How guard contracts are priced
Guard contracts are priced per post-hour: every hour a post is staffed. A 24/7 post is 8,736 hours a year in this calculator (52 weeks). Your cost per hour is the wage, health and welfare, paid leave, taxes and insurance, plus uniforms, equipment and supervision. Add overhead and profit to get the bill rate.
The relief factor
One guard can't cover a 24/7 post. With leave and training, one full-time guard works roughly 1,800 to 1,900 hours a year, so a 24/7 post needs about 4.2 to 4.8 guards. Hire and budget for that, or you'll pay overtime.
Federal guard contracts use the Service Contract Act wage determination (Guard I, Guard II). Full guide: how to bid and price federal guard contracts.
Questions
How do you calculate a security guard bill rate?
Add the hourly wage, health and welfare, paid leave, payroll taxes, insurance and equipment costs to get cost per hour, then add overhead and profit.
How many guards does a 24/7 post need?
About 4.2 to 4.8 full-time guards, depending on leave, training and shift patterns.
How many hours is a 24/7 security post per year?
8,760 hours in a 365-day year (24 × 365).