Why use this guide

London security pricing varies by role, risk, notice period, supervision, and calendar peaks. This guide gives a realistic range for common scenarios, explains what actually moves the number, and includes a calculator so you can easily sanity-check quotes.

In London, daytime corporate guarding is typically lower than nights and event work; supervision and short notice add meaningful uplift.

Typical hourly bands in London (day/night/event/concierge)

Use these bands as a planning baseline; confirm site specifics to finalise.

Daytime corporate guarding (Mon–Fri): often in the region of £18–£22/hr per SIA officer.
Nights/weekends (static guarding): commonly £20–£26/hr.
Event SIA (licensed): typically £20–£28/hr depending on risk, search lanes, and crowd profile.
Stewarding (non-SIA): often £16–£20/hr for low-to-medium risk roles.
Supervisors / DS lead: frequently £24–£32/hr, reflecting leadership and incident accountability.
Concierge/FOH (corporate calibre): commonly £19–£24/hr, influenced by service standards and language skills.

Note: These are indicative for Greater London conditions in 2025. Final pricing reflects a site-specific risk assessment, compliance requirements, Living Wage commitments, and the commercial terms you agree.

Security Budget Calculator (London 2025)

Estimate total cost by role, hours, and days. Adjust bands to match your ratecard.

Leave empty to use a default mid-band.

Advisory only. Excludes bank-holiday multipliers, parking, inductions, or overtime unless added to the rate.

What drives price (the levers you can actually control)

Shift length & pattern: longer continuous shifts or stable patterns can reduce overhead; ultra-short or fragmented shifts increase cost.
Notice period & fill risk: same-day or red-day call-offs cost more than planned rosters.
Site risk & clearances: higher-risk, lone working, or special vetting (e.g., BPSS) uplift the rate.
Supervision & QA: on-site supervisors, audits, or reporting packs add value and cost.
Holiday & peak dates: bank holidays, New Year’s, and event spikes attract premium multipliers.
Logistics & parking: chargeable parking, long inductions, and access friction increase the effective hourly.

Guarding vs stewarding vs mobile — cost & when each fits

Guarding (SIA): choose for access control, refusals/ejections, incidents, and high-risk environments.
Stewarding: choose for queue flow, wayfinding, and low-risk crowd management (often outdoors).
Mobile/patrol: choose for dispersed sites and alarm response; typically a different price model (per response + standing patrol rates).

Hidden costs and how to avoid them

Parking & travel: request inclusive pricing or agree a cap.
Inductions & site briefs: ask for once-off induction charging or bundle into the day-one mobilisation.
Minimum hours: standard 6-hour minimums — plan rosters to avoid paying for idle time.
Late cancellations: align on a clear cancellation window and exceptions for force majeure.
Evidence & reporting: agree the format (attendance verification, incident forms) to prevent rework.