How Much Does Close Protection Cost in the UK? An Honest Guide
If you've started looking into close protection, you've probably noticed that almost no one publishes their prices. Most companies ask you to "contact us for a quote" and leave it at that. We understand why — every job is genuinely different. But we also know that when you're trying to work out whether this is something your budget can stretch to, vague answers don't help.
So here's an honest breakdown of how close protection is priced in the UK, what drives the cost up or down, and what you should realistically expect to pay.
The Short Answer
For a single, SIA-licensed close protection officer (CPO) working a standard day in the UK, day rates typically range from £550 to £850 per day, depending on experience, the nature of the task, and whether travel, accommodation or specialist equipment is required.
That's a wide range — and it exists for good reason. A CPO providing low-key support at a corporate event in central London is a fundamentally different task to someone managing a multi-day hostile environment deployment with advance work, route reconnaissance and an armoured vehicle.
What Drives the Cost Up
Experience and background. A CPO drawn from specialist military units, government protection commands, or with significant documented operational experience will command a higher rate. That background isn't a badge — it represents a deeper capability to read threat environments, manage incidents, and operate without disrupting the client's daily life.
Threat level and risk environment. Low-profile domestic protection for a corporate executive attending meetings in London is priced very differently to a deployment in a conflict-adjacent region or a situation where a credible, specific threat has been identified. Higher risk means more planning, more resource, and more contingency.
Team size. Some situations call for a single CPO. Others require a team — a lead operative, a driver, advance personnel, and potentially a counter-surveillance element. Each additional resource increases cost proportionally, but for higher-risk situations, a single officer is simply not sufficient.
Advance work and planning. Good protection starts long before the CPO turns up. Route reconnaissance, venue checks, threat assessments, coordination with local contacts — this work takes time and has a cost. Operators who skip this stage are cutting corners you don't want cut.
Duration and scheduling. Short-notice deployments, overnight cover, 24/7 protection details, and international travel all carry additional costs. Last-minute requests also typically carry a premium — not as a penalty to the client, but because sourcing and briefing the right person at short notice requires significant operational effort.
Specialist capability. Female CPOs, bilingual operatives, medically trained personnel, driver protection specialists — specific requirements narrow the talent pool and affect pricing accordingly.
What You Shouldn't Cut Corners On
It's tempting, when comparing quotes, to default to the cheapest option. In close protection, that can be a serious mistake.
The lowest-cost providers typically use less experienced operatives, skip the planning phase, and treat each job as a standalone transaction rather than a managed security programme. You may pay less per day, but you're not getting protection — you're getting presence.
Ask any provider: Are your operatives SIA licensed? What vetting standard do you operate to — BS7858 or above? Do you carry professional indemnity and public liability insurance? What planning process do you follow before deployment? If those questions aren't answered clearly and confidently, keep looking.
Corporate and Programme Pricing
For businesses requiring ongoing executive protection — regular travel support, repeated deployments, or a retained security advisory function — programme pricing is typically available and significantly more cost-effective than day-rate engagements booked ad hoc.
If you're looking to establish a security programme for your organisation, the right starting point is a threat and risk assessment, not a quote for bodies. Understanding the actual risk environment first means resources get allocated where they're genuinely needed, rather than applied broadly and inefficiently.
What About Travel Risk Management?
Travel risk management and close protection are related but distinct services. A travel risk assessment — which evaluates the risk environment for a specific destination, identifies mitigation measures, and helps your organisation meet its duty of care obligations — is a separate deliverable. Depending on scope and destination, these typically range from a few hundred to several thousand pounds, and the output is a formal document rather than an operational deployment.
For organisations sending staff to higher-risk environments, the cost of proper pre-deployment risk assessment is a fraction of what a serious incident — legal, reputational, financial or human — would cost to manage after the fact.
A Final Note on Value
Close protection done well is largely invisible. Your principal moves through their day, their week, their travel schedule, without incident. No one sees the advance work, the contingency planning, the dozen small decisions made in the background that kept the environment controlled.
When it works, it can look like nothing happened. That's exactly the point.
If you'd like a straightforward conversation about your requirements — whether that's a single-day engagement, an ongoing programme, or advice on whether close protection is the right solution for your situation — get in touch with Prospera. We'll give you an honest assessment before we give you a price.