There is no single price for a bodyguard. The cost depends on the threat level, whether the agent is armed, how many agents and hours the detail needs, where it takes place, any travel, and the experience of the agents. A licensed company prices each detail after a short threat assessment and sends a written, confidential quote.
That is the short version. The long version matters, because the first three quotes you collect will not agree with each other. The cheapest one is usually answering a different question than the one you asked.
What you are actually paying for
Before the factors, it helps to know what sits behind any bodyguard quote. Four things, in order of how often people forget them:
| What you are buying | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| The agent’s time | The agreed shift with a trained, licensed close protection agent at your side. |
| The planning | The threat assessment, route planning and, for anything public, an advance of the venues before you arrive. |
| The backup | A second agent on call, communications during the detail and someone at the company who answers at 2 am. |
| The company behind the agent | The state license, insurance, vetting and training that make the agent legal and accountable. |
A quote that only covers the first line is a quote for a body, not a detail.
Why three Dallas quotes for the same night will never match
Picture the call. You need someone with you from 7 pm to 1 am on a Saturday in Uptown. You phone three companies.
The first gives you a low number in under a minute. The second gives you a higher number. The third asks you eleven questions before it gives you anything.
None of them is lying. They are selling different things.
The quick, low number is almost always a security guard company sending one of its officers. He is registered to guard a post. Nothing in that registration has trained him to move with you through a restaurant, a parking garage and a hotel lobby, and he has never done it.
The middle number is one close protection agent: someone trained and experienced in moving with a principal. He has done this before. He will not have done any planning before he meets you at the door.
The third company is quoting something you did not ask for and probably need: an advance. Someone will look at the venues, the entrances, the parking and the route before you arrive. The eleven questions were the threat assessment. That quote is for a detail, not a body.
Which one you need depends entirely on why you are hiring. A difficult ex-partner who knows your routine is a different problem from a public appearance where strangers want selfies. The price follows the problem.
Security guard vs bodyguard: why the licensing matters to the price
In Texas, private security is regulated by the Department of Public Safety. A company that provides guards or bodyguards for hire holds a security services contractor license. The people it sends are registered at one of three levels. A non-commissioned security officer (Level II) works unarmed. A commissioned security officer (Level III) has passed the firearms course and may work armed. A personal protection officer (Level IV) holds the Level III commission plus a separate license that requires being at least 21, a 15-hour course in non-lethal defense of a third person and the MMPI psychological test.
Under Texas law, anyone who protects a person while carrying a firearm must hold Level IV. For unarmed close protection the legal minimum is security officer registration under a licensed company, which is why the training and experience behind the registration, not the registration alone, are what you are paying for.
A guard watches a place. A bodyguard moves with a person. The second skill costs more because fewer people have it and the company carries more liability when they use it.
The seven things that set the price
- Threat level. A credible, specific threat changes everything: the number of agents, the planning hours and the posture. A quiet, low-profile detail for a private family is the simplest version of this service, and the least expensive.
- Armed or unarmed. Armed agents carry a firearms commission, the Level IV license in Texas, extra insurance and more training, so armed coverage costs more. Most clients do not need it. Some absolutely do, and a threat assessment tells you which group you are in.
- Number of agents. One agent cannot cover two exits. Two principals moving separately need two details. Every agent added is a full line on the quote.
- Hours and shift structure. A “day” is usually one shift of 8 to 12 hours. A 24-hour day is not one agent working 24 hours; it is three agents on rotation, which is why round-the-clock coverage is priced as a team.
- Location. Major metro areas cost more than rural areas, and the venue matters too. A private dinner and a crowded public event in the same city are priced differently.
- Travel. You cover the agent’s flights, hotel and daily expenses, and travel days are billed as working days. International work adds country risk, local partners and longer planning.
- Who the agent is. An agent with a federal law enforcement or special-operations background costs more than a newly licensed one. For most details, what you are paying for is judgment under pressure. That is expensive for a reason.
How much is a bodyguard per day?
It depends on the length of the shift, the number of agents and whether the detail is armed. A single unarmed agent for one shift is the starting point. Armed agents, a second agent, a long day that runs into overtime or an advance of the venue all add to it.
What is usually inside a day rate, in our experience: the agent’s time for the agreed shift, the planning conversation beforehand, communications during the detail, and a short report afterwards. What is not inside it: vehicles, travel expenses, overtime past the agreed shift, and any second agent.
One point of confusion we clear up weekly. A “day” means a shift. If the day runs longer than agreed, expect overtime from most companies, so agree the hours in writing.
How much does a bodyguard cost per month and per year?
Longer coverage is priced as a program, not as a string of days. A monthly retainer covers an agreed number of days, the same agents and priority response. A full-time agent means one shift a day plus backup, insurance and leave cover. Round-the-clock protection of one person means a rotating team, usually three agents or more.
The yearly cost of a standing, full-time detail is why most people do not buy one. A scoped program that covers the days of real exposure, such as travel days, public events and the weeks around an announcement, costs a fraction of a standing detail and is usually the better answer. Our guide to executive protection costs covers how to structure that.
Can you hire a bodyguard for just a few hours, or for one day?
Yes. Most firms, including ours, set a short minimum booking. Short engagements are common: a court date, a difficult meeting, a dinner after a public event, a walk from a venue to a car when someone unwelcome is expected.
For a short engagement, the quote depends on the agent’s level and on whether the location needs any advance work. If the location is a venue the agent has never seen, the honest answer is that an hour of advance work will save you more than it costs.
Can a normal person hire a bodyguard?
