2026 Unarmed Pricing
If you’re trying to budget unarmed security guard cost in Houston for 2026, this page gives you real ranges and the factors behind them — the same numbers Op6 uses when quoting clients across the Houston metro. We don’t gate pricing behind a sales call. Below is what licensed, insured unarmed security guards in Houston actually cost in 2026, what changes the number up or down, and how to know whether unarmed coverage is the right fit for your needs.
Quick answer: 2026 Houston unarmed security guard hourly rates
From licensed, insured providers in Houston, 2026 unarmed security guard hourly bill rates fall in these tiers:
- Premium unarmed (Op6 sits here): $22–$28 per hour
- Mid-tier unarmed: $19–$24 per hour
- Budget unarmed contractor: $14–$18 per hour
The bill rate variance reflects what the officer is actually paid, the training stack behind them, and whether the firm carries genuine liability and workers-compensation coverage. For statewide pricing across all tiers including armed, executive protection, and K9, see our full 2026 Security Guard Hourly Rate in Texas pricing guide.
Budget vs. mid-tier vs. premium — what are you actually buying in Houston?
Budget contractor — $14–$18/hr bill rate
At this price point, the firm is paying officers near minimum wage, providing the bare 6-hour Texas state minimum training, carrying the lowest legally permissible insurance, and tolerating turnover north of 200% annually. You’ll see different officers every week, posts dropped without notice, and incident reports that read like they were written by someone who can barely operate the report system because, frequently, they were. When something goes wrong on your Houston site, the firm’s insurance limits will not begin to cover it, and a plaintiff’s attorney will name you as the deep-pocket co-defendant.
Mid-tier — $19–$24/hr bill rate
Mid-tier Houston providers pay officers a livable wage, supply uniforms and basic equipment, hold reasonable insurance, and provide a single layer of supervision. Turnover is better but still high. You’ll see consistent officers most weeks. Training is the state minimum plus a brief in-house orientation. This is a defensible choice for low-risk Houston posts where deterrence is the primary mission.
Premium — $22–$28/hr bill rate (Op6 sits here)
Premium providers like Op6 pay officers significantly above market, train at six times the state minimum, equip every officer with body cameras and GPS tracking, run 24/7 dispatch, and carry liability limits that actually match the exposure on your site. Turnover is a fraction of the industry average — the same officers learn your Houston site, your people, and your processes, measurably reducing incidents.
What drives unarmed security guard cost in Houston
Shift length and 24/7 coverage
A four-hour event shift is priced differently from a 168-hour-per-week 24/7 single post. 24/7 unarmed coverage requires roughly 4.2 full-time officers (factoring PTO, sick leave, training, and turnover backfill) plus supervision, so the per-hour bill rate is typically lower than ad hoc shifts even though the total contract value is much higher.
Site risk profile
A Class A office lobby in the Energy Corridor with a friendly access-control mission carries less officer risk than a 24-hour apartment community in a high-incident corridor. Workers’ compensation rates vary by assignment, and so does the bill rate. Honest Houston providers raise rates on higher-risk posts; budget firms hide the risk and pay it back later in turnover and incidents.
Officer training tier
Texas requires only 6 hours of training for a Level II commission. Op6 invests six times that minimum, with additional modules in de-escalation, customer service, fire watch, basic medical, and report-writing. That training investment shows up in the hourly rate — and in fewer incidents, lower client liability, and dramatically lower turnover.
Volume — single post vs. multi-site Houston portfolio
If you’re staffing one 24/7 unarmed post, your per-hour rate will be higher than a Houston portfolio client with 10+ posts. Multi-site contracts amortize recruiting, training, supervision, and management overhead across more billable hours.
Equipment
Uniform and standard equipment (radio, flashlight, notebook) are typically included. Body-worn cameras, GPS tracking, vehicles, and reporting software may bill separately. Mobile camera trailers can offset officer hours on large open Houston sites — sometimes the most cost-effective unarmed security plan is a mix of trailers and a smaller standing officer footprint.
When unarmed security is the right call in Houston
An unarmed security guard in Houston is the right tool when:
- The primary mission is visible deterrence, access control, or customer service.
- The site has no documented violent-incident history.
- No cash, controlled inventory, or high-value targets are present.
- The principal or property does not face a credible armed threat.
- The role is front-of-house — lobby concierge, hotel front desk, apartment leasing-office support, hospital reception.
If any of the opposite conditions apply — cash, credible threat, late-night high-risk operation, or principal protection — see our armed security guards in Houston page instead.
Sample monthly Houston unarmed security costs (2026)
24/7 single unarmed post (1 officer continuous coverage)
168 hours/week × 4.33 weeks × $24/hr = approximately $17,500/month. The most common commercial security configuration in Houston — apartment lobbies, hospitals, distribution centers, corporate campuses.
Business-hours unarmed retail (12hr/day, 7 days)
84 hours/week × 4.33 weeks × $22/hr = approximately $8,000/month. Common for shopping centers, big-box, and grocery anchors.
