You just got a call from your property manager. Someone forced a back gate at your warehouse in Commerce last night. Or maybe you are planning a fundraiser in Beverly Hills next month and the venue says you need private security. Or your tenants at a strip mall in Hawthorne are threatening to leave because nobody feels safe in the parking lot after dark. Whatever the situation, you need to hire a security guard — and you need to do it right.
This page covers everything you need to know before you hire security in Los Angeles. We will walk you through how to find a licensed, insured security guard company, what to expect on cost, when you need armed versus unarmed, and how the process actually works. We have been doing this since 1997 under PPO license 12958, so consider this advice from someone who has seen every mistake a buyer can make — and wants to help you avoid all of them.
What You'll Learn on This Page
- Why businesses and property owners in LA hire security guards
- How to hire a security guard company the right way
- Armed vs. unarmed — which one you actually need
- What to look for when you hire security for events
- Personal security guard hire for executives and VIPs
- What it costs to hire a security guard in Los Angeles
- Why clients choose Scaife Protection Services
- Frequently asked questions about hiring security
Why Businesses in Los Angeles Hire Security Guards
A property owner in Torrance calls us because someone broke into their storage units over the weekend. A medical office in Garden Grove reaches out after an aggressive patient scared the front desk staff. A new property manager in Downey inherits a shopping center with zero security plan and tenants who are fed up. The reasons people hire a security guard in Los Angeles are as different as the neighborhoods themselves — but they usually come down to the same handful of triggers.
Break-ins and theft are the most common. A single incident at a warehouse or construction site can cost tens of thousands of dollars in stolen materials, and insurance companies start asking hard questions about what security measures were in place. Speaking of insurance — many carriers now require a security guard for hire as a condition of coverage, especially for high-value commercial properties.
Events are another big driver. A corporate event, a private wedding, a concert at a venue in Hollywood — all of them need trained security on site. Then there are the situations that build over time: employee safety concerns, repeated vandalism, loitering that scares customers away, or a neighborhood that has changed. When you realize the problem is not going away on its own, that is when most people start looking for a security guard for hire.
The common thread? People wait too long. The best time to hire security is before something bad happens. The second best time is right now.
How to Hire a Security Guard Company (The Right Way)
You Google "hire a security guard company" and get a wall of ads, directories, and websites that all look the same. Everyone claims to be the best. Everyone says they are licensed and insured. So how do you actually tell the difference? Here is the process we recommend, step by step.
Step 1: Verify the PPO license. Every security guard company in California must hold a Private Patrol Operator license issued by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS). This is not optional. Go to search.dca.ca.gov and look them up yourself. Check the status, check the expiration date, check for complaints. Our license is PPO-12958 — we tell you that upfront because we want you to verify it.
Step 2: Ask for proof of insurance and workers' comp. Request a Certificate of Insurance. You want to see at least $1 million per occurrence in general liability. You also need to confirm they carry workers' compensation. If a guard gets hurt on your property and the company has no workers' comp, you could be liable for everything. This is not a maybe — it is a real risk that catches business owners off guard every year.
Step 3: Insist on a site visit. Any company that quotes you over the phone without seeing your property is guessing. A real provider will want to walk your property with you. They will look at entry points, lighting, camera placement, patrol routes, and risk areas. This is how they build a post order — a written set of instructions that tells the guard exactly what to do on every shift. No site visit means no real plan.
Step 4: Understand the post order. The post order is your guard's playbook. It covers patrol routes, check-in procedures, incident reporting, emergency contacts, and specific instructions for your property. If a company cannot explain what a post order is or does not use them, keep looking.
Step 5: Compare bids on substance, not just price. When you get three quotes, do not just look at the hourly rate. Ask what is included. Ask about supervision, guard monitoring, replacement policies, and cancellation terms. The cheapest bid almost always means the highest turnover, the least training, and the most headaches down the line.
10 Questions to Ask Before Signing a Security Contract →
Armed vs. Unarmed — Which Do You Need?
This is the first question most people ask: "Do I need an armed security guard for hire, or is unarmed enough?" The answer depends on your situation, not on what sounds more impressive.
When armed makes sense. You are protecting high-value inventory in a warehouse in City of Industry. You have a jewelry store or a cannabis dispensary where the product itself attracts serious criminals. You are on a remote construction site where police response times are long. You need executive protection for a high-profile individual. In these situations, an armed security guard for hire changes the risk calculation for anyone thinking about causing trouble. Armed guards require additional BSIS licensing, more training hours, and more oversight — and that is reflected in the cost.
When unarmed is the right call. You manage a shopping center where guards interact with families and shoppers all day. You run a medical office where presence and professionalism matter more than firepower. You need lobby security for an office building in El Segundo. For most retail, office, and medical facility work, unarmed guards are the appropriate choice. They are less expensive, they create a welcoming atmosphere, and they handle the vast majority of real-world security situations effectively.
Do not let anyone pressure you into armed security if your risk profile does not call for it. And do not cheap out on unarmed if armed is what your situation actually requires. A good security company will walk your property and tell you the truth about what you need.
Armed Security Services → | Unarmed Security Guards →
Hire a Security Guard for Events
You are hosting 300 guests at a corporate gala in Downtown LA. Or planning a wedding at an estate in Pasadena. Maybe it is a concert at a private venue in Hollywood or a holiday party at your company headquarters in Torrance. Every one of these situations calls for trained event security — and the stakes are higher than most people realize.
When you hire a security guard for an event, you need people who know how to manage crowds, handle access control, de-escalate situations without making a scene, and coordinate with venue staff. Event security is not the same as standing post at a warehouse. It requires a different skill set and a different temperament. Your guards are the first and last impression your guests have.
