PDL fees

Our Private Investigation Fees

We provide a range of private investigation services to the highest standard. Our expert investigation personnel have many years’ experience in backgrounds including police, legal, government and military. We pride ourselves on our continued working success without ever compromising on legality and ethics, which are always central to our work, without exception.

Our approach to calculating our fees, quoting and estimating is similarly professional, transparent and ethical.

 

How We Calculate Our Fees

‘What’s the most affordable way we can offer the best possible service?’ is our approach.

In short, we charge our hourly rate plus associated costs (for obtaining intelligence or technical solutions).

Here’s the process in a bit more detail:

1 – Free Appraisal

The process begins with the client’s free, no obligation appraisal via telephone or email.

We can only provide specific, accurate quotes once we have received and understood the details of your case, and this free appraisal is essential in allowing us to do so.

One of our expert private investigators takes the time to understand your current predicament in detail, asking for the information we need to know and outlining how we may be able to assist you.

For your free appraisal, contact us now via the contact form on this page, or directly by telephone.

2 – Fee Calculation Process

We then take 24 hours to calculate an estimated quote. This quote is always the result of the following sum:

Our hourly rate x estimated hours required + any intelligence/technical costs (if applicable)

We estimate hours required very accurately using trusted tools and our 25 years experience successfully quoting and delivering to clients. Furthermore, our communicative and collaborative approach means that clients won’t be left in the dark, and fees will not spiral out of control.

 

3 – Delivery Of Quote

After this 24 hour calculation period undertaking our essential due diligence, we deliver a formal written estimated quote to the client. This estimated quote will be detailed and transparent, enabling the client to make a clear-headed decision.

 

4 – Unpressurised Approach

After this point, everything is on the client’s time and terms. We do not pester, chase, or hurry our potential clients. The quality of our service and our past successes speak for themselves, in our relationships with long-term clients large and small, individual and corporate (see our corporate investigations department for more).

When our clients are ready, they come back to us. And we’re very happy to help.

 

Bespoke Quote | Bespoke Service

Our bespoke fee-quoting service reflects our bespoke investigation service.

It’s vital that each and every job is assessed on its own merits, taking into account its complexity, hours required, and personnel needed.

Of course certain jobs tend to be certain sizes, with consultancy or tracing cases often being smaller, quicker jobs, whereas things like surveillance or background checks are generally more involved.

Our promise to you is that we:

  1. Take the time and effort to understand the full detail and nuance of your case
  2. Provide an accurate, transparent quote in writing within 24 hours.
 

Transparency Is Key

One of our core principles at PDL is our emphasis on integrity, ethics and transparency. We ensure this runs through every element of our business, from initial appraisal through to successful resolution of the case, and of course, in calculating and quoting fees to clients.

The free appraisal we offer you is to enable us to quote accurately and transparently, having understood the details of your situation and needs.

A generalised quote given without knowledge of this detailed information is potentially indicative of an investigator either over or under selling themselves, leaving you vulnerable to either being overcharged, or sold a sub-standard investigative service.

Our commitment is that you will receive a clear, detailed, no-obligation quote 24 hours after your initial appraisal, at which point we leave you with time and space to make a decision in an unpressurised environment.

We don’t employ salespeople, or take a pushy, chasing, hurrying approach. Our work is about trust, relationships, respect and honesty, and our approach to fees is not exempt from those principles.

 

Cost-Effective Private Investigations

Our aim is always to provide cost-effective, affordable private investigative solutions to our clients. Our business is about trying to develop trusting, long-term working relationships, where we provide a exemplary investigation services at the best possible price.

We take many steps to ensure our investigations remain cost-effective, including:

  • Continued review of working practices to ensure maximum efficiency
  • Placing the utmost importance on personnel quality – jobs are done right first time.
  • Using trusted tools and our 25 years experience to quote very accurately
  • Understanding the latest technology to save time effectively for our clients
  • Combining desktop and on-the-street investigations for cost-conscious investigations.
  • Transparency in our quoting process, meaning our integrity is always on display

 

Arrange Your Free Appraisal

To arrange your free no-obligation appraisal, or discuss our fees or any other element of our service in more detail, contact us now via the contact form on this page, or directly by telephone

Free appraisal
For your free email / telephone appraisal, contact us 

+44(0)2037471865

Available Mon-Friday 7am - 7pm
Out of hours services available