Consultation
- Not separately charged
- Confidential intake and service-fit guidance
- Used to confirm whether the service package fits before service hours begin
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Washington Pricing Context
The base package structure is the same, but Washington cases can feel very different to budget once the work starts moving across counties, toward court deadlines, or through attorney coordination. This page is here to slow that down and show you what usually changes cost before you commit to anything.
Consultation
Service Pricing
Service Package - $1,500
- 10 Service Hours
- $150 Expense Credit
Package Rules and Surcharges
Service Hours
Service hours can only be purchased as part of the 10-hour service package.
Unused service hours expire 1 year from the package purchase date. If additional packages are purchased, the expiration date for all unused service hours resets to the new package expiration date.
Expense Credits
If expense credits are depleted, additional expenses are charged at cost.
Unused expense credits expire 1 year from the package purchase date. If additional packages are purchased, the expiration date for all unused expense credits resets to the new package expiration date.
Travel Time
Travel time is deducted from the available service hours in 1-hour blocks.
Travel to and from the service area counts against the package so you can see how many hours remain for investigation work.
Preparation Time
Preparation time is deducted from the available service hours in 1-hour blocks.
Document review, pre-surveillance planning, client background checks, and similar setup work count against the package in those 1-hour blocks.
Same-Day and Alternative Scheduling
A 1-Hour Same-Day Service Surcharge applies to any service and/or travel time scheduled on the same day the service starts.
A 1-Hour Alternative Scheduling Surcharge applies when a booking is scheduled via call, text, video, or in-person conversation instead of through the online booking system.
Same-Day Reporting and Holidays
A 1-Hour Same-Day Report Surcharge applies when a client requests delivery the same day service and/or travel is completed.
It adds a 30-minute buffer per 60 minutes of scheduled service time and starts immediately after service ends, or after all travel is completed when travel is part of the booking. A 20-Hour Holiday Surcharge applies to New Year's Day, Independence Day (day of and day after), Thanksgiving Day (day of and day after), Christmas Eve, Christmas Day (day of and day after), and New Year's Eve.
High-Risk and Stackable
An 80-Hour High-Risk Surcharge applies to service and/or travel provided in locations affected by war, civil unrest, terror attacks, natural disasters, industrial disasters, infrastructure failures, and public health emergencies.
All surcharges are stackable, and all surcharges are deducted from the available service hours.
Pricing FAQ
Do you charge separately for consultation?
No. Consultation is not separately charged. We use it to understand whether investigation support and the 10-hour service package fit before service hours begin.
What is included with the service package?
The service package includes 10 service hours and a $150 expense credit.
When do package hours and credits expire?
Unused service hours and expense credits expire 1 year from the package purchase date. If an additional package is purchased, the expiration date for all unused service hours and expense credits resets to the new package expiration date.
How is travel time charged?
Travel time is deducted from the available service hours in 1-hour blocks.
How is preparation time charged?
Preparation time is deducted from the available service hours in 1-hour blocks.
When does the alternative scheduling service surcharge apply?
The 1-Hour Alternative Scheduling Surcharge applies when a service booking is scheduled via call, text, video, or in-person conversation instead of through the online booking system.
When does the same-day service surcharge apply?
The 1-Hour Same-Day Service Surcharge applies to any service and/or travel time scheduled on the same day the service will start, from 12:00 AM through 11:59 PM.
How does the same-day report surcharge work?
The 1-Hour Same-Day Report Surcharge applies when a client requests delivery the same day the service time and/or travel time is completed instead of receiving a Next-Day Report by 9:00 PM Pacific Time the day after completion. It adds a 30-minute buffer per 60 minutes of scheduled service time and starts immediately after service ends, or after all travel is completed when travel is part of the booking.
When does the high-risk surcharge apply?
The 80-Hour High-Risk Surcharge applies to any service and/or travel time provided in locations affected by war, civil unrest, terror attacks, natural disasters, industrial disasters, infrastructure failures, and public health emergencies.
Which holidays trigger the holiday surcharge?
The 20-Hour Holiday Surcharge applies to New Year's Day, Independence Day (day of and day after), Thanksgiving Day (day of and day after), Christmas Eve, Christmas Day (day of and day after), and New Year's Eve.
Can surcharges stack?
Yes. All surcharges are stackable, and all surcharges are deducted from the available service hours.
Washington Coverage and Planning Realities
Most Washington pricing questions come down to geography, timing, and how much of the file needs to be coordinated at once.
Pierce County Starts With the Least Friction
Tacoma and the rest of Pierce County usually carry the lightest travel overhead. Local surveillance, witness work, and service can often stay focused on the case instead of the drive.
King County Adds Routing and Time Pressure
Seattle-area work is well within reach, but traffic, scheduling windows, and the size of King County can change how efficiently a plan is used.
Kitsap, Snohomish, and Thurston Shift the Plan Differently
Ferry or bridge routing, north-south distance, and longer return windows all affect how time is paced when a file reaches beyond Pierce County.
Some Files Need a Statewide View From the Start
When the issue is already crossing counties, tied to an attorney, or moving toward a hearing, the budget usually needs to be built around the bigger picture instead of one local stop.
What Usually Changes Cost Across Washington
Washington family-law investigations move through 39 counties and very different local court rhythms. Understanding what actually drives cost makes it easier to build a service plan that fits the facts instead of guessing.
| Factor | Why It Changes Cost in Washington | What Usually Keeps It Clearer |
|---|---|---|
| County travel and routing | Cross-county work changes travel time, scheduling windows, and how much activity can realistically be covered in one package. | Being clear up front about where the case actually lives and which locations matter most. |
| Urgency tied to hearings or filings | Temporary orders, protection-order issues, and modification deadlines can force faster planning and reporting. | Sharing the real deadline and current case stage early so expedited work is planned, not reactive. |
| Multi-service combinations | Some matters need surveillance, research, digital evidence support, and witness work together, each with its own time demands. | Separating the must-have work from the nice-to-have work and phasing the budget accordingly. |
| Attorney and court process | Attorney-directed files often need more structured reporting, coordination, and communication discipline. | Being plain about whether the matter is client-led, attorney-directed, or already near a court event. |
| Seasonal and calendar pressure | School-year changes, summer schedules, and holiday conflicts can create sudden timing pressure in parenting cases. | Planning ahead of known high-conflict periods instead of waiting until the window narrows. |
Washington Pricing FAQ
Does statewide Washington work always cost more than Tacoma work?
Not always. The biggest difference is usually travel, timing, and whether the file needs multi-county coordination rather than one local activity area.
Can one package cover a file that moves between counties?
Often yes, but sometimes the better answer is to pace the work in phases so the budget stays tied to the facts that matter most first.
Should I read this page or the main pricing page first?
Start with the main pricing page for the base consultation and service package pricing, travel rules, and surcharge rules. Read this page when the case is clearly a Washington matter with statewide routing, county movement, or deadline pressure.
How does attorney-directed work affect Washington pricing?
Attorney-directed engagements may involve more formal reporting structure, privilege-aware communication, and coordination time. The goal is to account for that in the plan instead of surprising you later.
What if my case starts local but expands statewide?
The service scope can be adjusted as the facts develop. If a Pierce County case grows into King County or beyond, the scope and budget are updated plainly before that broader work begins.
Need a Washington-specific pricing read instead of a generic quote?
Consultation is where statewide travel, county logistics, and timing pressure can be matched to a real plan instead of a guess. Consultation is not separately charged.