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Licensed & Trained Construction Site Security Officers · Serving All of California
Pronto Guards protects job sites throughout California — day guards and overnight patrol to deter theft of copper, tools, and equipment, control site access, and keep a documented record of who comes and goes. We cover active builds, lay-down yards, and transitional sites, and we provide fire watch when hot work or system outages require it. Book online with the price shown upfront.
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Construction site security is fundamentally about protecting an asset when no one is there to watch it. Active job sites are among the most theft-exposed targets anywhere — loaded with copper, tools, fuel, appliances, and equipment, and sitting empty every night and weekend. The work is overnight and weekend coverage, access control during active hours, and the documented presence that both deters theft and satisfies the requirements a project may carry.
The two core models are standing guards and mobile patrol. A standing guard is continuous presence at the site — access control, immediate response, a fixed deterrent. Mobile patrol is scheduled, varied-time checks with documented rounds, a cost-effective deterrent for sites that do not need constant coverage. Many projects use both across different phases. On top of these, fire watch is a distinct, often-mandated service for hot work or impaired fire systems.
What makes construction security effective is not standing in one spot — it is a visible, moving, documented presence that makes a site a hard target. Thieves choose the easy, unwatched site over the patrolled, lit, logged one. The single biggest mistake builders make is waiting until after the first theft to bring in coverage, by which point the site is already a known mark.
Most security firms quote construction privately. We publish our pricing. Standing guards are priced per officer, per hour (four-hour minimum); mobile patrol is priced per scheduled check:
| Officer / coverage type | Rate (per hour) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Unarmed standing guard | $40–$60/hr | Overnight and weekend site coverage, access control, documented rounds. The standard for most sites. |
| Armed standing guard | $55–$90/hr | High-value sites or assessed elevated risk. Carries the BSIS firearms permit. |
| Mobile patrol | Per check | Scheduled, varied-time drive-by or walk-through checks with documented rounds. Cost-effective for lower-risk phases. |
Short-notice bookings (within 24 hours) carry a 10% surcharge, shown before you pay. Site contracts are scoped to the project and phase — with transparent pricing throughout. Weigh it against the real cost of loss: a single copper or equipment theft often exceeds weeks of coverage.
Effective construction coverage matches the model to the site's risk and phase. Here is how an operations team scopes it:
Theft happens when the site is empty — overnight, weekends, holidays. We concentrate coverage there rather than during active hours when crews are present, which is where the budget does the most work.
When valuable materials are staged and installed — copper, fixtures, appliances, equipment — a standing guard earns its cost. During lower-risk phases, scheduled mobile patrol provides a documented deterrent for far less. Matching the model to the phase is how a site stays protected without paying for continuous coverage it does not need every night.
One officer working documented patrol rounds covers a typical site — a moving presence deters better than a static post. A large or high-value site with materials spread out may warrant two officers, or one plus lighting and clear 'patrolled' signage. Driven by the value and layout, not an upsell.
Hot work, impaired sprinkler systems, or post-incident conditions may mandate fire watch — continuous monitoring with documented patrol rounds. We scope it to the requirement when the project calls for it.
The defining construction risk. Installed copper, HVAC units, tools, fuel, and appliances disappear overnight and on weekends. Prevention is a visible, moving presence, documented patrol rounds at varied times, access logging, and lighting — brought in before the first theft makes the site a known target.
A site hit once usually gets hit again until coverage appears — thieves return to a proven mark. The fix is coverage that breaks the pattern with a consistent, documented deterrent presence.
Without access control, anyone can wander a site — a safety and liability problem as much as a theft one. Gate control and logged deliveries and subcontractors give you a record and a boundary.
Hot work and impaired fire systems carry real fire risk and often a legal monitoring requirement. Dedicated fire watch with documented rounds handles both the hazard and the obligation.
The core construction-security decision is standing guard versus mobile patrol. Here is an honest comparison so you can match the model to your site and budget:
| Option | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Standing guard | Continuous on-site presence, access control, immediate response, and a fixed deterrent for the whole shift. | High-value or high-exposure sites, active high-theft phases, or sites needing access control. |
| Mobile patrol | Scheduled, varied-time checks with documented rounds — a deterrent presence without constant coverage, at lower cost. | Lower-risk sites or quieter phases that need a documented presence but not a full-time guard. |
| No coverage | Nothing — the site is fully exposed overnight and on weekends. | Effectively no site once valuable materials are on it; the losses usually exceed the cost of coverage. |
Construction security is bought on price more than most services, which is exactly where corners get cut. Here is what actually matters:
A legitimate provider holds a Private Patrol Operator license and deploys Guard-Card officers. Ask for the PPO number and verify it. An unlicensed 'guard' on your site is a liability, not protection.
Real construction security produces records — patrol logs, access logs, incident reports. If a company cannot show you how coverage is documented, you have no proof the work happened.
You should see the rate and total upfront. Be wary of a quote far below market — it usually signals a cut corner on licensing, insurance, or payroll, which becomes your problem if something goes wrong.
A real provider carries liability insurance, commonly $1,000,000 per occurrence. Confirm it before officers set foot on your site.
A good company recommends standing guard or patrol based on your site's actual risk and phase, and is honest about when patrol is enough. That judgment saves you money and signals real operators.
Mobile or standing coverage when the site is empty and most exposed — scheduled rounds, perimeter checks, and incident reporting through the night and across weekends.
A visible officer presence and access control to deter theft of copper, wire, tools, fuel, and equipment — the losses that quietly add up on an unguarded site.
Gate and entry control with documented logs of deliveries, subcontractors, and visitors, so you have a record of site access for safety and accountability.
Dedicated fire watch for hot work, impaired fire systems, or post-incident coverage — continuous monitoring with documented patrol rounds per the requirement.
Pick unarmed, armed, or off-duty officers and set how many you need.
Add your date, hours, and any extra days. Watch the per-guard, per-hour price update live.
Give us the venue or site address and what the job involves so officers arrive ready.
Pay securely online and get instant confirmation. We assign and brief your officers.
We run dedicated local teams across California. Book in the city where your event or job is:
Construction security is priced per guard, per hour, with a 4-hour minimum — typically billed for overnight or weekend shifts. Rates run from about $40 to $120 per guard per hour depending on guard type and shift length, with longer shifts at lower hourly tiers. You see your exact total when you book online.
Yes. Overnight and weekend coverage is the most common construction request, since that's when sites sit empty and exposed. You can book standing guards or mobile patrol with documented rounds, and set the schedule online.
Yes. We provide fire watch for hot work, impaired or offline fire systems, and post-incident coverage, with continuous monitoring and documented patrol rounds. Tell us the requirement when you book and we staff accordingly.
Yes. Pronto Guards operates under a California BSIS Private Patrol Operator license. Every officer holds a current BSIS Guard Card.
You can book online in about 60 seconds with instant confirmation, including same-week and next-day starts. Short-notice bookings within 24 hours carry a 10% surcharge, shown before you pay.
A standing guard runs roughly $500–$600 per night for an unarmed officer on a 12-hour overnight shift ($40–$60/hr); mobile patrol, priced per check, costs significantly less. Site contracts are scoped to the project, with transparent pricing throughout.
It depends on risk and phase. A standing guard gives continuous coverage for high-value or high-exposure sites; mobile patrol gives a documented deterrent presence at lower cost for quieter phases. Many projects combine both across the project timeline.
Book licensed officers online in about 60 seconds — exact price shown before you pay.
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