Hiring a private investigator in Boise may be somewhat different than hiring one in say, New York City. The reasons are as varied as the landscapes surrounding both of those cities. Essentially, the cost is determined by a number of different factors and they generally fall under seven categories.
1 – Types of Investigative Services Required
For example, a background check in Boise will be a different kind of investigation than a criminal defense investigation. The general rule of thumb is the more complicated the service, the more it is going to cost to have a private investigator on the case.
2 – Workload and Extra Help
The volume of work involved in a case will have a bearing on cost. A job that may only require one investigator will be less costly than one that requires a number of them working on it.
3 – Where You Live
As stated above, an investigator in Boise is going to be more affordable than one in a much bigger city. Licensing, permits and even rental rates for an office will all be higher in a large community so the investigator will charge more to assist with covering costs of doing business.
4 – Risk Factors
An investigator will charge accordingly in relation to risk. The easier the task, the lower the fee. Anything that involves a degree of risk will have an effect on what it will cost you for the service to be done.
5 – Time Frame
The more hours expected to complete a case the more it is going to cost to have a private investigator do the work. Simple jobs that can be completed in a couple of hours or an afternoon will be cheaper. Those requiring a lot of running around in Boise will cost more.
6 – Equipment Involved
As soon as the job you need the private investigator for requires any kind of specialized equipment in order to complete the task, the cost will increase. Using a phone or computer is one thing but once the GPS tracking devices come into play, expect to pay a bit more.
7 – Extra Costs
These items are usually identified as ‘miscellaneous’ but can include travel, phone calls, supplies and any other additional item not already categorized. They do happen and they have a cost attached to them in Boise as well as anywhere else.
The Actual Costs of Hiring A Private Investigator
You will likely have the choice between an hourly rate and a flat fee for service. The guidelines will vary from investigator to investigator and from one community to another. Generally an hourly rate is common for services involving any kind of surveillance. Flat fees tend to be on services such as process serving, background checks and retrieval of documents.
The amount of experience the private investigator has in Boise will also impact fee structure. This is not always a bad thing, either. Depending on the type of service you require, an investigator with extensive experience in law enforcement or government postings may be a better choice than a brand new one just starting out in his PI career.
An average hourly rate can be between $50 and $100 per hour with set-up fees in the $50 – $150 per case range. Photographs and video charges can be per photo or a flat rate and a retainer can run between $500 to $2,000 for basic services and $3,000 to $10,000 for complicated cases that may involve a longer period of time to complete.
For more information on how to hire one of our private investigators, contact us today at Custer Agency.
