Most private investigators in Virginia won’t tell you what they charge until you’re on the phone with them. We publish our rates, because you deserve to know what this costs before you call.
Our Rates
- $100 per hour — cash
- $125 per hour — all other payment methods
- Four-hour minimum per callout
- No travel or mileage charges
A single surveillance callout starts at $400 paying cash, or $500 by any other method. Additional hours beyond the minimum are billed at the same hourly rate.
Our standard rate is $125 per hour. The $100 rate is a cash discount.
We Don’t Charge for Travel or Mileage
We’re based in Chesapeake and we work Hampton Roads, Greater Richmond, the Virginia Eastern Shore, the Outer Banks and eastern North Carolina. Whether the job is fifteen minutes away or across the water, you pay for investigative hours — not for our drive.
That matters more than it sounds. Firms that bill travel can turn a four-hour job in Newport News into six billed hours. We don’t do that. The clock is the work.
Why There’s a Four-Hour Minimum
This is the question we get most, and it’s a fair one.
Surveillance is not a stopwatch that starts when something happens. Before an investigator can document anything, he has to get into position without being noticed, establish that the subject is actually there, and hold that position long enough for a pattern to emerge. A vehicle that arrives and sits for twenty minutes proves nothing. The same vehicle arriving at the same address three evenings running, and not leaving until morning, is evidence.
An hour of surveillance almost never produces anything a court will accept. Four hours is the shortest window where the odds meaningfully favor getting something usable. Charging for less would be taking your money for an outcome we can’t stand behind.
Not Every Case Needs Surveillance
Some cases are answered through records, database work and background research rather than time in the field — skip tracing and locating a person is the common example. Those don’t carry the four-hour surveillance minimum — they’re quoted up front, and we’ll tell you on the consultation which kind of case you have.
Unusual requests get priced individually. If your situation doesn’t fit a standard callout, we’ll quote it honestly based on what it will actually take, and you’ll know the number before we start.
Who Decides When Surveillance Runs
We do — and that’s part of what you’re paying for.
Clients often have a strong instinct about when to send someone out. Sometimes they’re right. But deciding when to deploy, how long to hold, and when to come back another day is the professional judgment that separates footage from evidence. Going out on a client’s hunch, at the wrong hour, burns your money and risks exposing the surveillance entirely.
Tell us everything you know about the subject’s patterns — that information is genuinely valuable. Then let us decide how to use it.
What Affects the Cost of Your Case
- How many hours the case actually needs. Some questions are answered in one callout. Others take several days across different times of the week.
- Whether the subject keeps a predictable schedule. Predictable subjects cost less to document.
- Whether you need court-ready documentation or simply want to know for yourself. Both are legitimate reasons to hire us, and they are different amounts of work.
We’ll tell you honestly during the free consultation which of these apply, and roughly what we think it will take. If we don’t believe we can get you what you need, we’ll say so before you spend anything.
Is It Worth Hiring a Private Investigator?
Sometimes the honest answer is no, and we’ll tell you that.
But if your situation may end up in a Virginia courtroom, there is a legal reality worth understanding. Virginia requires clear and convincing evidence to prove adultery — a higher standard than most civil matters. Your own testimony, uncorroborated, is not sufficient to establish it. Neither is a third party testifying that your spouse admitted the affair, because that still traces back to your spouse. And your spouse can decline to answer on Fifth Amendment grounds, with the judge barred from drawing any negative inference from that silence.
Taken together, that often leaves independent third-party documentation as the only path to proving what you already know. That is what we do.
Timing matters here too: as of July 1, 2026, adultery only supports fault grounds in Virginia if it occurred before the parties finally separated. See what HB 303 changed.
The same logic applies to cohabitation. Under Virginia Code § 20-109, spousal support can be modified or terminated when the receiving spouse has been cohabitating in a relationship analogous to marriage for a year or more. Your ex is not going to volunteer that information.
This is general information, not legal advice. Talk to a licensed Virginia attorney about your specific situation — and in most cases, talk to them before you hire us.
Payment
We accept cash, credit and debit cards, Zelle, PayPal, Venmo and Cash App. The $100 hourly rate applies to cash payments. All other methods are billed at $125 per hour.
Payment is made up front
Once we’ve agreed on the scope of your case and the number of hours it calls for, that block of hours is paid before work begins. You’ll know the exact figure before you commit to anything — there is no open-ended meter and no surprise invoice afterward.
If the case needs more time than we planned, we’ll tell you what we’ve found and what more hours would likely accomplish. You decide whether to continue. Additional hours are paid the same way, before they’re worked.
Law firms and companies with an established account are the exception — that work is invoiced and processed through their normal accounts payable rather than prepaid.
Free Consultation
The consultation costs nothing and carries no obligation. Call or text 757-689-7453. For a Spanish-speaking investigator, call 757-493-1699.
Both male and female licensed investigators are available — request whichever you’re more comfortable working with.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to hire a private investigator in Virginia?
At Blueline Investigative Services, $100 per hour paying cash or $125 per hour by any other method, with a four-hour minimum per callout and no travel or mileage charges. A single callout therefore starts at $400 cash or $500 otherwise.
How much is a private investigator for a day?
It depends how many hours the day requires. An eight-hour day of surveillance is $800 paying cash, or $1,000 by other methods. Many cases don’t need a full day; some need several partial days spread across different times of the week, which is often more effective than one long stretch.
Do you charge for travel or mileage?
No. Standard client work carries no travel or mileage charge anywhere in our service area — Hampton Roads, Greater Richmond, the Virginia Eastern Shore, the Outer Banks and eastern North Carolina. You’re billed for investigative hours only.
Is the report and video included, or billed separately?
Included. Every case concludes with a written report along with the video and photographic evidence, prepared in a format suitable for Virginia courts and for your attorney’s use. There is no separate charge for producing it.
Do I have to pay before you start?
Yes. Individual clients pay for the agreed block of hours up front, before work begins. You’ll know the exact amount before committing — there’s no open meter and no bill arriving later for more than you expected. If the case needs additional hours, we’ll tell you what we’ve found first, and you decide whether to continue. Law firms and companies with an established account are invoiced instead.
Is it legal to hire a private investigator in Virginia?
Yes. Private investigators in Virginia must be licensed by the Department of Criminal Justice Services. Blueline Investigative Services holds DCJS License #11-9802 and North Carolina PPS License #140229. A licensed investigator may lawfully conduct surveillance and document activity in public places. We do not trespass, wiretap, or access private accounts — not only because it is illegal, but because evidence gathered that way is inadmissible and can damage your case.
Do I need a lawyer before I hire an investigator?
For most divorce, custody and spousal support matters, yes — and we’ll usually recommend it. Your attorney knows what evidence your specific case requires, which keeps you from paying for surveillance you don’t need. If you don’t have one yet, that’s fine; we can still talk through your situation first.
Are you licensed and insured?
Both. DCJS License #11-9802 in Virginia, PPS License #140229 in North Carolina, and $1,000,000 in professional liability coverage. A certificate of insurance is available on request.
What don’t you do?
We do not offer service of process. We also won’t take a case where we don’t believe we can get you a usable result — we’ll tell you that on the consultation rather than bill you to find out.
Custody Matters
Custody work is priced the same way, though it usually calls for several shorter callouts across different days rather than one long stretch. See what a child custody investigator can document in Virginia.
Talk to an Investigator
Blueline Investigative Services — 237 Hanbury Rd, Suite 17, Chesapeake, VA 23322
Call or text 757-689-7453. Free, confidential consultation. Serving Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg, Greater Richmond, the Virginia Eastern Shore, the Outer Banks and eastern North Carolina.