You've decided your property needs ongoing security. You've gotten proposals from a few companies. Now you're sitting across from a salesperson — or on the phone — and you need to figure out whether this company is actually going to protect your warehouse, medical center, shopping center, or construction site. Or whether they're just good at selling.
These 10 questions are the ones we'd want every property manager and business owner to ask. They're designed to reveal the real quality of a security provider — not just the pitch. Print them out. Bring them to your next vendor meeting. Ask every company the same questions and compare the answers side by side. The differences will be obvious.
From 28 years of doing this, here's what actually matters.
The 10 Questions
- "What is your PPO license number, and can I verify it right now?"
- "What does your General Liability and Workers' Comp coverage look like?"
- "How do you select and train the guard who will be assigned to my site?"
- "What happens if my assigned guard doesn't show up for a shift?"
- "Can I see a sample post order or security plan for a property like mine?"
- "How do you verify that guards are actually patrolling and not sleeping?"
- "What's your response time if I call with an emergency at 2 AM?"
- "What does the cancellation clause look like?"
- "Can you provide references from businesses similar to mine?"
- "What's included in the hourly rate, and what costs extra?"
"What is your PPO license number, and can I verify it right now?"
This is the first question, and it sets the tone. You're serious. You're doing diligence. If they're legit, they'll appreciate it. If not, you'll know immediately because they'll get nervous or give you a runaround.
California law is clear: any company providing security has to be licensed as a Private Patrol Operator (PPO). That's not optional. The Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) issues these licenses and maintains a public registry. Ask for the number right there in the conversation. Then go to search.dca.ca.gov and verify it yourself while you're talking to them if possible. Our license is PPO-12958. That's what you're checking for — active status, no unresolved complaints, expiration date still valid.
Why this matters: An unlicensed operator might seem cheaper in the short term, but if something happens on your property — a crime, an injury, a lawsuit — you could be liable. The company might disappear. You won't. This is the first line of vetting. If they hesitate to provide it or the number doesn't check out, walk away.
Learn more about California security licensing requirements →
"What does your General Liability and Workers' Comp coverage look like?"
Ask for a Certificate of Insurance before you sign anything. You need to know the actual amounts and that it's current. Standard minimums are $1 million General Liability per incident and $2 million aggregate. Some property management companies require even more — $2M/$3M or higher depending on property type and occupancy.
Workers' compensation is separate and critical. If your guard is on-site 40+ hours per week, they're a regular employee relationship. If they get hurt — slip on your warehouse floor, have a back injury while standing post, get assaulted during an incident — workers' comp covers their medical treatment and lost wages. If the company doesn't carry it, that bill could come to you.
Don't just take their word for it. Ask to see the actual Certificate of Insurance. Reputable companies will have this ready. It should list your property as an additional insured if applicable. If they get evasive or say "we don't do that," that's a massive red flag. They're either cutting corners or they're not operating legitimately.
This protects both sides. It shows they're professional enough to carry proper coverage, and it protects your business from inheriting their liability.
"How do you select and train the guard who will be assigned to my site?"
This separates companies that actually think about fit from ones that just send whoever's available. The best providers match guards to facility types. A warehouse needs different skills than a medical center lobby. A shopping center patrol needs different training than construction site security.
Ask them: Do you have guards who specialize in my type of property? Do they get site-specific training before they start? Do they understand the building layout, the emergency procedures, the tenant relationships, the shift patterns? If the answer is "we'll send someone good," that's too vague. If they say "our guards get general training and we assign them as available," that's a problem.
For medical centers specifically, does the guard understand HIPAA sensitivities or patient interaction? For warehouses, do they know what to look for — broken locks, signs of entry, unusual activity? For shopping centers, do they understand tenant relations and loss prevention? A guard who knows their industry is worth more than someone just wearing a uniform.
Also ask about retention. If they typically keep guards on one account for 6-12 months or longer, that's good. If guards rotate every few months, you're constantly training new people to your property, and that's not security — that's instability.
Learn more about hiring security guards in Los Angeles →
"What happens if my assigned guard doesn't show up for a shift?"
This is where you separate real companies from fly-by-night operators. For an ongoing contract, missing shifts is unacceptable. Your warehouse, medical center, or shopping center can't just be uncovered because someone called in sick or didn't feel like working.
