How to Choose Security Companies in BC: A Complete Selection Guide
How to Choose Security Companies in BC: A Complete Selection Guide
Written by Paul Thandi, Operations Manager, On Guard Security Ltd. — 10+ years in BC security · Updated September 2026
Choosing between security companies in BC is a bigger decision than it looks. You're trusting a provider with your property, your tenants or customers, and often your keys and alarm codes, usually on a contract that runs for months. Yet many buyers compare quotes on price alone. This guide gives property managers, strata councils and business owners a complete process: the documents to request, how to verify a licence with the province, the questions to ask, contract terms to check, red flags, and a scoring table you can use to compare security companies in BC side by side.
Key takeaways
Every security company in BC needs a security business licence, and every guard needs a security worker licence. Both can be checked for free with the province's online verification tool.
A licensed security business must carry general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000. Ask for the certificate, and ask for WorkSafeBC clearance too.
The licence is the minimum. Supervision, site training, reporting and backup coverage are what separate good providers from average ones.
Get documents, not verbal assurances, and call real references.
Use the same scoring table for every shortlisted company, and score price last.
A good security company in BC is properly licensed and insured, delivers the specific service your property needs, trains guards for your site, supervises them, reports clearly and never leaves a post uncovered. Everything else in this guide is a way to test those six things before you sign rather than finding out after.
Start by writing down what you need: the problem (theft, trespass, access control, a fire system impairment, event crowds), the hours, the duties and how long you'll need coverage. Then shortlist three to five providers that actually offer that service. If you aren't sure which service fits, the overview of our security services explains each option in plain terms.
Ask every shortlisted company for the same documents. A reputable provider can send them quickly and won't treat the request as unusual.
Security business licence. Under the Security Services Act, a person must not carry on a security business without one.
Security worker licences for assigned guards. The Act says a licensed business must not employ or engage anyone for security work unless they hold a worker licence, and guards must carry their licence and produce it on request.
Certificate of insurance. The Security Services Regulation requires general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000. Check the limits against what your landlord, strata or insurer requires.
WorkSafeBC clearance. Confirms the company's workplace insurance account is in good standing.
Your municipal business licence requirements. Ask whether the company holds any business licence your city requires.
Sample post orders, daily activity report and incident report. These show how the company will actually run your site.
A written quote with scope. Hours, duties, number of guards, rates, holiday rates and minimum bookings.
Key insight: Paperwork is a test in itself. How quickly and completely a company sends these documents is a good preview of how it will handle your reports and requests once it's on site.
Get the company's legal name and business licence details, and the full names of the guards who will work on your site.
Look up the business and each guard in the verification tool and confirm the licence status is valid.
Check the licence covers the right kind of work. BC has different licence types, and the security guard type is what covers guarding, patrol and loss prevention work.
Repeat the check when new guards are assigned or when the contract renews.
The licence tells you a guard has met the provincial minimum. According to JIBC, that includes a 40-hour training requirement covering professionalism and ethics, legal studies, report writing and personal safety. Site-specific training, supervision and experience come from the company. Our BC security licence guide explains licence types, terms and verification in more detail.
In our experience, the same features come up whenever property managers describe a provider they trust:
Clear licensing and insurance, offered before you ask.
Consistent guards who know the site, the residents and the routine.
Visible supervision and a named contact who answers.
Written, useful reporting that tells you what happened and what needs fixing.
Honest scoping. They'll suggest less coverage when less is enough, such as mobile patrol instead of a full-time guard.
Professional conduct. BC rules require guard uniforms to display "SECURITY" and the employer's name, bar police-style uniforms, and bar patrol vehicles from carrying sirens. A reliable company is clearly security, not pretend police.
Proper records. Licensed businesses must keep prescribed records, including client contracts, guard hours and use-of-force reports.
Read the contract before you compare prices, because the terms decide what the price actually buys. Check:
Scope: hours, duties, number of guards and post orders, in writing.
Rates: base rate, statutory holiday rates, overtime rules, minimum bookings and call-out charges. Our guide to what security guards cost in BC explains each of these.
Term and notice: the length of the commitment and how either side can end it.
Trial period or review point: a short initial term, or a review after the first weeks, lets both sides confirm the fit.
Reporting standard: format, frequency and who receives reports.
Coverage commitment: what the company does if a shift can't be filled.
Changes in scope: how you add hours, reduce coverage or pause service.
The most common hiring mistakes we see are all avoidable:
Choosing on price alone. The cheapest quote is rarely the lowest total cost once missed patrols and turnover are counted.
Accepting verbal assurances. "Yes, we're insured" is not a certificate.
Never meeting the supervisor. The sales rep won't be the one you call at night.
Skipping references. Real references take minutes to call.
Vague scope. If duties aren't written down, they won't be done consistently.
Ignoring the rotating-guard problem. New faces every week mean weaker site knowledge and uneven reports.
Red flags that should stop the process: no licence details, no insurance certificate, guarantees like "zero incidents", police-style branding, no sample reports, and no answer about sick calls.
Key insight: Ask references how the company handled its last real incident. Quiet nights don't test a security provider; problems do.
Score each of the security companies in BC on your shortlist from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) on every row. The importance column is our suggestion; adjust it to your property.
