How to start a security company: demand, costs, competitors
This page gathers measured search demand, named competitors, verbatim customer complaints, competitor prices and failure stories for a US security company. Every figure links to its source, so you can check it.
How many people search for starting a security company?
4,130 searches a month over 4 founder phrases
- “How to start a security company” gets 880 searches a month in the US.
- Planning queries are bigger: “business plan for a security company” and “security business plan” each get 1,600 searches a month.
- Only 50 searches a month ask how much it costs to start one.
What it means: Founder interest is steady, so treat your local buyer demand as the real unknown and test it with property managers and builders directly.
What the top articles say and what they leave out
What the first page of results misses
- You get no real startup budget: none of the articles price licensing, insurance, uniforms, vehicles, or first payroll.
- You won't find hourly bill rates or guard wages, so you can't check whether a contract leaves you a margin.
- You get no named local competitors or their rates to benchmark your bids against.
- You don't learn why security firms fail, such as cash-flow gaps from slow-paying clients or liability claims.
- You get no data on how many clients in your area actually search for or buy guard services.
- The top guides give no real startup budget: licensing, insurance, uniforms, vehicles and first payroll go unpriced.
- They skip bill rates, guard wages, local competitors and their rates, so you cannot check whether a contract leaves a margin.
- They do not explain why security firms fail, such as cash-flow gaps from slow-paying clients or liability claims.
What it means: Build your own budget and bid model from local quotes rather than relying on generic how-to guides.
The articles we read
- Tips on starting a private security business and how to start? - Reddit reddit.com
- Security Company Business Plan Template | PrometAI prometai.app
- How much does it cost to create a security business - Reddit reddit.com
- Security Company Business Plan: What to Include - Trackforce trackforce.com
- How to Start a Security Company: Contracts, SOPs & Guides startasecuritycompany.com
- Security Company Business Plan + Free Template - Upmetrics upmetrics.co
- How Much Does It Cost to Start a Security Company? flylockfranchise.com
What it takes to open the doors
The top articles we read state no cost we can check against their text: none here until we find a source.
0 cost items with a source
- A business licence is required before operating, which adds setup time and cost1.
- Armed guard staffing carries a licence requirement and liability exposure at apartment complexes2.
- No source here gives a full startup budget, so licensing, insurance and first payroll must be quoted locally.
What it means: Get licence, insurance and payroll quotes in your state before you sign your first contract.
Estimate the start with FoxWho you compete with
| Player | What it does | Prices |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Protection Agency5 arizonaprotectionagency.com · directCheck: business · site & SEO | Licensed construction site guarding in Phoenix | — |
| City Security Services16 citysecurityservices.com · directCheck: business · site & SEO | Houston security guard company for apartments | — |
| SRT Security17 srteam-inc.com · directCheck: business · site & SEO | Event security for private and public functions | — |
| Fast Guard Security Services18 fastguardservice.com · directCheck: business · site & SEO | San Antonio event security for parties and public events | — |
| Securitas3 securitasinc.com · directCheck: business · site & SEO | Houston on-site security services | — |
| Great American Insurance Group19 greatamericaninsurancegroup.com · indirectCheck: business · site & SEO | Insurer theft prevention guidance for contractors | — |
| Enforce Security Services, Inc.20 enforcesecurity.com · directCheck: business · site & SEO | Texas guard services for apartment complexes | — |
| JC Protection LLC21 jcprotectionllc.com · directCheck: business · site & SEO | Phoenix security guard company rates guide | — |
| Op6 Security22 myop6.com · directCheck: business · site & SEO | Unarmed guard pricing and staffing in Houston | — |
| Silver Star Protection Group23 silverstarprotection.com · indirectCheck: business · site & SEO | Construction theft prevention strategy articles | — |
26 players in buyer searches
- The niche's checks found 26 players, from national firms like Securitas and GardaWorld to local guard companies34.
- In Phoenix construction security, Arizona Protection Agency, Armor Protection Group and ECAM are direct competitors567.
- Camera systems such as EyeBuild compete as an alternative to guards, at $199 per camera self-monitored and $399 per monitored 24/7 plan8.
What it means: Price your guard service against both local guard firms and monitored camera alternatives.
What customers complain about
“Poor customer service, You can't get anyone on the phone”
“I called Securitas to explain that my system was no longer a valid option owing to damage done to cables during work done by builders.”
“I believe cameras that were supposed to have been monitored were not as in a 4 hour period a fork lift and fuel tank were stolen”
“the security guards would not follow directions on where we wanted them to hang out”
“It's really easy to steal from a site that you can almost guarantee isn't going to have proper security”
“This company is pure trash at its finest.”
