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Security services for businesses

Security Guard Services in Washington

From the Sound to the Palouse, find guards who fit your site.

8:30 AMStatewide reques…

Request security coverage in Washington. Describe your property, schedule, duties, and requested start date so potential providers can explain their capabilities, availability, and proposed terms.

Ask for a security quote

One short form for your site in Washington.

Please don’t include alarm codes, passwords or access credentials.

Requesting a quote is free and doesn’t book service. Each provider confirms its availability, price and start date in writing.

Starting rates only. Your final price comes in each provider’s written proposal.

Washington · Security

Guards across Washington

  • Bellevue
  • Bellingham
  • Everett
  • Federal Way
  • Kent
  • Olympia
  • Renton
  • Seattle
  • Spokane
  • Tacoma
  • Vancouver
  • Yakima
BELLEVUE BELLINGHAMEVERETT
Washington · Security

Pick a Washington city

Each city page covers local planning, every security service, and answers for Washington buyers.

State rules

Washington license rules.

DOL LICENSE LOOKUPWASHINGTON Guard license number Guard licenseACTIVEArmed endorsementON FILEFirearms cert.CURRENT LICENSE CHECK · WASHINGTON

Verify the Washington DOL private security guard company license. The company credential and ordinary or armed employee licenses are distinct.

Do you need armed guards?

Most Washington sites run with unarmed guards. Armed coverage is something you and the provider agree on after looking honestly at the site and its risks.

Unarmed guards

DOL-licensed guards

  • Front desks, lobbies and gates
  • Patrols of buildings, garages and lots
  • Individual license plus pre-assignment training
  • Usually the lower-cost option
Armed guards

Armed license and firearms certification

  • Cash, banks and high-value goods
  • Sites with a higher risk of violence
  • Armed license plus firearms certification
  • Costs more for licensing, training and insurance

Write clear post orders

Post orders tell each guard exactly what your site expects. Clear ones make every proposal easier to compare.

  • Where each guard stands, and the routes they walk
  • Shift times, breaks and handovers
  • Who gets in, and how they are checked
  • What to do when an alarm sounds or someone is hurt
  • Your call list, in order
  • What gets written up, and by when

Planning a budget in Washington

Your quote depends on the site, the hours and the duties. Use these starting rates to plan before proposals come in.

ServiceStarting atNotes
Unarmed officerFrom $25 an hourStanding posts, access control, patrols
Armed officerFrom $32 an hourGuards with an armed license and firearms certification
Event securityFrom $30 an hour per officerOften with a minimum of about 4 hours per officer
Personal protectionFrom $70 an hourProtection agents from DOL-licensed companies
Fire watchFrom $25 an hourPatrols while fire systems are out of service
Mobile patrolPriced per visitDepends on visits per night and drive time

Starting rates. Billing rates cover the officer’s pay plus payroll taxes, insurance, licensing, supervision and company overhead. Your price depends on your site, schedule and duties, and comes from the provider’s written proposal.

What changes the price

Armed or unarmed

Armed posts cost more because of licensing, training and insurance.

Hours and schedule

Overnight, weekend and holiday hours, and 24/7 coverage, raise the total. One 24/7 post needs about 730 officer hours a month.

Number of posts

Each additional post or patrol adds officer hours, and large sites may need a supervisor.

Contract length

Ongoing contracts are usually priced lower per hour than one-day or short-notice coverage.

Duties and risk

Specialized duties, high-value goods or busy public sites can raise the rate.

What’s included

Supervision, reporting software, vehicles and equipment may be included or billed separately.

Before you sign

Vetting a guard company.

Washington licenses the company and each guard separately. Check both before anyone starts work.

Vetting providers in Washington
  1. LicenseDOL lookup · company licenseActive
  2. OfficersDOL license · armed endorsement for armedConfirmed
  3. InsuranceGeneral liability · Additional insuredOn file
  4. References4 property clients near WashingtonCalled
  5. SupervisionSupervisor visits every 3 hrs · overnight shiftsAgreed
  6. In writingProposal covers: post orders · staffing and overtimeSigned
0 of 6 checked
  1. 1

    Check the company license

    Look up the company’s Washington DOL private security guard company license and match its legal name and status.

  2. 2

    Check guard licenses

    Ask for each guard’s DOL security guard license and training record (8 hours before work, 8 hours of refresher every year). For armed posts, confirm the armed endorsement and a current CJTC firearms certificate.

  3. 3

    Ask for a certificate of insurance

    Request proof of general liability and workers’ compensation coverage, and ask whether you can be named as an additional insured.

  4. 4

    Ask for references

    Talk to clients with similar properties, and ask how long they have used the company.

  5. 5

    Ask about supervision

    Find out who checks on officers, how often, and who you call at 2 a.m. when something goes wrong.

  6. 6

    Get it in writing

    Make sure the proposal covers post orders, staffing, rates for holidays and overtime, how absences are covered, reporting, and how to end the contract.

Questions people ask

46 answers for Washington buyers, grouped by topic.

How does Guardix help me find a security company?

Describe your property, schedule, responsibilities, and requested start date. Guardix helps connect that request with potential security providers. Each responding company confirms its capabilities and availability and explains the services it can offer.

Who actually provides and supervises the security officers?

The selected security company provides the officers and manages the agreed service. Its proposal should identify the business responsible for staffing, supervision, insurance, reporting, and delivery. Confirm the contracting parties before signing.

Does submitting a quote request book security coverage?

No. The form requests contact and proposals. Staffing, price, duties, and the start date must be confirmed through the necessary provider arrangements and service agreement before coverage begins.

How many proposals will I receive, and how quickly?

Responses depend on provider participation, location, requested duties, timing, and availability. Guardix does not promise a fixed number of quotes or an immediate response. Include a realistic deadline and the best contact method.

Who receives the information in my quote request?

Your request is shared with Guardix and security companies being considered for the assignment, as explained when you submit. Review the privacy notice and request-sharing acknowledgment. Keep alarm codes, passwords, and sensitive personal records out of the initial form.

Next step

Ready to cover Washington?

Send one short request. Guardix passes it to DOL-licensed security companies, and each one replies with a written proposal.

  1. RequestZIP, service, start date
  2. MatchedLicensed providers
  3. ProposalPrice and terms in writing
PROPOSALS · WASHINGTON

Guardix helps connect quote requests with potential security providers. The selected provider delivers the agreed security service. Availability, qualifications, pricing, reporting features, and service terms must be confirmed for the actual assignment.