Criterion
What good looks like
Importance
Score (1–5)
Licensing
Business and guard licences checked and valid in the provincial tool
Must-have
Insurance and WorkSafeBC
Certificate of insurance and clearance provided in writing
Must-have
Service fit
Offers the service you need and suggests the right level of coverage
High
Site training
Orientation, written post orders and supervised first shifts
High
Supervision and 24/7 contact
Named supervisor, regular site visits, someone answers overnight
High
Backup coverage
Clear plan for sick calls and no-shows
High
Reporting
Sample reports are clear, timely and useful
Medium
References
Current clients with similar properties speak well of incident handling
Medium
Contract terms
Written scope, clear rates, fair notice and a review point
On Guard Security Ltd. is a locally owned security company based in Surrey, serving the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley for more than 10 years. Our guards are licensed and JIBC-trained, every new officer completes a week of one-on-one training with a senior officer, and we're WorkSafeBC compliant, fully insured and available 24/7. We provide unarmed guards for commercial, residential, construction, retail, event, fire watch and concierge work on short-term and long-term contracts.
No independent body publishes an official ranking of Canadian security companies. Canada has large national firms and many regional and local companies. For a BC property, what matters is that the company holds a BC security business licence, uses BC-licensed guards, is insured and WorkSafeBC compliant, and scores well on supervision, training and reporting.
Which security company is considered the best in Vancouver?
There is no official best security company in Vancouver. The best provider for you is the one that fits your property and does the basics reliably: valid licences, insurance, site-specific training, a named supervisor, clear reports and a plan to cover every shift. Compare shortlisted companies with the same scoring table.
What questions should I ask before hiring a security company?
Ask whether the guards are direct employees, how they'll be trained for your site, who supervises them, how to reach the company after hours, what happens when a guard calls in sick, how incidents are escalated, what reports you'll receive, and whether you can speak to current clients with similar properties.
What documents should a security company provide?
Ask for the security business licence details, worker licence details for assigned guards, a certificate of insurance (BC requires at least $1,000,000 in general liability), WorkSafeBC clearance, sample post orders and reports, and a written quote that sets out hours, duties and rates.
Can security guards detain someone in BC?
Security guards are not police and have no police powers. Like any person, they may make an arrest only in the narrow situations allowed by section 494 of the Criminal Code, such as finding someone committing a criminal offence on property they are authorized to protect, and must then hand the person to police right away. Good companies train guards to observe, report and call police rather than confront.
Should a security contract have a trial period?
It's reasonable to ask for one. A short initial term or a formal review after the first weeks lets you check guard consistency, reporting and responsiveness before a longer commitment. Whatever the term, make sure the contract states the scope, rates, notice period and what happens if a shift can't be filled.
Google Review
Jack Willson
A pleasure to recommend company On Guard Security; mostly I enjoyed their quality services and effective response. They understand our security needs and able to ensure the best possible or professional services. Team members were professional, friendly experienced and highly approachable and live up to our expectations.
Google Review
James Cook
On guard security is my preferred choice when I need reliable security services. The team and professional service are unmatched. Their security guards and overall security are really dedicated. Recommend them for any security guard or private protection services!
Google Review
Patrick Parker
The reason I called on guard security is because they are local. They did not waste any time from the first phone call. I greatly appreciate the professionalism, service, and peace of mind offered by this security company.
Google Review
Thomas Chase
I was experiencing many incidences of shoplifting at my store and so I hired On Guard Security to provide professional guards. They did a fantastic job and now my business and merchandise are fully protected.
Google Review
Jon Wiltz
I was looking for a reliable and affordable security company for my clothing store and On Guard Security Ltd have done a fantastic job! I would definitely recommend them to fellow small business owners.
Google Review
Alan Cooper
I am happy with the performance of On Guard Security Staff assigned to our facilities. The guards respond quickly to needs and questions. I would definitely recommend this security company to others.
Google Review
~CrystalStarHomesLtd.
The guards were friendly and very cooperative. Excellent services with prices you can’t turn down. I had 24 hours security patrol on all sites. I would recommend OnGuard Security to anyone who’s looking for security services . Thanks so much Rajan really appreciate your services looking forward to meet again!
Google Review
~Jovan Dhillon
Very respectful staff, staff got to my site on time. Would book again
Google Review
~Aman Johal
I would highly recommend On Guard Security. We hired them for my brothers wedding and they provided great service. The staff always showed up on time.
Google Review
~Jason Powell
We used On Guard for our building while we were transitioning to our new intercom and entry system. They were always incredibly professional to deal with and the guards showed up well ahead of time and did a great job as we went through the process, which extended longer than expected. On Guard was also great at getting somebody on site the first night we needed them on very short notice. Overall, we were extremely happy with their service.
Google Review
~Balraj Malhi
Very good company to work with on gaurd ” Rajan is very proffesional and so are the guards. I would definetly reccomend On Guard security”Always Treat like a Famliy
Google Review
~kiran sohal
I hired on guard for my sisters wedding this past weekend, the guards were there 15 minutes early and made sure everything went smoothly , definitely will hire again
Google Review
~Sukh Brar
Provided an excellent service with my wedding events last week!! Very professional team of workers. Will definitely call for on guard’s services for future needs.