Ask them directly: Do you have backup guards ready to fill in immediately? If the primary guard can't make the shift, who's coming? When? Do you have a bench of trained people already familiar with facilities like mine, or am I getting a random fill-in? What's your response time if someone calls out an hour before shift? These are the questions that reveal whether they're prepared or just hoping they won't get caught short.
Some companies keep backup guards on call for exactly this reason. Others have guard pools in nearby areas so they can cover same-day gaps. The cheap companies? They just don't have the infrastructure. If a guard calls out at 5 PM, they might not find coverage until 8 PM if at all, and your medical center is exposed. We maintain backup capacity specifically because continuity matters.
Also ask what happens if they can't fill the shift. Do they compensate you? Do they have a contractual penalty? If they don't, how do they justify leaving you uncovered?
Learn about same-day security deployment →
"Can I see a sample post order or security plan for a property like mine?"
A post order is the difference between a guard with a plan and a guard with a chair. It's a written set of instructions: Here's where you patrol. Here's the frequency. Here's what you look for. Here's who you report to. Here's the emergency procedures. It's specific to the property. It shows that the company actually thinks about security instead of just deploying bodies.
For a warehouse, a good post order covers patrol routes, frequency of perimeter checks, what to look for (broken seals, forced locks, signs of tampering), vehicle access control, and incident escalation. For a medical center, it includes lobby greeting procedures, suspicious person protocols, staff identification verification, parking lot awareness, and emergency response. For a shopping center, it specifies parking lot patrol timing, tenant communication procedures, incident documentation, and emergency contact chains.
When you're evaluating companies, ask to see a sample. If they can't produce one or they seem uncomfortable showing you, that's a problem. It means they don't have a standardized process. They're just assigning guards without thought. That's not professional. A real provider will walk you through what the post order will look like for your property before you ever sign.
The existence of a post order also matters for enforcement. If something goes wrong, it's clear what the guard was supposed to be doing and where they failed or succeeded. Without it, there's no accountability — you're just saying "we had a security guard" with no specifics.
Warehouse Security → | Medical Center Security →
"How do you verify that guards are actually patrolling and not sleeping?"
Technology has changed this part of security management. Ten years ago, verification meant supervisor spot-checks during random times. Now there's GPS, digital checkpoint scanning, real-time monitoring, and patrol verification systems. For a property manager who can't be on-site at 3 AM, this is how you actually know your investment is working.
Ask them: Do you use GPS tracking? Can I see patrol reports showing time-stamped checkpoint scans? Do you have real-time monitoring where I can log in and see where my guard is? How do you document that they actually showed up and did the work? Can you show me a sample patrol report? What happens if the guard misses a checkpoint or deviates from the post order?
The best providers have dashboards where you can see guard location, patrol progress, and incident logs updated in real-time. That's not spying on employees — it's professional accountability. It protects the guard too. If something happens and it goes to litigation, there's an objective record of what they were doing, where they were, and when.
If a provider can't answer this with specifics, or if they seem resistant to accountability mechanisms, that tells you they might not have high standards for performance. You want a company confident enough in their guards that they welcome oversight.
Learn about security guard monitoring technology →
"What's your response time if I call with an emergency at 2 AM?"
For an ongoing contract, 24/7 availability isn't optional — it's table stakes. If something happens on your property in the middle of the night, you need to reach someone immediately. What does that actually look like? Does a real person answer the phone or does it go to voicemail? Is there a dispatch center monitoring the account? What's the escalation chain?
Ask specifically: If there's an emergency at 2 AM — an alarm, a break-in, a disturbance — and I call your number, who picks up and what happens? Do they have direct authority to respond, or do they have to call a supervisor first? How fast can you get additional guards on-site? Do you have a relationship with local police for coordination? Is there after-hours management available, or am I just leaving messages?
A professional company has a dispatch center operating 24/7. Someone trained answers the phone. They know your account. They know your property. They can authorize immediate response. Smaller operators might be relying on guards to handle things — which is fine for some scenarios but not ideal for emergencies requiring management decisions.
The goal isn't a response time in milliseconds — it's knowing that someone competent is handling your emergency when it matters most. Ask them to walk you through a scenario. That response will tell you everything.