How far in advance should you book? For large events (200+ guests), give yourself at least two to three weeks. For smaller gatherings, a week is usually enough. For same-day or next-day needs, call us directly at (323) 786-8140 — we handle emergency deployment regularly and can often get guards on site within hours.
What to provide your security company. Share the venue layout, guest count, event schedule, parking situation, VIP areas, and any known concerns. The more information you give us, the better the post order we can build. A good event security plan covers entry and exit management, guest screening, roving patrols, and emergency response — all tailored to your specific event.
Event Security Services →
Personal Security Guard Hire
Not every security need involves a business or a building. Sometimes it is personal. A CEO who has received threats needs executive protection during their commute through Los Angeles. A celebrity needs a personal security guard for a public appearance in West Hollywood. A family going through a high-profile divorce needs someone at the estate in Bel Air while things settle down. These situations require a different kind of guard — someone with discretion, training in close protection, and the ability to blend into personal and professional settings.
Personal security guard hire is about more than physical presence. It is about risk assessment, route planning, advance work, and knowing how to handle a situation before it becomes one. Our guards who handle executive and VIP protection have additional training in threat recognition, defensive tactics, and emergency response. They understand that the goal is to keep you safe without turning your life into a production.
Whether you need a personal detail for a single day or ongoing protection for weeks or months, we build a plan around your schedule, your risk level, and your comfort. This is not one-size-fits-all. We sit down with you, understand the specific concern, and put the right person in place — someone you can trust.
Private Armed Security →
What Does It Cost to Hire a Security Guard in Los Angeles?
Let's talk numbers, because you are going to get wildly different quotes and you need to understand why. In the Los Angeles market, here is what you should expect to pay for legitimate, licensed, insured security:
Unarmed security guards: $22 to $35 per hour. This covers standard guard posts at commercial properties, shopping centers, medical offices, and construction sites. The range depends on the shift (overnight and weekends cost more), the number of hours per week, and the complexity of the post.
Armed security guards: $28 to $45 per hour. Armed guards carry additional licensing, insurance, training, and liability costs. This is appropriate for high-risk environments, executive protection, and properties with high-value assets.
What affects cost? Shift length and timing, armed versus unarmed, number of guards needed, contract length, site complexity, and whether you need a vehicle patrol. Longer contracts with consistent hours generally get better rates because the company can plan staffing efficiently.
Why cheapest is not best. If someone quotes you $15 or $18 an hour, ask yourself how that math works. After paying minimum wage, payroll taxes, workers' comp, insurance, uniforms, and any overhead, there is nothing left at that rate for training, supervision, or retention. What you get is a revolving door of undertrained guards who do not know your property. You end up paying more in the long run through theft, liability, and the time you waste managing bad security. A few extra dollars per hour buys you guards who stay, who know your building, and who actually keep your property safe.
Security Guard Costs FAQ →
Why Hire Scaife Protection Services?
We have been in business since 1997. That is 27 years of placing guards at warehouses, shopping centers, medical offices, construction sites, and private events across Los Angeles County, Orange County, and throughout California. Our PPO license is 12958 — look it up. We carry over $1 million in general liability coverage and full workers' compensation. These are not marketing claims. They are verifiable facts.
Here is what actually sets us apart: We are owner-operated. When you call Scaife Protection, you are not talking to a national call center dispatching strangers from a database. You are talking to people who know Los Angeles — the neighborhoods, the property types, the specific security challenges that come with operating in this market. We will walk your property before we quote you. We will build a custom post order. And we will put a guard on your site who knows your block, your building, and your name.
Same-day deployment when you need it. Long-term consistency when that is what matters. We do both, and we do not disappear after the contract is signed. Our supervisors check in regularly. We monitor guard activity. And if something is not working, we fix it — because our reputation in this community is worth more than any single contract.
Learn More About Scaife Protection →
Frequently Asked Questions About Hiring a Security Guard
How quickly can I get a security guard on my property?
We offer same-day deployment for emergency situations throughout Los Angeles County and Orange County. Call us at (323) 786-8140 and we can often have a licensed guard on your site within a few hours. For non-emergency placements, we typically schedule a site visit first and have guards deployed within 24 to 48 hours.
Do I need armed or unarmed security?
It depends on your risk profile. Most commercial properties, shopping centers, and medical offices do well with unarmed guards. Armed security makes sense for high-value assets, remote sites with long police response times, or executive protection. We will visit your property and give you an honest recommendation based on what we see — not based on what costs more.
What is a post order?
A post order is a written set of instructions specific to your property that tells your guard exactly what to do on each shift. It covers patrol routes, check-in times, areas to monitor, incident reporting procedures, emergency contacts, and any special instructions for your site. Think of it as the guard's playbook. Every property we protect has a custom post order built after a site visit.
How do I verify a security company's license in California?
Go to search.dca.ca.gov and search for the company's PPO license number. You can confirm the license is active, check the expiration date, and see if there are any complaints or disciplinary actions. Our PPO number is 12958. Any legitimate security company will give you their license number without hesitation.
What areas do you serve?
We are based in Lawndale and provide security throughout Los Angeles County, Orange County, the San Gabriel Valley, the Central Valley, and across California. That includes areas like Torrance, Long Beach, Gardena, Hawthorne, Fullerton, Garden Grove, City of Industry, Bakersfield, Palmdale, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, and everywhere in between.
Is there a minimum contract length?
We are flexible. We handle everything from single-day event security to multi-year ongoing contracts. There is no long-term commitment required to get started. We believe that if we do good work, you will stay because you want to — not because a contract locks you in. We are happy to discuss terms that make sense for your specific situation.
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