Miami Private InvestigationsQuick answer
- No fixed price list: we quote each matter individually, after a confidential consultation, once we understand what you need to prove or find.
- Biggest driver: time. Hours in the field or in records, and how many investigators those hours require.
- Other drivers: case type, travel, third-party records and court fees, the report and testimony you need, urgency, and language needs.
- How billing works: time-based, a flat fee for a defined scope, or a retainer billed against. The engagement states which applies.
- Before work begins: you should have a written estimate that defines the scope, the billing method and what you will receive.
Two matters that sound alike on the phone can need very different amounts of work. Confirming that a spouse spends Tuesday evenings at one address is narrow; documenting an injury claimant's activity across a full week, then testifying about it, is far larger. That is why an honest firm hears the facts before it prices anything.
Why won't an investigator give a price before hearing the case?
Any figure given before the facts are known is a guess: too low, so the case stops before it answers your question, or padded, so you pay for hours nobody needed. A short consultation shows the goal, what you already know, and whether field work or records research is the faster route. Sometimes the honest answer is that an investigation is not worth commissioning, and you should hear that before you spend anything.
Miami Private Investigations does not publish rates. Pricing is quoted per case, in writing, after that conversation. If you want to prepare questions for the consultation itself, our guide to hiring a private investigator in Miami covers what to ask.
What factors decide what an investigation costs?
1. The type of case
Case type sets the basic shape of the work. Observation-based matters, such as infidelity, child custody and insurance claims, scale with field hours. Research-based matters, such as background investigations, asset searches and skip tracing, scale with depth: how many names, jurisdictions and record types have to be checked. A basic identity-and-records check is a smaller job than a comprehensive history. Corporate matters such as fraud or employee misconduct often combine both kinds of work and may need specialized skills.
2. Hours of surveillance
For field cases, hours are the single largest factor. A subject with a known window, such as a standing weekend appointment, needs far less coverage than one whose schedule is unknown, and an active, mobile subject takes longer to document. Patterns that appear only over several days mean coverage is planned in blocks and reviewed between them.
3. How many investigators, and vehicles
One investigator can often watch a fixed location. Following someone through Miami traffic, across causeways and into parking garages may need a second investigator in a separate vehicle, so the follow can be handed off unnoticed. A second investigator means twice the field time for those hours.
4. Travel and distance
Driving, setting up and repositioning all take time. Work that leads outside Miami-Dade, to Broward, Palm Beach, the Keys or another state, adds travel time and can add lodging. A good estimate says how travel is charged.
5. Records, filing and court fees
Government agencies, clerks of court and records custodians can charge their own fees for searches and certified copies, and a case may involve several of them. These third-party charges are separate from the investigator's time, and your estimate should show how they are handled.
6. Reports and testimony
A concise summary for your own decision takes less time than a court-ready package with a detailed chronological report, organized original media and exhibits. Preparing for and attending a deposition, hearing or trial is part of the cost too.
7. Urgency and timing
A case that must start tonight, run over a holiday weekend or finish before a court date can require rearranged staffing, and night, weekend and short-notice work takes more planning.
8. Language needs
Miami cases often involve Spanish-speaking subjects, witnesses or records. Our investigators work in English and Spanish, which helps with interviews and document review. Where a matter needs a formal translation of documents for court, that is additional work to plan for.
9. Complexity and specialization
Evasive subjects, layered corporate structures and hidden assets take longer to untangle. A specialized investigator may bill differently, but efficiency can mean fewer total hours, so compare the full scope, not one number.
How do private investigators usually bill?
There is no single industry model, and many engagements mix more than one. In general terms:
- Time-based billing. Common for surveillance and open-ended work. You pay for the investigator time actually used, plus agreed expenses such as travel or records fees.
- Flat scope. Common for defined deliverables, such as a single background report or a set records search. The price covers a stated scope, and anything beyond it is quoted separately.
- Retainer. An advance paid before work starts, which the firm bills against. When it runs low, work pauses or continues only with your approval. The agreement should say what happens to any unused balance.
Whatever the model, ask for itemized statements. For how field hours are planned, see surveillance investigations.
How can you keep the cost of an investigation under control?
- Define the question. "Is he seeing someone on Thursday nights?" is cheaper to answer than "find out everything."
- Share what you know. Addresses, recent photos, vehicle descriptions, work schedules and usernames save hours of preliminary research.
