Number of guards
This is the first factor, by far. A quote that's cheaper because it allows for three guards where five are needed isn't actually cheaper: it's under-resourced, and on the day, you're the one who deals with the consequences.
Pricing & costing
Security guard rates in 2026: prices, premiums, and how we cost a quote.
We don't publish a fixed price list, because an hourly rate with no context doesn't let you compare anything at all. But we do give you the market benchmarks, the premiums that apply, and everything that goes into an honest quote — ours as much as anyone else's.
01 · The variables
Five factors determine the total, and only one of them is the hourly rate.
When you compare two quotes, compare these five lines — not the total in the bottom corner. That's where the real differences hide.
The real hours on site
An assignment "from 8 pm to 2 am" doesn't last six hours: the guard takes up position before the doors open and stays after the last guest leaves. We price the real hours on site, not the times printed on the invitation.
Statutory premiums
Night work, Sunday work and bank-holiday work all carry premiums set by the collective agreement for the prevention and security industry. They aren't optional. We show them separately rather than burying them in an average rate.
Qualifications involved
A security guard, an SSIAP fire safety officer, a K9 handler or a team leader don't cost the same. The quote sets out which qualification is assigned to which post, so you know exactly what you're paying for.
Distance and logistics
Guards' travel, any accommodation needed for a multi-day assignment, specific equipment. These items are built in and clearly identified: they don't reappear at the bottom of the invoice.
What's never billed as an extra
The preliminary site visit, drafting the post orders, briefing the guards, the incident log and the end-of-assignment report are all part of the service. It's not an optional extra.
02 · 2026 price benchmarks
How much does a security guard cost in 2026? Market rate ranges.
These are the benchmarks seen in France in 2026 among compliant providers, excl. VAT and before premiums. This isn't our price list: it's what lets you know whether a quote — including ours — adds up.
| Profile | Hourly rate excl. VAT | When it's used |
|---|---|---|
| Security guard, daytime | €24 to €32 | Manned guarding, access control, front-desk security, retail |
| Event security guard | €28 to €40 | Festivals, concerts, trade shows, receptions |
| SSIAP 1 fire safety officer | €24 to €30 | Fire safety in public-access buildings (ERP) |
| SSIAP 2 or team leader | €30 to €45 | Team supervision, security control room |
| K9 handler | €30 to €42 | Large sites, construction sites, warehouses, night shifts |
| Security patrol | Billed per visit | The price depends on distance and frequency, not duration |
Premiums: nights, Sundays, bank holidays
The industry's collective agreement adds a 10% premium to pay for night hours (9 pm to 6 am) and Sundays, and doubles it for bank holidays. On the invoice, this generally works out at +10% to +25% for nights and Sundays, and up to double on a bank holiday. Premiums are cumulative.
Minimum 6-hour shift
Since 1 July 2026, the amendment extended across the industry has set the minimum shift at 6 continuous hours for full-time guards. A three-hour job is therefore billed for six, or covered by a flat fee: ask which applies.
What's included in a billed hour
The collectively agreed gross salary, social security contributions, training and renewal of professional licences, insurance, supervision, travel, and a net margin that rarely exceeds a few per cent. That's why a rate below around twenty euros an hour doesn't even cover the salary cost of a declared, legal guard.
How to read this: two guards for a wedding from 6 pm to 4 am add up to 20 guard-hours, which on this basis works out at roughly €600 to €900 excl. VAT including premiums; a fixed night post at a warehouse, five nights a week, comes to around €6,000 to €8,000 excl. VAT a month. See also our guide wedding security: how many guards, what price.
03 · Ballpark figures
What sizing looks like, in practice.
These examples don't give you a price — they give you the volume of guard-hours, which is the real unit for comparing two proposals.
2 guards × 10 hours
150 guests, from 6 pm to 4 am. One guard on the door during arrivals, then both rotating between the reception room, the gift table and the car park. That's 20 guard-hours, part of it at the night-premium rate.
2 visits × 7 nights
A construction site standing idle: two time-stamped visits a night, at deliberately varied times, seven nights a week. Billing is per patrol, not for continuous presence on site — which is considerably more cost-effective.
8 to 14 guards × 3 days
Open site, 3,000 people a day, campsites included. Headcount varies significantly by time slot: reinforced at gate opening and late in the evening, reduced during the day. A team leader is included from this level of deployment upward.
04 · Vigilance
An abnormally low quote puts the risk on you.
In private security, the cost of a guard is almost entirely loaded salary. An honest provider's room for manoeuvre is therefore narrow, and a large price gap is rarely explained by better organisation.
