Transparent, all-inclusive pricing for surveillance, locate, and investigative services across Toronto, the GTA, and Ontario.
We’re here to serve you, so don’t hesitate to tell us your budget.
All our cases are unique, which means our private investigator rates vary. At Investigation Hotline, we strive to work within your budget and deliver only the relevant, helpful facts that you need.
For transparent private investigator pricing across Toronto and the GTA, start with a scoped consult rather than a flat promise.
No hidden fees. No surprises.
Too many investigation agencies lure clients in with low rates, then hit them with unexpected charges for mileage, report writing, surveillance equipment, administrative fees, and countless other “extras.” These switch-and-bait tactics are rampant in our industry, and frankly, they’re dishonest.
We’re different. When we quote you a price, that’s what you pay. Period. No fine print, no surprise invoices, no nickel-and-diming you for basic services that should be included from the start. We will be with you every step of the way until your case is completed.
Below are some of our indicative rates for our private investigation services throughout Ontario. Exact pricing may vary depending on the individual case, but we will always clarify all costs before proceeding with the work.
Our packages below reflect this directly, offering one all-inclusive price that covers investigator time, travel, mileage, professional video editing, and a final report. No add-ons, no exceptions.
Surveillance Packages
Surveillance investigations are used to observe and document a subject’s movements, activities, and interactions over a defined period. This applies to a wide range of cases, including infidelity and domestic matters, insurance claims, workplace misconduct, custody and access disputes, and general due diligence.
Base rate: $85/hour + HST per investigator. Every package includes travel time, travel & surveillance kilometers, professional video editing, court-admissible written investigation report, and time-stamped video evidence. No extra fees, ever.
| Package | Hours | Price (+HST) | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 8 hrs | $765 | ~$95.63/hr |
| Standard | 30 hrs | $2,500 | ~$83.33/hr |
| Comprehensive | 50 hrs | $4,000 | $80.00/hr |
Larger/custom hour blocks quoted case-by-case at the $85/hr base rate. Court testimony/deposition: $150/hr per investigator, 5-hour daily minimum, due in advance.
Locate / Background Investigation Packages
A locate investigation is used to find a subject’s current address or whereabouts when contact has been lost or is being avoided, common in cases involving skip tracing, service of process, debt recovery, family reconnection, or confirming a subject’s location before legal action is taken.
For subjects who need to be found (skip tracing, updated address confirmation, service of process prep, etc). All-inclusive, no extra fees.
| Package | Includes | Price (+HST) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Locate | Intelligence & background investigation to confirm subject’s updated residential address | $900 |
| Locate + Door Knock | Locate investigation to confirm address, plus in-person door-knock interview at the confirmed address, with written report of findings | $1,600 |
| In-Depth Locate | Comprehensive background locate investigation for harder-to-find or complex subjects | $3,000 |
Domestic & Matrimonial Surveillance
Discreet surveillance investigations for suspected infidelity, cohabitation confirmation, custody and access matters, and matrimonial disputes. Every package includes senior investigator time, all travel and surveillance kilometers, HD time-stamped video evidence, professional video editing, and a comprehensive written investigation report suitable for court proceedings.
Domestic Surveillance
- 30 hours of active surveillance
- Pre-surveillance intelligence & subject profiling
- HD time-stamped video evidence
- Professional video editing
- Court-admissible written investigation report
- All travel time & kilometers
Best suited for: initial confirmation of suspected infidelity within a defined high-probability window (weekend, business trip, known meeting).
Domestic Surveillance
- 100 hours of sustained multi-week surveillance
- Two senior investigators in coordinated deployment
- Multi-subject coverage (subject + third party)
- Comprehensive pre-surveillance intelligence & asset profiling
- Multi-angle HD video evidence
- Vehicle & residence identification (plates, address verification)
- Professional video editing & case chronology
- Full court-admissible written report
- All travel time, kilometers & operational overhead
Best suited for: high-net-worth matrimonial disputes, custody cases requiring pattern-of-behaviour documentation, cases with counter-surveillance risk, or matters involving multiple locations and parties.
Custom hour blocks between these tiers available at our $85/hour base rate.
