Guards across Washington
- Bellevue
- Bellingham
- Everett
- Federal Way
- Kent
- Olympia
- Renton
- Seattle
- Spokane
- Tacoma
- Vancouver
- Yakima
Pick a Washington city
Each city page covers local planning, every security service, and answers for Washington buyers.
- BellevueSecurity services and quotes
- BellinghamSecurity services and quotes
- EverettSecurity services and quotes
- Federal WaySecurity services and quotes
- KentSecurity services and quotes
- OlympiaSecurity services and quotes
- RentonSecurity services and quotes
- SeattleSecurity services and quotes
- SpokaneSecurity services and quotes
- TacomaSecurity services and quotes
- VancouverSecurity services and quotes
- YakimaSecurity services and quotes
State rules
Washington license rules.
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.
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 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.
| Service | Starting at | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Unarmed officer | From $25 an hour | Standing posts, access control, patrols |
| Armed officer | From $32 an hour | Guards with an armed license and firearms certification |
| Event security | From $30 an hour per officer | Often with a minimum of about 4 hours per officer |
| Personal protection | From $70 an hour | Protection agents from DOL-licensed companies |
| Fire watch | From $25 an hour | Patrols while fire systems are out of service |
| Mobile patrol | Priced per visit | Depends 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.
- LicenseDOL lookup · company licenseActive
- OfficersDOL license · armed endorsement for armedConfirmed
- InsuranceGeneral liability · Additional insuredOn file
- References4 property clients near WashingtonCalled
- SupervisionSupervisor visits every 3 hrs · overnight shiftsAgreed
- In writingProposal covers: post orders · staffing and overtimeSigned
- 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
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
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
Ask for references
Talk to clients with similar properties, and ask how long they have used the company.
- 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
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.
How much do security guard services cost?
Pricing depends on the assignment, officer qualifications, staffing level, hours, equipment, supervision, and contract length. Request a written price for your actual requirements rather than relying on a generic city-wide hourly estimate.
How should I compare two hourly quotes?
Compare the same officer count, hours, duties, qualifications, supervision, reporting, equipment, and relief arrangements. Check minimum charges and exclusions. A lower hourly figure may cover a different service or leave important responsibilities outside the price.
Is there a minimum booking period or number of hours?
Each provider sets its commercial terms, subject to applicable law. Ask for the minimum shift, minimum contract period, call-out charges, and any short-notice conditions in writing. Submitting this form does not establish a standard Guardix minimum.
Can overtime, holiday, weekend, or emergency charges apply?
They can depend on the proposal and agreement. Ask how the client is billed for those periods and for extra hours or schedule changes. An officer’s payroll overtime and the rate charged to your business are separate matters.
Are uniforms, patrol vehicles, phones, and equipment included?
Ask the provider to identify included equipment and every separate charge. Clarify fuel, vehicle use, radios, site phones, reporting access, protective equipment, and any agreed camera service before comparing the total cost.
What payment and cancellation terms should I check?
Review deposits, invoice frequency, payment deadlines, disputed-charge procedures, late charges, cancellation notice, early-termination terms, and rate adjustments. Obtain the actual written agreement; a quote request does not establish those terms.
Can I request temporary coverage or an ongoing contract?
Yes. Specify whether the need is one day, an event, a defined project, seasonal coverage, or ongoing service. Give the expected end date or renewal preference so a provider can explain availability and suitable terms.
Can I request overnight, weekend, or 24-hour coverage?
Yes. List every day and time you need covered, including overnight start and end dates. Ask how the provider plans shift handovers, relief, breaks, supervision, and absences so the proposed staffing matches the coverage requested.
Can I request officers to start as soon as possible?
Select “As soon as possible” and provide your requested start time. The provider must confirm lawful staffing and readiness. This form does not dispatch an officer, guarantee same-day service, or replace emergency services.
Can one request cover several properties or cities?
Yes. Identify every site and its duties, schedule, and start date. A provider should confirm which locations it can serve, who supervises each site, and whether pricing and authorization differ across jurisdictions.
Can a security company request subcontract coverage?
You can describe a subcontracting requirement in your request. Identify the principal company, service location, intended responsibilities, and required qualifications. Confirm the lawful company and officer arrangements, insurance, supervision, and contracting terms before any assignment.
Should I request armed or unarmed security?
Start with the property, duties, operating conditions, and risk concerns. Ask a qualified provider to explain its recommendation and the required authorizations. The choice should reflect the assignment and applicable restrictions as well as cost.
What is the difference between a dedicated guard and mobile patrol?
A dedicated post and periodic patrol visits provide different patterns of coverage. Define whether someone must remain continuously at an entrance or property, or whether agreed visits meet the requirement. Ask how visit timing and exceptions are documented.
How many officers should I request?
Describe entrances, occupied areas, patrol routes, operating hours, visitor activity, and responsibilities that must happen at the same time. A provider can propose staffing. One officer cannot continuously occupy two separate posts simultaneously.
What should the written post orders include?
Define the work area, duties, authorized actions, patrols, access procedures, reporting, escalation contacts, shift handover, and restrictions. Have the provider confirm that the instructions are lawful, practical, understood by assigned officers, and consistent with the agreement.
Should a provider visit the property before quoting?
A walkthrough can clarify access points, patrol distances, operating conditions, equipment, and simultaneous duties. Ask whether the proposal is preliminary or based on a site review and how changes discovered later would affect the scope and price.
Are school, healthcare, airport, government, and port assignments different?
They can involve additional screening, training, access credentials, facility restrictions, or legal appointments. Describe the actual site and duties. Ordinary private guard credentials do not automatically establish police, federal screening, medical, or other specialized authority.
