Alternatives to Allied Universal.
If an hourly guard costs more than your site needs, these are the western Washington options, from other guard companies to live camera monitoring, with published rates where they exist.
What are the alternatives to Allied Universal?
The main alternatives to Allied Universal in western Washington are other guard companies, such as Securitas, Pierce County Security, and Cascadia Global Security; mobile patrol, where an officer stops by a few times a night; and live camera monitoring, such as 911 Sentinel, from $900 a month. Guard companies bill by the hour: Allied's Washington state contract rate for an unarmed guard inside Seattle is $35.49, about $8,600 a month for 8 hours a night.
Why owners pick 911 Sentinel
For a site that empties out at night, camera monitoring covers the whole property for a fraction of a guard: from $900 a month for an 8-hour window, camera and installation included. An alert reaches our team within 30 seconds, an operator acts within 3 minutes with a recorded warning, siren, and spotlights, then calls your team and the police. No one is confronted.
Why owners look for an alternative
- Cost: at Allied's Seattle state contract rate of $35.49 an hour, one unarmed guard 8 hours a night is about $8,600 a month, and around the clock about $25,900.
- Coverage: a guard sees one post at a time, and a patrol sees the site only when it stops by.
- Confrontation: a guard on site may end up face to face with an intruder, which some owners would rather avoid.
The options
| Option | What it is | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| 911 Sentinel | AI camera monitoring with an operator on every alert, plus camera-vehicle patrol and drones | From $900/mo |
| Securitas | Guards, planned mobile patrols, and remote guarding from Charlotte, NC | Quoted per site |
| Pierce County Security | Tacoma guards, mobile patrol, and alarm response | $34.27/hr unarmed in Pierce County (state contract) |
| Cascadia Global Security | Kent guards and mobile patrol | "$30–$60 per hour" for most Seattle onsite programs |
| ECAM (Stealth Monitoring) | National live video monitoring | Quoted per site |
Common questions
Is there a cheaper alternative to a security guard?
For a site that empties out at night, live camera monitoring usually costs far less: 911 Sentinel starts at $900 a month for an 8-hour window, against about $8,600 a month for one unarmed guard 8 hours a night at Allied Universal's Seattle state contract rate.
Which guard companies serve Seattle besides Allied Universal?
Securitas has offices in Seattle and SeaTac, Pierce County Security is based in Tacoma, and Cascadia Global Security is based in Kent. All three offer guards and mobile patrol.
Sources
Checked .
- Allied Universal office locations
- Securitas, Seattle office
- Securitas, remote guarding operations center
- Pierce County Security home page
- Cascadia Global Security, Seattle security services
- ECAM, live video surveillance in Seattle
- Washington DES statewide contract 00624, Security Guard Services (contract summary)
- Contract 00624 price sheet, effective August 1, 2026, updated September 25, 2026
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