23 verbatim complaints: 7 — quality, 7 — reliability and trust, 7 — service and support
- Phone access is a repeat theme: “No one answers their telephone.”9
- Clients report missing staff: “they only sent 2 guards, and both were very young, did not wear proper uniforms, and did not present themselves professionally.”10
- Payroll problems surface too: “These guys have a problem paying employees on time consistently.”11
What it means: Win on reachability, showing up as promised and paying guards on time, since that is where incumbents get criticized.
Prices and the unit model
| Check | Ticket | Margin | LTV | CAC | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event security for weddings in San Antonio Local services | $30 | 35 % | $1,008 | $60 | 0.7 mo. |
16.8 LTV/CAC in the check “Event security for weddings in San Antonio”
- Competitor prices in the Phoenix construction check run from $199 to $399 per month, median $249ch.
- SECURICO lists hourly guard coverage at $29 per hour12.
- An estimated unit model on category norms, not this market's data, gives a $249 ticket, LTV $747 and CAC $120 for construction patrolch.
What it means: Treat the unit model as a starting assumption and replace it with your real wages, bill rates and acquisition costs.
Who closed and what can go wrong
2 closures with a source
- Competition. Armor Protection Group already covers most of the offer, so a builder may simply pick the incumbent.5
- Money. Builders may not treat nightly patrol as essential, so the service gets cut when budgets tighten.15
- Trust. Reliability and trust complaints in the category could make buyers wary of a new unarmed provider.24
- Regulation. A business licence is required before operating, which adds setup time and cost.1
- One guard company went out of business in 2021 due to unpaid nightwatches to closed businesses during Covid in 202013.
- A mobile security trailer at $2,800–$4,500 a month undercuts 24/7 armed guards on price for property managers14.
- Builders may not treat nightly patrol as essential, so the service gets cut when budgets tighten15.
Ideas already checked in this niche
Not “security company in general” but concrete versions, each with its own real check.
- “Event security for weddings in San Antonio” scored 66 of 100, “Worth building”ch.
- “Construction site patrol in Phoenix exurbs” scored 54 of 100, “Possible, with caveats”ch.
- “Armed guards for apartment complexes in Houston” scored 52 of 100, “Possible, with caveats”ch.
What it means: Start with a narrow, hourly-booked niche like event security and check the incumbents in your city first.
Check your idea: security company
Say where and for whom — Fox counts the demand and finds the competitors and complaints in a minute. 3 free checks without signing up
See also
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ToolUnit economics calculator
LTV, CAC and payback on your numbers
GuideHow to write a business plan
Where to find the numbers for each section
Questions before you open
Do I need a licence to start a security company?
How much does it cost to start?
The sources here give no full startup budget, so get local quotes for licensing, insurance, uniforms and first payroll.
What do competitors charge?
Why do security companies fail?
Which niche looks most promising?
Of the checked ideas, wedding event security in San Antonio scored highest at 66 of 100, “Worth building”ch.
Sources
- azdps.gov — 03902I - Security Guard Agency Application Instructions, 2025-12-17
- dps.texas.gov — Individual License Questions - Texas Department of Public Safety, 2020-10-24
- securitasinc.com — Securitas, 2026-10-15
- garda.com — GardaWorld Security, 2026-10-15
- arizonaprotectionagency.com — Arizona Protection Agency, 2026-10-15
- armorprotectiongroup.com — Armor Protection Group, 2026-10-15
- ecam.com — ECAM, 2026-10-15
- eyebuild.us — EyeBuild, 2026-10-15
- trustpilot.com
- trustpilot.com
- yelp.com
- securicoguards.com — SECURICO, 2026-10-15
- reddit.com — The guard company I worked for went out of business in 2021 due to unpaid nightwatches to closed businesses d…
- guardtress.com — Cost & Pricing — Guardtress Field Notes, 2026-10-09
- reddit.com — Why do the client don’t like us ?, 2025-08-26
- citysecurityservices.com — City Security Services, 2026-10-15
- srteam-inc.com — SRT Security, 2026-10-15
- fastguardservice.com — Fast Guard Service, 2026-10-15
- greatamericaninsurancegroup.com — Great American Insurance Group, 2026-10-15
- enforcesecurity.com — Enforce Security Services, 2026-10-15
- jcprotectionllc.com — JC Protection LLC, 2026-10-15
- myop6.com — Op6, 2026-10-15
- silverstarprotection.com — Silver Star Protection, 2026-10-15
- trustpilot.com
- trustpilot.com
- ie.trustpilot.com
- reddit.com
- yelp.com
- expressnews.com — canceled NIOSA for 2027 — because it's become a money loser
The page’s figures come from real idea checks in the niche, our search data and the articles we read; each has its source. The customer model is an estimate on the category’s norms.
How we made this page. The niche’s figures come from the real idea checks “Construction site patrol in Phoenix exurbs”, “Armed guards for apartment complexes in Houston”, “Event security for weddings in San Antonio” and our search data. Every figure from outside data has its source, linked under “Sources”. Data as of 15 October 2026.