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 private investigation in Canada
Start with the question you need answered and a spending limit. A low hourly rate is useful only when you also know the minimum booking, number of investigators and charges for travel and reports.
Pay for the work agreed
An investigation cannot guarantee a particular finding. Agree what you will receive and what you owe if the search is unsuccessful.
| Service or situation | Planning fee | Scope and extras |
|---|---|---|
| Personal surveillance by one investigator | Base rates: C$85–100 per investigator/hour | A reference for one investigator’s time. Request the total for the minimum booking, travel and reporting before comparing offers.Minimum blocks apply; travel and mileage may be additional. Package pricing can differ. |
| Basic address search | About C$300–900 | Research to find or update one person’s address. Agree what information you must supply and how the result will be verified.A site visit, surveillance or complex missing-person investigation is a separate service. |
| Background, fraud or asset research | Quote the checks and report required | Specify the records, countries, people or businesses to investigate and the written findings you need.A basic database check does not equal a detailed investigation. |
| Evidence preparation or court attendance | Confirm inclusion or get a separate quote | Ask whether the price includes a written report, usable copies of evidence, preparation with your lawyer and investigator testimony.Court waiting time, travel and additional report work can add cost. |
Ask before you hire
What is the total for the first agreed block, including travel and reporting, and will you get my approval before spending more?
Ways to control the cost
Provide a clear timeline and existing documents so the investigator can quote a focused first step.
More cost details
What changes the quote
- Number of investigators, hours and locations.
- Information already available, search depth and access to records.
- Reporting, rush work and court attendance.
Check your quote
- Set a budget limit and an approval point for further work.
- Confirm minimum hours, cancellation terms and any unused-deposit refund.
- Specify the report, evidence and verification you will receive.
Canadian context
Confirm the investigator’s licence where required, the lawful purpose of the work and any limits on access to records.
Planning ranges from published Canadian fees, not a Canada-wide average. Actual quotes can fall outside them. Fees exclude applicable sales taxes and separate expenses unless stated.
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.
