Private Investigator Rates in Bradenton, Sarasota and Tampa

Insight Investigative Group, LLC is a licensed Florida private investigative agency, agency license A3400127, and we publish our prices. Most investigative firms in this market quote only after a phone call. Below is what our work actually costs, so you can decide whether to call at all.

Prices are flat fees unless stated otherwise. Florida sales tax applies to investigative services and is added to the amounts below. Every engagement is scoped and confirmed in writing before any work begins, so the number you are quoted is the number you pay.

Surveillance

One day package, $1,000. A full day (eight hours) of physical surveillance, unlimited mileage and travel, HD video and stills, and a written case report.

Every day of surveillance takes the same work, so every day costs the same.

Longer or irregular schedules are quoted to the case. Surveillance is often better spent in three well chosen hours than in twenty spent guessing, and we will tell you when a subject's routine makes a full day unlikely to produce anything rather than booking it anyway.

Background investigations

Three fixed levels, each including everything in the level below it.

Standard, $175. Identity and address history, criminal and civil court records with dispositions, liens, judgments and bankruptcies, professional licensing, known associates, vehicle and property records, federal records, business affiliations and employment verification. Delivered within 48 hours of complete intake.

Comprehensive, $600. Everything above plus social media and open source intelligence: account discovery across platforms including dormant profiles, username correlation, public post review, dating profile presence, and a written analyst summary. Delivered within 72 hours.

Premium, $1,200. Everything above plus public record asset research: nationwide property and estimated equity, business ownership through Sunbiz, UCC filings, recorded liens and mortgages, vessel and aircraft registration, and a documented net worth estimate built only from public record. Delivered within 72 hours.

Rush delivery, $400. Moves a Comprehensive or Premium report to 48 hours. The Standard report is already delivered in 48 hours and does not need it.

Employment, tenant, credit and insurance screening are regulated under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. We handle those as managed engagements rather than fixed price orders, so call rather than ordering online.

Bug sweeps and countermeasures

Premises sweeps, $1.50 per square foot with a $500 minimum. A 1,200 square foot home is $1,800. Covers hidden cameras, listening devices and transmitters, using electronic detection plus hands on physical inspection.

Vehicle sweep, $500 flat for one vehicle, compact through standard SUV. Undercarriage, wheel wells, bumpers, OBD port and interior, checking for GPS trackers, audio devices and cameras. Larger vehicles, boats and fleets are quoted.

Locating people

Locate and skip trace, starting at $200 Address chronology, relatives and known associates, property, employment and corporate records, then verification, with a written report citing the sources. Complex or long cold cases are quoted.

Geolocation analysis

Device location check, $795. A current location check on a device developed from commercially available advertising and mobile analytics data, with the observation timestamp and a plain statement of confidence.

Pattern of life analysis, quoted per engagement. A 30 day workup of routine, residence and work locations, travel patterns and recurring stops, delivered as a written analysis with mapping and a timeline.

Quoted engagements

Executive protection, political opposition research, insurance and claims investigation, and corporate matters are scoped and quoted before any commitment, because the honest price depends on duration, coverage level and how long the subject's public record runs. Call and we will scope it on the phone.

What every case includes

A written case report documenting what was found and, just as importantly, what could not be confirmed. Work documented to evidentiary standards, with the investigator available to testify to what he observed. Chain of custody maintained on all recorded media. A licensed Florida investigator on the file, agency A3400127, investigator C3400073.

Under section 493.6119 of the Florida Statutes, a licensed agency may not release the contents of an investigative file to anyone other than the client. Your case is confidential, including the fact that you hired us.

How billing works

Surveillance packages include unlimited mileage and travel. On other services, mileage is $0.70 per mile only when travel is required, and we tell you before it is incurred. There are no file setup fees, no report fees and no charges that appear after the fact.

What we will not do at any price

We do not obtain bank balances or account records, telephone call records, sealed or expunged records, credit reports, or medical records. Those are protected by state and federal law and lawful access runs through a subpoena, a court order, or the subject's own written authorization. We do not record private conversations, which Florida section 934.03 prohibits without the consent of all parties, and we do not place tracking devices on vehicles a client does not own, which section 934.425 prohibits. A firm that offers those things is telling you how it will handle your case generally.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a private investigator cost in Florida?

It depends on the service, which is why the rates on this page are published rather than quoted after a call. Surveillance is $1,000 per day flat. Background investigations are $175, $600 or $1,200 depending on depth. Bug sweeps are $1.50 per square foot with a $500 minimum, and a single vehicle is $500. Locates start at $100. Executive protection and opposition research are scoped per engagement.

Do you require a retainer?

Flat priced services are paid up front, and that payment is the whole price. For quoted engagements such as executive protection or extended surveillance we agree the scope and the amount in writing before work starts. We do not bill against an open retainer that quietly drains, and we do not invoice for hours you did not approve.

What happens if surveillance does not find anything?

You are paying for documented investigative time, not for a predetermined result, and the report says plainly what was observed and what was not. A day showing a subject doing exactly what they said they were doing is a real answer, and clients regularly tell us it was the answer they needed. Any firm promising to find something is promising an outcome it cannot control.

Do you charge for travel?

Surveillance packages include unlimited mileage and travel at no additional cost. On other services, mileage is $0.70 per mile and only when travel is actually required for the case. We tell you before any travel charge is incurred.

How fast will I get my report?

Standard background checks are delivered within 48 hours of complete intake, and Comprehensive and Premium within 72 hours, with rush to 48 hours available for $400. Surveillance reports follow the assignment. The clock starts when your intake is complete rather than when you pay, because a missing date of birth or last known address slows a report more than any fee can speed it up.

Do you offer a free consultation?

Yes. Call 941-297-8213 or email josh@insightinvestigationsgroup.com. We will tell you honestly whether an investigator is the right answer for your situation.