Fire Watch Hidden Fees
Contents
Fire Watch Cost Calculator: Avoid Hidden Fees
Sticker shock is real. One company quotes $22/hr, the final invoice hits $45 because of “fuel, admin, weekend premium, and overtime floor.”
We hate surprises more than you do, so we built a line-item calculator that spits out an out-the-door price in 30 seconds. Here’s the math we use, and the sneaky add-ons you should delete before you sign.
Base Rate vs True Rate
Base rate covers the guard’s wage only. Add 28% for payroll tax, workers comp and liability. Add another $3/hr for GPS software if you want court-ready logs.
Weekends add 20%, holidays 50%. Night shift (8 PM-6 AM) tacks on $4/hr. Those are fair; “vehicle surcharge” is not. Our guards can the ride subway the same as everyone else, if in NYC.
Four Fees You Should Refuse
- Setup fee should be zero for bookings over 8 hrs.
- Uniform allowance: Guards already own NFPA-compliant gear.
- Cancelation fee within 2 hrs: Only accept one hour notice.
- Digital log “processing”: Uploading to AWS is pennies, not dollars.
Example: 12-Hr Impairment in Midtown
12 hrs × $28 base = $336
+ 28% statutory = $430
+ GPS logs = $466
Weekend? $559 total, no hidden junk.
Compare that to a competitor’s invoice at $743 with vague line items and the savings speak for themselves.
Want your own instant quote? Drop us the square footage and shift length and we’ll email a locked price in under 5 minutes—no setup fee, no uniform nonsense, just guards and proof.
