12 Questions to Vet a Construction Security Vendor
Copy this list into your next RFP email. If a bidder can't answer all twelve in one written reply, they're not licensed the way California requires — or they're a broker reselling your contract.
The 12 questions
- 1.What is your active BSIS PPO number, and can I look it up on the state site right now?
- 2.Are your officers W-2 employees, 1099 contractors, or subcontracted from a national broker?
- 3.What is your average tenure of the officers you'd assign to my site?
- 4.Show me a redacted GL, auto, and W-C certificate — do they name my GC as additional insured with waiver of subrogation?
- 5.What is your written response SLA for an alarm on this jobsite, in minutes?
- 6.What is your dispatch failover if the on-duty officer misses a scheduled tour?
- 7.Send a sample post order for a comparable Sacramento project.
- 8.Send a sample sunrise report — actual photos, actual GPS pins, actual tour times.
- 9.What technology do you use for GPS tour verification (system name, not marketing terms)?
- 10.How do you handle armed vs unarmed escalation on this site?
- 11.What is your mid-project add/drop policy and required notice window?
- 12.Name three Sacramento GCs / developers we can call as references from the last 12 months.
Common vetting questions
Why do vendors refuse to give a PPO number over the phone?+
Because they don't have one — they resell service from another PPO or use 1099 off-duty guards. A legitimate CA PPO reads the number to any caller in 5 seconds.
How do I verify a PPO on my own?+
search.dca.ca.gov → License Search → Bureau of Security & Investigative Services → Private Patrol Operator → enter the number. Status must read 'Clear' or 'Active'.
What's the tell for a shady bid?+
No PPO on the proposal, no COI attached, hourly rate at or below $22 / hr (below W-2 + W-C cost), or refusal to name additional insured.
Should I hire off-duty police as construction guards?+
Off-duty LE is high-quality talent but not a substitute for a licensed PPO. You lose W-C coverage, dispatch, sunrise reporting, and additional-insured status. Use LE for cash escorts, not overnight patrol.
Can I request references from a bidder?+
Yes — every legitimate Sacramento PPO carries at least 3 current GC references. If a vendor stalls, that IS the answer.
Next step
Stormhammer Security, Inc. · CA BSIS PPO #121830 · https://sacsecuritypatrol.com/vet-construction-security-vendor-sacramento