Yes, and most of our shorter engagements are for people you would not recognize. The common reasons: a harassment or stalking situation, a divorce that has turned hostile, a court case, a large cash or jewelry transaction, a family event with a known problem guest, or a trip to a city where the person feels exposed. You do not need to be famous. You need a reason and a licensed company that will scope the work properly.
What a private bodyguard does, in plain terms: plans the movement, stays with you, watches the people around you rather than the scenery, manages anyone who approaches, and gets you out before a situation becomes an incident. What a bodyguard does not do: drive you (we plan routes and work with your driver), run errands, or stand at a door while you move around inside.
What changes the quote in four common Dallas scenarios
These are hypothetical scenarios, not quotes. They show which factors drive the number in each case.
| Scenario | What it involves | What drives the quote |
|---|---|---|
| Executive, one unarmed agent, 10-hour day of meetings and a dinner | One licensed agent, light advance, route planning with the client’s own driver | Length of the day and any overtime |
| Public figure, two-hour appearance plus arrivals and departures | Advance of the venue the day before, two agents, press and crowd handling | Number of agents and the advance |
| Family residence, one overnight agent | One agent on site, coordination with the household and the alarm vendor | Overnight hours and how many nights |
| Private individual, short court appearance | One licensed agent, arrival and departure plan | The minimum booking and the threat picture |
Notice that the advance appears in two of the four rows. It is the single line item people try to cut and the single line item that prevents most incidents.
What you pay versus what the agent earns
A fair question, and one people ask when they see an hourly figure on a quote. The agent does not receive the whole rate. The gap between the agent’s wage and your invoice covers the company’s license and insurance, the backup agent who is on call, the planning hours you never see, training, equipment and the cost of saying no to work that does not fit.
So, do bodyguards get paid well? Experienced ones do. The ones who are paid badly are usually the ones you should not hire, because a company that underpays its agents is cutting the same corners everywhere else.
Hidden costs to ask about before you sign
Extras can add a lot to a first estimate. Ask every company about these before the engagement, not after:
- Overtime beyond the agreed shift.
- Travel days, flights, hotels and daily expenses.
- A second agent added mid-engagement.
- Advance work, if it is not already in the quote.
- Equipment, such as communications or specialist gear, on larger details.
- Vehicles. Elite Security Pro does not operate a vehicle fleet; if you need secure ground transport, that is arranged through your own driver or a transportation provider and billed separately.
- Cancellation terms and minimum hours.
A real quote lists these. A number in a text message does not.
When the cheap quote costs more
Two things to check before you accept the lowest number.
First, licensing. In Texas, a company that sells bodyguard services needs a Department of Public Safety security services contractor license, and the person next to you must be registered with DPS under it: as a security officer if unarmed, and as a Level IV personal protection officer if armed. You can check a company for free on the Texas DPS private security license search. A company that cannot show you it is licensed should not be in the running. Elite Security Pro is a licensed Texas security company.
Second, insurance and the written scope. If the quote is a number in a text message, you have no idea what happens when the night runs long, when a second person needs covering, or when something goes wrong. A real quote is a one-page scope: hours, agents, posture (armed or not, visible or not), what is excluded, and who you call at 2 am.
The difference between a guard and an agent only shows up when something happens. By then the price difference is irrelevant.
How Elite Security Pro quotes a detail
We do not publish a rate card, because the number depends on the answers to a short consultation. Here is how it works.
You call or send the consultation form. We ask about the person being protected, the dates, the locations, what is worrying you and what you want the detail to look like from the outside. That is the threat assessment, and it takes about 20 minutes.
Within a day you get a written scope and a confidential quote: agents, hours, posture, what is included, what is not.
The agents who show up are background-checked and drawn from military, law enforcement or executive protection backgrounds. Elite Security Pro is a licensed Texas security company, veteran-owned, based in Dallas, and has been doing close protection for 24 years. We also cover Los Angeles, Florida and Nashville with the same standard.
If you want a quote for a specific date, request a confidential quote or call (972) 914-9037. We answer around the clock.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a bodyguard usually cost?
It depends on the threat level, whether the agent is armed, the number of agents, the hours, the location and any travel. Post-based security guards cost less but are not trained to protect a person on the move. Armed, multi-agent or international details cost more. A licensed company will give you a written quote after a short consultation.
How much does a full-time bodyguard cost per year?
Full-time protection is priced as a program. One agent on one shift a day is the simplest version; round-the-clock coverage needs a rotating team of three or more, plus backup and insurance. Most clients are better served by a scoped program that covers the days of real exposure rather than a standing detail.
How much do celebrity bodyguards cost?
Celebrity and VIP protection usually costs more than standard close protection, because it involves crowds, press, venues and odd hours, and often a team rather than one agent. What any individual public figure pays is private, and a company that tells you is a company that will tell others about you.
Do bodyguards charge more if they are armed?
Yes. Armed agents cost more because of the firearms commission, the Level IV license in Texas, the extra insurance and the training behind it. Many engagements do not need an armed agent. A threat assessment tells you which kind you need.
How far in advance should I book a bodyguard?
Three to five days is comfortable for a standard engagement, because it leaves time for an advance. Same-week and same-day deployments are possible in Dallas and Los Angeles, with less planning. Tours and international trips need two to four weeks.
Is a monthly retainer cheaper than booking by the day?
Usually, for clients who need regular coverage. A retainer lowers the effective cost of each day and means the same agents, who know your routine, rather than whoever is available. The terms depend on the number of days and agents agreed.
Related services: Bodyguard Services and Close Protection | Executive Protection | Executive Protection in Dallas-Fort Worth