Construction-site overnight (12hr, 7 days)
84 hours/week × 4.33 weeks × $23/hr = approximately $8,400/month. Often paired with a mobile camera trailer to extend coverage. See our construction site security service.
Industrial warehouse 24/7 (2 unarmed officers + roving supervisor)
Roughly $34,000–$38,000/month depending on supervisor coverage. See our industrial and warehouse security service.
Event coverage (8-hour Houston event, 4 unarmed officers + 1 supervisor)
(4 × 8 × $24) + (1 × 8 × $32) = $1,024 for the event. With a 4-hour mobilization minimum on small events, this typically lands around $1,200–$1,400.
What’s included in the unarmed bill rate (and what isn’t)
Typically included: officer wages and payroll taxes, basic uniform, standard equipment (radio, flashlight, notebook), liability insurance allocation, supervision and dispatch, standard reporting, and W-2 employment of the officer under the firm license.
Typically not included: vehicles, body-cam licensing fees on third-party platforms, specialty PPE for industrial sites, holiday premium pay (typically 1.5×), overtime above 40 hours per week (1.5×), mobilization fees for emergency deployments, and special event mark-ups.
Bill rate vs. pay rate — what an unarmed officer is actually paid
The bill rate is what you pay the firm per hour. The pay rate is what the firm pays the officer. The gap covers payroll taxes (about 11–13% of pay), workers’ compensation insurance (3–8% depending on risk class), general liability and umbrella insurance, uniforms and equipment, supervision, dispatch, recruiting, training, management overhead, and the firm’s profit margin.
A typical industry markup is 1.45×–1.85× pay rate. If a Houston firm quotes you $18/hr unarmed, the officer is making roughly $10–$12/hr — at or near Texas minimum wage on overtime calculations. If a firm quotes $24/hr unarmed, the officer is making $14–$16/hr, which is competitive enough to keep good people. Pay rate predicts officer quality and turnover more than any other factor.
Why higher hourly often equals lower total Houston cost
Total cost of ownership for unarmed Houston security includes the bill rate plus incidents, theft loss, legal exposure, turnover-driven re-training, management time spent dealing with bad providers, and the reputational damage of a major incident. A premium provider at $24/hr unarmed who prevents a single $50,000 inventory loss or a single negligent-security lawsuit pays for a year of service. That’s why sophisticated Houston buyers — Class A property managers, healthcare systems, energy companies — almost universally land on premium tiers after one bad experience with a budget firm.
How Op6 builds a Houston unarmed security quote
- Site assessment — we tour your Houston site or review documentation and identify risk exposures, post locations, and coverage hours required.
- Officer specification — Level II training tier, supervisor coverage, equipment.
- Coverage modeling — scheduled hours, anticipated overtime, realistic backfill factor.
- Bill rate calculation — we share the bill rate, what the officer is paid, and the line items (wages, taxes, insurance, equipment, overhead, profit) that make up the difference.
- Inclusions and exclusions named explicitly — no surprises.
Related Op6 Houston unarmed security resources
- Unarmed Security Guards in Houston, TX — full service overview
- Unarmed Security — Op6 unarmed program across Texas
- 2026 Security Guard Hourly Rate in Texas — full Texas pricing guide
- Security Guard Services Houston TX
- Armed Security Guards in Houston, TX — for higher-risk sites
- Texas DPS Private Security Bureau — Level II licensing standards
Frequently asked questions
How much does an unarmed security guard cost in Houston?
Premium unarmed officers in Houston typically run $22 to $28 per hour from licensed, insured providers. Mid-tier providers fall in the $19–$24 range. Budget contractors at $14–$18 per hour reflect minimum-wage officer pay and high turnover — usually a false economy.
Why are some Houston unarmed quotes so much cheaper?
Because the firm is paying officers near minimum wage, providing the bare state-minimum training, and carrying the lowest legally permissible insurance. The savings vanish in a single bad incident.
What’s the difference between unarmed and armed security in Houston cost?
Armed Level III officers cost roughly $9–$11 per hour more than unarmed Level II in Houston — driven by additional training, firearms qualification, fingerprint re-screening, and higher insurance.
Is there a Houston unarmed minimum shift length?
Most Op6 unarmed engagements have a four-hour minimum. Below that, mobilization and supervision cost makes professional work uneconomic.
Do you charge more for nights, weekends, or holidays?
Standard nights and weekends are billed at the contract rate. Federal holidays are typically billed at 1.5×. We name every holiday and the multiplier in your contract — no surprises.
How fast can Op6 deploy unarmed security in Houston?
For routine engagements we deploy within 24 to 72 hours. For emergency or short-notice needs we mobilize the same day across the Houston metro.
Can a camera trailer or mobile patrol reduce my unarmed guard cost?
Sometimes yes. A mobile camera trailer with live monitoring can replace some officer hours, especially on large open Houston construction sites. Op6 designs hybrid programs that mix trailers, mobile patrol, and standing officers for the lowest defensible total cost.
Related Op6 resources
Get an Unarmed Security Quote for Your Houston Site
Tell us about your Houston location, hours, and coverage profile. We’ll come back with an itemized unarmed security guard quote — usually within one business day.