Why we use project-based pricing

Since most people hiring a private investigator don't have experience doing that, "how much will this cost" is a pretty common question. This post seeks to provide some answers to that.

Red Keith primarily uses project-based pricing. Before you sign a contract, and before we start work, you'll typically know a flat fee that will cover the entire cost of your investigation. We don't bill for mileage and we don't bill extra for most typical expenses. There won't be any billing surprises.

To do this we need to have a full understanding of your investigative needs, and that happens during our free consult. Some projects evolve, and in those situations we'll work out the details and agree to an expanded contract with an expanded project-based price. Again, no billing surprises.

Red Keith thinks hourly billing is incentivizing the wrong things. In our experience client are generally much more concerned about the outcome, rather than how long it takes. For example:

• Did you serve the respondent?
• Did you find my stolen art?
• Did you learn anything new about my missing cousin?

And never:

• Did you take 4 hours or 6 hours to determine if my business partner is stealing from me?

In unusual situations there may be instances involving hourly billing, but you will know about them and have agreed to them in writing before we engage in them. Again, no billing surprises.

Once we talk about your case we can give you a written proposal outlining the scope of the investigation, often with options so that you can decide what's best for you and your budget. Nobody at Red Keith likes "the hard sell" and you won't feel pressured at any point in our consult. If we're not the right investigator for you we'll try and make some other suggestions.

If you have other questions about pricing please contact us. If you're ready to get started please schedule your free consult call today!