Can guards also handle reception, parking, deliveries, or other tasks?
Describe each requested responsibility and ask the provider to confirm lawful scope, training, staffing, and insurance. Clarify priorities when tasks overlap. Additional work must not prevent an officer from maintaining an agreed security post or performing essential duties.
What should I ask about officer screening and training?
Ask how the provider confirms required qualifications, screening, current training, and site readiness. Request appropriate confirmation through a secure process. A client generally does not need an officer’s medical records or full criminal-history report to review a proposal.
What insurance evidence should I request?
Request a current certificate of insurance and discuss required coverage, limits, exclusions, and endorsements with your insurance adviser. If additional-insured status is required, confirm the appropriate endorsement; the certificate alone does not amend the policy.
How can I assess a provider’s experience and service history?
Ask for relevant experience, references it is authorized to share, supervision procedures, and examples of reporting. Check available official licensing or disciplinary information. A license is an authorization, not a guarantee of performance or a government endorsement.
Can the provider send subcontractors or change personnel?
Ask whether subcontracting or personnel changes are permitted and how you will be informed. Identify the business employing and supervising each officer. The agreement should address qualifications, required approvals, confidentiality, insurance, and accountability for the work.
Can a security company guarantee that no incident will occur?
No provider can eliminate every risk. Focus on a clear service scope, appropriate staffing, lawful procedures, supervision, reporting, and escalation. Evaluate the commitments in the written agreement rather than relying on an absolute protection promise.
What happens if an officer is absent or leaves the post?
Ask for the provider’s notification, escalation, relief, and replacement procedures. Agree who contacts your team, how a coverage gap is documented, and how billing is handled. Replacement timing must be confirmed rather than assumed.
How can I confirm that the scheduled officer attended?
Ask what attendance evidence is included, who reviews exceptions, and how you receive a missed-arrival alert. If digital records are offered, confirm their limits, access permissions, and how disputed times are investigated.
Can I request a provider with 24-hour dispatch support?
Yes. Ask who operates dispatch, when it is staffed, what it monitors, and how it escalates incidents or missed shifts. Around-the-clock dispatch support and a guard physically stationed at your property are different services.
What should officers do during an emergency?
Agree emergency contacts, notification thresholds, evacuation responsibilities, and when public emergency services must be called. Security duties must fit the officer’s authority and training. Contact emergency services directly for immediate danger; this quote form is not an emergency channel.
Can I replace my current provider without interrupting coverage?
Request a proposed transition plan and review your existing notice obligations. Coordinate the start date, lawful staffing, post orders, keys, access permissions, emergency contacts, and records. Continuity depends on confirmed arrangements between the relevant parties.
Can I request patrol logs, checkpoint scans, and photos?
Yes. Describe the checkpoints, visit frequency, evidence, and exceptions you want reported. Ask whether the provider supports those requirements and how incomplete rounds are handled. Agree appropriate photography and access rules for the site.
What should an incident report contain?
Agree the required facts, time, location, observations, actions, notifications, and supporting material. Identify urgent notification thresholds and review responsibility. Reports should distinguish direct observations from assumptions and protect personal or sensitive information.
Can I request Guardix client portal access?
Yes. Include that preference in your request. If the selected company uses Guardix and includes client access in the agreement, confirm which reports, site activity, and notifications it will share with your authorized users.
Can I request AI-assisted reporting and security workflows?
You can request a provider using relevant Guardix AI features where available in its setup. Ask which functions are included and who reviews the output. AI assistance does not replace an officer’s observations, provider supervision, or required human decisions.
Can officers use body cameras or share recorded footage?
Discuss the specific equipment, recording purpose, lawful notice or consent, permitted locations, access, retention, and disclosure process with the provider. Availability depends on its service. Do not assume a camera can record every conversation or restricted area.
What company authorization should I check for services in Washington?
Verify the Washington DOL private security guard company license. The company credential and ordinary or armed employee licenses are distinct.
How should I verify a provider’s Washington credentials?
Use the official resources from Washington State Department of Licensing and ask the issuing office to confirm the applicable current authorization. Match the legal contracting business, license category, status, and personnel requirements. A business registration or private certificate is not proof of every security authorization.
What should I check for officers assigned in Washington?
Covered guards working for a licensed company need the applicable Washington individual license and must satisfy employer-linked and training conditions.
What Washington training requirements should the provider address?
Ask the provider to document completion of the required pre-assignment instruction and the training applicable to your license. Use a qualified trainer and the current DOL requirements.
What additional checks apply to armed coverage in Washington?
Confirm the armed license and required firearms certification. An unarmed license or personal concealed-pistol license alone does not replace that process.
What should be confirmed before security work starts in Washington?
Before the agreed Washington start date, have the provider confirm the company’s applicable authority, the assigned personnel’s lawful status, and any training, armed, local, or facility conditions. Where a conditional route exists, ask the issuing authority to confirm its exact scope and conditions.
Can I assume the same authorization covers every location in Washington?
The relevant Washington framework follows the actual work and service category. Ask the provider to confirm additional local or facility conditions and any branch or employer updates. A credential from another state should not be assumed to authorize this assignment.
How should I keep Washington authorization checks current during a contract?
Record the provider’s actual credential categories, issuing authorities, expiry dates, and any required personnel or local approvals. Ask for notice of relevant changes and recheck current status through the official Washington resources. Required insurance and firearms qualifications may have separate dates.
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.
- RequestZIP, service, start date
- MatchedLicensed providers
- ProposalPrice and terms in writing
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.