24 Hour Security →
"What does the cancellation clause look like?"
Security contracts have ended more business relationships than you'd think. You sign a deal. Six months later, something changes. The relationship doesn't work. The company isn't performing. Or your needs shift and you want out. But the contract says 90-day notice with auto-renewal and a rate escalation clause that locks in a 10% increase annually. You're stuck paying for something you don't want.
Read the cancellation clause before you sign. Look for these specifics: What's the cancellation notice period? 30 days is standard and fair. 60 days is reasonable. 90 days is getting long. 120+ days is a trap, especially if you're unsure about the relationship. What are the termination penalties? Is there a fee for early cancellation, or is notice sufficient? Does the contract auto-renew annually, or does it require affirmative renewal by both sides?
Check for rate escalation clauses. Some contracts specify modest increases (3-5% annually). Others allow unlimited increases at renewal. Some include holiday surcharges, overtime multipliers, or "equipment fees" that appear over time. If the contract is dense legal language and you don't fully understand it, have someone who handles commercial agreements review it. It's a small investment that can save you thousands.
A fair contract is clear about everything — scope of service, rate structure, what's included vs. extra, how disputes are handled, and how either party can exit. If a company won't negotiate reasonable terms or seems offended by your questions, that's a sign they're used to locking people in rather than building trust-based relationships.
"Can you provide references from businesses similar to mine?"
Generic testimonials on a website aren't worth much. "Great service!" from someone you don't know means nothing. But a reference from another warehouse owner, another medical center administrator, or another shopping center management company? That's real. You can call them, ask specific questions, and understand what working with this company actually looks like in your industry.
Ask for at least three references from properties similar to yours. If you're securing a warehouse in City of Industry, you want to talk to someone with a warehouse in Commerce or Vernon. If you're managing a medical center, get references from other medical facilities. If you're a shopping center manager, talk to other shopping center operators. Industry-specific context matters. What works for retail might not work for medical or warehouse security.
When you call references, ask specifics: How long have they used this company? What was their main concern going in? Has the company delivered? How responsive are they if there's a problem? Would they hire them again? Have there been any issues with guard consistency, response time, or professionalism? If the reference hesitates or seems guarded, that tells you something. A company proud of their work will have references eager to praise them.
Companies that won't provide references, or that offer vague generics instead of real business owners you can call, should raise a flag. We've been serving the LA area and Central Valley since 1997. We have dozens of current clients in every property type who can speak to our work. If we couldn't point you to real reference accounts, that would be a problem.
Learn about Scaife Protection Services →
"What's included in the hourly rate, and what costs extra?"
You get three quotes. Guard A: $22/hour. Guard B: $25/hour, uniforms and reports included. Guard C: $28/hour, all-inclusive with supervisor visits quarterly. The cheapest looks best until you realize there are hidden costs everywhere. Your instinct is to go with the lowest number. Don't.
Ask specifically: Does the hourly rate include uniform and equipment? Are incident reports included in the cost or billed separately? What about holiday or overtime premiums? Do supervisor visits cost extra? What if I need a same-day coverage change? Are there travel costs? Parking fees? Background check fees? If the contract is silent on these things, they're potential surprises later.
The "cheap" rate at $18-20/hour often comes with surprises: guards in personal clothing (not official uniform), no reports (you have no documentation), no supervisor oversight, and often high turnover because the pay is terrible. By month three, you've gone through three different guards and spent time training each one. By month six, you're in the same financial place as the $26/hour provider who delivered the same person consistently with full documentation and professional appearance.
The best providers quote you all-inclusive rates. It's clear what you're paying for and why. No surprises. No nickel-and-diming later. The difference between $22 and $28 per hour might be $120-180 per month on a full-time guard. That's not much when you're protecting assets worth thousands. But it buys you consistency, professionalism, and documentation — the things that actually matter in security.
Understanding Security Guard Costs →
How to Use This List
Print this out. Bring it to your next vendor meeting. Ask every company on your shortlist the same 10 questions and compare the answers side by side. Write their responses down. The differences will be obvious — and they'll tell you everything you need to know about which company is actually serious about your property versus which one is just trying to win the bid.
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