Security for UK sites and premises

How to Choose a Security Company for Your Business

7 November 2026

How to choose a security company for your business comes down to four things: know your risks, check the licences, check the company's standing and read the contract before you sign. Whether you run a warehouse in Sheffield, a shop in Leeds or a school site in London, those checks will quickly show you which suppliers deserve a second look.

Key Takeaways

• Start with your own risks, so every supplier quotes against the same brief.

• The SIA licenses individual officers, not companies, so check the people as well as the firm.

• The SIA's Approved Contractor Scheme is voluntary. It's a useful quality check, not a legal requirement.

• Ask what's included in each quote, because there's no official price list for security.

• Read the notice period, rate changes and no-show cover before you sign.

How to choose a security company: start with your risks

A logistics depot in Sheffield and a boutique hotel in Bath need very different things. Write down what you're protecting, when the site is most exposed and who needs to get in and out. That short note becomes your brief, and our security buyer’s checklist shows what else to put in it.

Identifying your risks

Common concerns include burglary, vandalism, trespass and internal theft. City centre sites may also see antisocial behaviour, while remote sites can be a long way from help at night. If you're not sure what a guard would do about these, our guide to what to expect from a guard service sets out the usual duties.

Types of service on offer

Security companies offer guarding, mobile patrols, door supervision, CCTV monitoring, alarm response and key holding, and some also install systems. Venues that sell alcohol have their own rules, so read when you need a door supervisor before you ask for quotes.

What to look for in a security company: licences, approvals and standards

Check the licences

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is the regulator, and the Private Security Industry Act 2001 sets out which work needs a licence. Anyone a security company places on your site to guard it should hold one. Ask for each officer's details, then look them up on the SIA register of licence holders (GOV.UK).

Ask about approved contractor status

The SIA licenses people, but it also approves companies through its voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme. It assesses approved contractors against 78 areas of their business, including staff training, financial management and health and safety policies. A company that hasn't joined isn't breaking the law, but it's a fair question to ask.

Approval is pass or fail, and it's given for specific activities, so check it covers the service you're buying. The scheme doesn't cover work the SIA doesn't license, such as installing alarms. You can search the register through the SIA's page on choosing an approved contractor (GOV.UK).

Certification and staff screening

NSI and SSAIB are UKAS-accredited certification bodies that assess security companies, so ask whether a firm holds a certificate from either and what it covers. Ask too how staff are screened. BS 7858 is the British Standard for screening people who work in a secure environment.

Experience with sites like yours

Ask for references from sites similar to yours, whether that's a retail chain in Leeds, an office block in Edinburgh or a warehouse in Milton Keynes, and then follow them up. Find out who will manage your contract and how close their nearest supervisor is. Those answers tell you more than a brochure will.

Questions to ask a security firm

• Can I have licence details for each officer before they start?

• Are you an SIA approved contractor for this service?

• How do you screen staff, and to what standard?

• Who covers the shift if an officer doesn't turn up?

• How and how often will you report incidents to us?

• Who answers if we need you at 3am?

• Will any of this work be sub-contracted?

Comparing security contracts, services and pricing

Ask every shortlisted supplier for a written proposal against the same brief. It should set out the hours of cover, the duties, staff qualifications, equipment, response arrangements and all costs. That's what lets you compare quotes fairly, and it gives you something to point to if a dispute comes up later.

What affects the price

There's no official price list for security, so treat any "typical rate" with care. Costs depend on the site and the cover you need, and the table below shows what usually moves them. An itemised quote will show what you're paying for, and it's fair to ask a supplier to explain any big difference from the others.

Analysing contract terms

Pay close attention to the contract length, notice period, how rates can change during the term, and what happens if a shift goes uncovered. Check the insurance the supplier holds and how liability is split. A reputable company will be happy to walk you through all of this. We cover this in more detail in Security Guard Services for Businesses.

Your own legal position as the buyer

Supplying security staff who should be licensed but aren't is a criminal offence for the supplier under the 2001 Act, so don't take a company's word for it. It's also an offence for a company to claim it's an approved contractor when it isn't. Both are good reasons to check the registers yourself.

In-house staff and CCTV

If you employ your own security staff directly, they usually don't need an SIA licence, but door supervision at licensed premises is an exception. If you run cameras, you'll normally be the controller of that footage and legally responsible for it, even when a supplier operates the system. Our guide to the rules on business CCTV explains what that means in practice.

Site handover and ongoing reviews

Once you've chosen a supplier, walk the site together, agree how incidents will be reported and put regular reviews in the diary. Check licences again when new officers join, because the people on your site will change over the life of a contract.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check if a security company is properly licensed in the UK?

The SIA licenses individual officers, not companies. Check each officer on the SIA's public register of licence holders, then search the SIA's register of approved contractors to see whether the company has joined the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme.

What are the essential questions to ask when choosing a security company?

Ask for licence details, approved contractor status, how staff are screened, who covers a no-show, how incidents are reported, who answers out of hours and whether any work is sub-contracted.

How much does it cost to hire commercial security in the UK?

There's no official price list. The cost depends on the service, the hours, the number of officers, the location and the length of the contract, so ask each supplier for an itemised quote against the same written brief.

Is SIA approved contractor status a legal requirement?

No. The Approved Contractor Scheme is voluntary, so a company can legally trade without it. It's still a useful check, because the SIA assesses approved contractors across 78 areas of their business.

Do in-house security staff need an SIA licence?

Usually not, because the licence requirement applies to work under a contract for services. Door supervision at licensed premises is the main exception, and that needs a licence even if you employ the person directly.

Before you send out your brief, work through our buyer’s checklist for UK sites. It puts these checks in one place, so you can compare suppliers like for like. Security Matters UK is an independent publication and we don't sell security services.

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