staffing a single post around the clock therefore means several people rotating through it, because Ontario’s Employment Standards Act sets overtime at one and a half times the regular rate once an employee passes 44 hours in a work week. A good agency builds the roster so that overtime is the exception, and it should tell you how it handles the weeks when it is not.
The biggest savings rarely come from negotiating the rate down. They come from looking honestly at your risk window. A plaza that has trouble between closing and 2 a.m. may not need a guard at 9 a.m. A site that is busy with trades during the day may be well served by a guard from dusk to dawn and on weekends only, with mobile patrol checks or remote video monitoring filling the gaps.
Free site assessment
Tell us your property and hours. We will map your real risk window and quote it in writing.
Four buyers, four cost profiles
These composite examples show how the same factors play out differently. They are illustrations, not quotes.
A neighbourhood retail plaza
- Need
- Loitering and shoplifting late in the day, plus vandalism after closing.
- Cost driver
- Evening hours, and a guard comfortable with customer-facing loss prevention.
- Smart lever
- A staffed evening shift, then patrol visits overnight instead of a second full shift.
A mid-rise construction site
- Need
- Materials, tools and equipment exposed every night and through long weekends.
- Cost driver
- Nights, weekends and holiday premiums; guard shelter and lighting on an open lot.
- Smart lever
- Plan holiday coverage early and pair the guard with cameras at the compound.
A condominium lobby
- Need
- Visitor and parcel management, resident service and after-hours incident handling.
- Cost driver
- A 24/7 post with concierge skills, so a stable, well-trained roster matters.
- Smart lever
- A longer agreement in exchange for a dedicated team and scheduled rate reviews.
A one-night private event
- Need
- Door control, guest list checks and a calm presence for a few hours.
- Cost driver
- Short bookings often carry a minimum shift length; Saturday and holiday dates fill early.
- Smart lever
- Book ahead and share the run-of-show so guard numbers are right first time.
Reading a low quote critically
Commentary in the trade press has long warned that buying on bill rate alone pushes agencies to squeeze guard pay, and low pay shows up as absenteeism and turnover. For you, that means new faces on post every week, guards who do not know your site, and gaps when someone fails to show.
Other warning signs: no written post orders, no named supervisor, reports that arrive as a single line or not at all, and vagueness about insurance or workplace safety coverage. Outsourcing guarding does not outsource your responsibility for what happens on your property, so the provider’s gaps become yours.
Questions to ask before you sign
Work through this list with every shortlisted agency. The answers should come in writing.
- Is your agency licence current, and can I check it?Ontario’s ServiceOntario registry lets you search agency licences by legal business name and individual licences by number.
- Will every guard on my site hold a valid PSISA licence?Licensing requires at least 40 hours of basic training, including emergency first aid and CPR, and a provincial test.
- Can you show WSIB coverage and liability insurance?Ask for current certificates, and for commercial auto cover if patrol vehicles will visit.
- What exactly is in the hourly rate?Clarify holidays, overtime, minimum shift lengths, vehicles, equipment and reporting.
- Who supervises the post, and how often?Ask how supervisors check on guards and how you reach someone senior at night.
- What happens when a guard calls in sick?A credible answer names a relief process, not a promise.
- Will I get site-specific post orders and sample reports?Seeing a real incident report tells you more than any brochure.
- How do rate changes and cancellations work?Look for a clear notice period and a defined trigger for rate reviews, such as a minimum-wage change.
Common questions about guard pricing
Why won’t security companies quote a price over the phone?
Because the rate depends on the post’s duties and the total depends on your schedule, neither of which is clear until someone understands the site. A quick phone figure is usually either padded to stay safe or set low to win the call and revised later.
Is a mobile patrol cheaper than a security guard?
Usually per month, because you pay for scheduled visits rather than every hour. It suits empty properties and after-hours risk, but it cannot control a door continuously. Our guide on mobile patrol versus on-site guards walks through the choice.
Do I pay more for statutory holidays?
Often, yes. Guards who work one of Ontario’s public holidays are typically entitled to premium pay or a substitute day, and agencies pass that cost through. Ask how each of the nine holidays is billed.
How quickly can a guard start, and does urgency cost more?
We can often deploy in about 30 to 60 minutes in an emergency, depending on travel. Short-notice shifts can carry extra cost when they push guards into overtime, so planned coverage is always the more economical option.