- Pick the likely window. If you know when something happens, coverage can be targeted to it.
- Go in phases. Records research first, then field work only if it is still needed. Review each phase before approving the next.
- Set an authorization limit. Agree in writing that work stops at a set point for your review.
- Involve your attorney early. If the evidence is for a case, counsel can say what actually needs proving, so you do not pay for documentation the court will not need.
The lowest quote is rarely the saving it looks like: an unlicensed or careless investigator can burn hours or gather evidence a judge will not admit.
What should a written estimate include?
- The agency's name and Florida license number.
- The objective in plain words, and what is outside the scope.
- The billing method: time-based, flat scope, retainer, or a combination.
- For field work: the planned dates or blocks, and the number of investigators and vehicles.
- How travel, mileage, lodging and third-party records or court fees are charged.
- What you receive: report format, original photos and video, and whether testimony is included or billed separately.
- How often you get updates, and the point at which work pauses for your approval.
- What happens to any unused retainer, and how either side can end the engagement.
What does Florida law say about hiring and paying a private investigator?
Private investigation is a licensed profession in Florida under Chapter 493, Florida Statutes, regulated by the FDACS Division of Licensing. Several rules protect you as a paying client:
What the law requires of the investigator
- A license. Performing or advertising private investigation for pay requires one. Unlicensed practice is a first-degree misdemeanor, and a repeat violation is a third-degree felony (s. 493.6120, F.S.). Agencies must print their agency license number in advertising and written bids (s. 493.6111, F.S.).
- Insurance. Failing to keep the commercial general liability insurance required by s. 493.6110, F.S. is grounds for discipline.
- Confidentiality. Betraying a professional secret, or releasing information gathered on the job without authorization, is grounds for discipline (s. 493.6118(1)(e), F.S.).
- Honest dealing. Fraud, deceit, negligence or misconduct in regulated work is also grounds for discipline (s. 493.6118(1)(f)).
What no fee can buy
- Secret recordings. Intercepting a private conversation needs the prior consent of every party (s. 934.03, F.S.), and illegally intercepted material cannot be used as evidence (s. 934.06, F.S.).
- Hidden GPS trackers. Placing a tracking device on another person's property without consent is a felony, and a PI is exempt only where the client would be (s. 934.425, F.S.). Treat tracker "add-ons" in a quote as a warning sign.
- Pretexted phone records. Obtaining someone's calling records through false statements is prohibited (s. 817.484, F.S.).
- Restricted records without a lawful purpose. Personal information in motor vehicle records is protected by the federal DPPA, and a licensed agency may use it only for a permitted purpose (18 U.S.C. 2721(b)(8); s. 119.0712, F.S.).
Verify any agency on the FDACS agency search; ours is A1800135. Complaints about a licensee can be filed with FDACS online. The step-by-step license checks are in our guide to hiring a licensed private investigator in Florida, and the wider rules are in Florida Statute 493 explained.
What evidence and reporting does the fee cover?
The work product is what you are paying for, so know what it will look like. For field cases, expect a chronological written log of each observation, with times and locations, plus the original, unedited photos and video. For research cases, expect a written report that names the sources checked and separates confirmed facts from leads. If the material is headed for court, it has to be relevant and authenticated before it is admitted (s. 90.401 and s. 90.901, F.S.), which is why the investigator who gathered it may need to testify. Miami-Dade cases are heard in the 11th Judicial Circuit. We document what we find, not what a client hopes for, and we do not promise an outcome.
How long does a private investigation take?
Timeline and cost move together. A defined records search depends mostly on how fast agencies and clerks respond. Surveillance depends on when the relevant activity occurs, so it is scheduled around a known window or spread over blocks. Complex financial or corporate matters can run for weeks or longer.
Why clients work with us
- FDACS agency license A1800135
- ★ 4.9 from 88 Google reviews
- Veteran-led team
- Bilingual: English and Spanish
Attorneys from firms including Morgan & Morgan, Cornish Hernandez Gonzalez, Asilia Law, Goldberg & Rosen and Scheer Legal have recorded video testimonials. Hear from the attorneys.
Related guides and services
What to ask in the consultation and the red flags to avoid.
Lawful static and mobile observation with court-ready reports.
Records research scoped to what you need to verify.
Investigation and testimony for litigation.
Available across Florida
Every case is handled from our Coral Gables office at 4000 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Suite 470, and investigators travel wherever the work leads.