Overview: Private Investigators
A story stopped making sense and you want facts rather than impressions. That is the work these agencies do: surveillance, locating someone who moved without leaving an address, asset searches before you spend money enforcing a judgment, background and due diligence enquiries on a person or a company, and evidence gathered so it can be used later. None of these agencies is a law firm, and none of them offers legal advice. Advice on your matter comes from your lawyer.
Licensing here is genuine. Provinces that regulate this work licence the agency and each investigator separately, and set the training and screening behind it. Rules differ by province, so ask which licence applies where the work will actually happen and check it with the provincial regulator. Then ask who does the fieldwork, whether the report is written by the investigator who was there, and how privacy law shapes what may be collected about a person.
Before the first call, gather names and former names, last known addresses, employment details, a plate or vehicle description, and the dates that matter. Be honest about your purpose.
Each listing reflects what the agency publishes about its licence, its specialties and the areas it covers. The province and city lists lead to agencies nearby, and every city page shows which ones sit in the city itself.
Cost of a private investigator in Canada
Estimate the first stage using investigator count, billable hours and minimum booking. Then add travel and any reporting or court work outside the package.
Planning estimates in CAD. Confirm scope, taxes and additional costs in your quote.
| Service or situation | Planning cost | Scope and extras |
|---|---|---|
| Surveillance | About C$70–120 per investigator-hour | Minimum bookings may apply. Confirm whether the rate is for one investigator or a team, and whether mileage and reporting are extra.Confirm tax inclusion. |
| Background or due-diligence report | About C$500–1,200 for a scoped investigation | The depth of searches, jurisdictions and report detail changes the budget. Specify which identity, record or business checks you need.Allow for applicable tax and agreed extras. |
| Locate or asset investigation | About C$250–1,500+ per assignment | An address search and a broader missing-person investigation differ. Agree search limits, travel costs and payment terms if the person is not located.Allow for applicable tax. |
| Reporting or court attendance | Report preparation around C$30/hour; testimony quoted separately | A surveillance package may already include its report. Price additional preparation, travel and court attendance separately.Confirm tax inclusion. |
Allow for extras
- Agree a first-stage spending limit and who can authorize extra hours.
- Check whether travel, reports and additional investigators are included.
Ask before you hire
What is the total first-stage budget, what result or report will it buy, and who must approve extra hours?
More cost details
What changes the quote
- Investigators and minimum hours
- Travel and search jurisdictions
- Evidence and reporting requirements
Canadian context
Check licensing in the province of work. Confirm whether travel across provincial boundaries changes the staffing, travel charges or scope of the assignment.
Frequently asked questions
What does a private investigator actually handle?
Surveillance, tracing people who have moved or do not want to be found, background and due diligence enquiries, asset searches before you enforce a judgment, and evidence collected for a matter your lawyer is running. Corporate work is common as well: theft by staff, fraud, misconduct on the job. Legal advice is not part of the service, and no agency can tell you whether your claim holds.
Are private investigators licensed?
In the provinces that regulate this work, yes. Both the agency and each investigator are licensed, and the province sets the training and screening requirements. Rules differ by province, so ask which licence covers the place where the work will happen, then check it with the provincial regulator directly. An agency that cannot answer that question briskly has told you something useful.
What can a private investigator not legally obtain?
More than people expect. Bank and telephone records, health files and anything a court has sealed are unavailable without consent or an order. Privacy law limits what personal information may be collected and for what purpose. Trespass is not an option, nor is posing as police, and covert recording has real limits. An agency offering those results is handing you something that can rebound later.
How do private investigators charge for their work?
Surveillance is normally charged by the hour, with travel time, mileage and equipment added. Set enquiries such as a trace or an asset search are more often quoted as a flat fee. A retainer up front is standard and the agency draws against it. Ask for the structure in writing, including what you pay for a day when nothing at all is captured.
How is an investigator different from a process server?
They answer different questions. An investigator gathers facts; a process server delivers documents and swears to the delivery afterwards. Locating someone who has disappeared belongs to both trades, which is why some agencies offer the pair. Needing a person found so papers can reach them is a service problem. Needing proof of what that person is doing is an investigation.