Asset Search Investigations
Comprehensive asset identification and verification investigations, retained in support of judgment enforcement, matrimonial financial disclosure disputes, fraud recovery, estate matters, and pre-litigation due diligence. Every engagement is delivered as a written report of findings supported by source citations wherever legally obtainable.
Asset Search
$1,500 +HST
- Real property ownership search (Ontario)
- Registered motor & recreational vehicles
- Corporate affiliations & directorships (federal + provincial)
- Business ownership & sole proprietorships
- Liens, judgments & PPSA registrations
- Publicly available bankruptcy & insolvency records
- Written report of findings with source citations
Best suited for: judgment creditors confirming enforceable assets, pre-litigation due diligence, straightforward matrimonial disclosure verification.
Asset Search
$5,000 +HST
- All Tier 1 searches expanded nationwide (all Canadian provinces)
- Nominee & family cross-referencing for concealed real property
- Corporate structure mapping: beneficial ownership, shell corporations, holding companies
- Undisclosed business interests & trust arrangements
- Financial footprint & luxury asset identification (boats, aircraft, art, high-value vehicles)
- Litigation history & regulatory filings (courts + securities)
- Cross-border asset indicators (US property, publicly available foreign filings)
- Up to 8 hours of verification surveillance to corroborate lifestyle indicators
- Executive summary + full report suitable for court filing
Best suited for: contested matrimonial matters with suspected concealment, high-value judgment enforcement, fraud recovery, cross-border matters, or where preliminary evidence points to undisclosed assets.
Don’t see your service listed?
Every investigation is different. Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation and a custom quote built around your case.
What Determines the Cost of a Private Investigation
The cost of hiring a private investigator depends on what the case actually requires. A few factors influence pricing across all of our services, including: how much investigative time is realistically needed, how many investigators or specialists the case requires, how complex the subject or organization is to investigate, whether digital forensics or specialized equipment is involved, and how urgent the timeline is. During your consultation, we walk through these factors with you so the quote reflects your specific case rather than a generic estimate.
How We Quote Your Case
Getting an accurate quote starts with a confidential consultation, where we ask about your situation, your objectives, and what you already know. From there, we recommend the package that fits your case, or provide a custom quote if your situation falls outside our standard packages. Either way, you receive a single all-inclusive price before any investigation begins: no mileage charges, no editing fees, no report fees added afterward.
We don’t start work on assumptions, and we don’t revise pricing partway through a case without discussing it with you first. If your case runs beyond the hours included in your package, we’ll explain why and agree on next steps with you before continuing.
Package Pricing Versus Custom Pricing
A lot of people searching for private investigator rates expect an open hourly rate with extras added on top. That’s not how we price our work. Our packages are all-inclusive, so the number you’re quoted is the number you pay: investigator time, travel, mileage, professional video editing, and your final court-admissible report are all built in from the start. Many investigation firms quote a base hourly rate, then charge separately for mileage, editing, or the report once the case wraps up. We include all of that in the package price upfront, so there’s no guessing what the final invoice will look like.
Larger or unusually complex cases are still quoted individually, using the same all-inclusive principle: one price, fully inclusive, agreed before work begins.
How Much Does the Initial Consultation Cost?
Your first conversation with us is free and confidential, but we will always need to discuss the requirements by phone before beginning work on any case. There’s no cost or obligation to discuss your situation, ask questions, or get a sense of how we’d approach your case. Pricing only comes into play once we understand what you need and can recommend the right package or provide a custom quote.
How to Get an Accurate Private Investigation Quote
The more information you can share during your consultation, the faster and more precise your quote will be. It helps to have the following ready when you contact us, such as:
- The general timeline or urgency of your case
- The location(s) involved
- What you already know or suspect
- What outcome or evidence you’re hoping to obtain
You don’t need to have everything figured out before you call. Part of our process is helping you clarify the objective of the investigation so we can recommend the right package from the start.
The Investigation Hotline Difference
All-Inclusive Pricing
No mileage surcharges. No editing add-ons. No report fees.
Experienced Investigators
Licensed and operating across Toronto and the GTA since 1994.
Court-Admissible Product
Every report is filed-ready, every video time-stamped.
Total Confidentiality
Every engagement is handled under strict confidentiality.