What the law says. For any contract worth at least
€5,000 excl. VAT, the client must check that its provider is up to date
with its social security obligations, and repeat that check every six
months. If it hasn't done so and the provider is found to be using
undeclared work, it can be held jointly and severally
liable for the contributions, premiums, taxes and pay due.
Demand three documents. From everyone.
The company's CNAPS operating authorisation (CNAPS is France's private-security regulator), the URSSAF compliance certificate less than six months old, and a current professional liability insurance certificate. A provider that meets its obligations will send them without any trouble.
Ask for the guards' professional licences
Every guard must hold a valid CNAPS professional licence. You can ask for a copy before the assignment — that's entirely reasonable, and it immediately discourages sloppy practice.
Be wary of a quote with no breakdown
A serious quote states the number of guards, their qualifications, the hours for each post and the premiums applied. A single "all-inclusive" total with no breakdown lets you neither compare it nor challenge it.
Check what's actually counted
Some providers bill for the event's advertised times, others for the guard's actual time on site. At the same headline price, the final gap can reach two hours per guard, per shift.
Guides & advice
Read this before you price the job.
The number of guards needed, the cost of securing a wedding, and how to vet a provider: three guides that head off nasty surprises at the quote stage.
Private receptions
Security guard for a wedding: do you need one, how many, and at what price?
Nothing requires a security guard for a wedding, unless the venue or your insurer demands one. In practice, for 80 to 250 guests at a country venue, t…
Events
How many security guards for an event? The method for working it out
No regulation imposes a ratio along the lines of “one guard per 100 people”. The right headcount is calculated from peak attendance (not total capacit…
Regulations
How to check that a private security company is properly licensed: CNAPS, URSSAF, insurance
Five checks are enough: (1) the company holds an operating authorisation issued by CNAPS, whose number appears on its quotes and invoices; (2) each gu…
05 · Frequently asked questions
What people ask us about pricing.
Hourly rates, premiums, minimum duration, travel: what comes up in almost every quote request.
What is the hourly rate for a security guard in 2026?
For a compliant provider, the rates seen in France in 2026 are most often €24 to €32 per hour excl. VAT for a daytime security guard, €28 to €40 per hour excl. VAT for event security, €30 to €45 per hour excl. VAT for a team leader or SSIAP 2 officer, and €30 to €42 per hour excl. VAT for a K9 handler, before night, Sunday and bank-holiday premiums.
These benchmarks help you judge whether a quote is realistic. The actual price depends on the number of guards, the hours covered, the qualifications involved and the location — hence a detailed quote rather than a headline rate.
Is there a minimum billable duration?
Yes. Since 1 July 2026, the amendment extended across the whole private security industry has set the minimum shift at 6 continuous hours for full-time guards. A three-hour assignment is therefore billed for six, or covered by a call-out fee. We tell you this at the quote stage, not on the invoice.
Why don't you display an hourly rate?
Because a standalone hourly rate doesn't tell you anything. Two quotes at the same hourly rate can be completely different depending on the number of guards used, the real hours worked, the premiums applied and the qualifications involved.
Displaying a headline rate would get clicks, not inform you. We'd rather explain how the figure is built, then give you a firm quote within 24 hours.
Can a quote be significantly cheaper than the others?
Rarely, for an equivalent service. The cost of a guard is overwhelmingly loaded salary costs, so a provider's room for manoeuvre is structurally narrow. A large gap is most often explained by undeclared hours, unpaid premiums or guards without a professional licence.
The trouble is that this doesn't stay the provider's problem: the client can be held jointly and severally liable in the event of undeclared work. Always ask for the URSSAF compliance certificate.
Do you bill a minimum number of hours?
In practice, every shift has a minimum length: sending a guard out for a single hour makes no economic sense, for you or for us. We tell you this at the quote stage, rather than you finding out on the invoice.
Is travel billed separately?
It's included in the quote and clearly identified. On a job involving several guards or several days, it becomes marginal; on a very short assignment a long way away, it weighs more heavily — and we'll tell you plainly if the numbers don't work in your favour.
Can the quote change after signature?
Only if the requirement changes: a higher capacity, extended hours, an extra guard requested on site. In that case, an amendment is put in writing and agreed before it's carried out.
No charge appears on the invoice unless it was already in the quote or in an amendment you've accepted.
The only real price is the one for your situation.
Tell us what you need: number of people, location, hours, constraints. You'll receive a detailed quote within 24 working hours, free and with no obligation.