Private Investigator Services
Private Investigator Services: Licensed PI Coverage Across the United States
PathwayPIS provides eight core private investigator services — infidelity, surveillance, background checks, asset searches, missing-person locate, cyber/digital, social media, and corporate due diligence. Hourly rates run $85–$250; most cases retain at $1,500–$3,500. Licensed regional partners cover all major US metros.
Our Eight Core Private Investigator Services
Each service has a dedicated page with full pricing, scope, legal context, and intake. Click any card to go to the service page.
Infidelity & Cheating Spouse Investigation
Discreet surveillance, lifestyle pattern analysis, and court-ready reporting for divorce, custody, and personal-decision matters. Most common case type a private investigator handles.
Infidelity Investigation Services →Surveillance Investigation
Field surveillance for civil cases, insurance fraud, workers’ comp, custody, and pre-litigation documentation. Single or two-operative coverage with chain-of-custody.
Surveillance Investigation Services →Background Check Investigation
Comprehensive PI-conducted background checks: court records, employment, civil filings, criminal history, education verification, and prior-marriage history.
Background Check Services →Asset Search Investigation
Hidden asset, real property, business interest, and financial-account searches for divorce, judgment recovery, pre-litigation, and corporate due diligence.
Asset Search Services →Missing Person & Skip Tracing
Locate adult subjects, witnesses, debtors, beneficiaries, biological family, and lost contacts using public records, OSINT, and lawful database access.
Missing Person Services →Cyber & Digital Investigation
Online harassment, cyberstalking, account attribution, catfishing, sextortion evidence, online business fraud, and digital-only investigation work.
Cyber Investigation Services →Social Media Investigation
Social media footprint review, hidden secondary account discovery, dating-app investigation, online reputation evidence, and pre-employment social review.
Social Media Investigations →Corporate & Due Diligence
Business partner vetting, M&A due diligence, internal-fraud investigation, executive background, and corporate asset searches across multiple jurisdictions.
Corporate Investigation →Private Investigator Cost Summary
Below is the at-a-glance pricing across all our services. For a complete national pricing breakdown including factors that drive cost up or down, see our private investigator cost guide.
| Service | Hourly Rate | Typical Total Case | Average Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infidelity / Cheating Spouse | $95–$175 | $2,500–$6,500 | 1–4 weeks |
| Surveillance (general) | $95–$175 | $1,500–$5,000 | 1–3 weeks |
| Background Check | flat | $250–$750 | 3–7 days |
| Asset Search | flat | $750–$5,000 | 5–15 days |
| Missing Person / Skip Trace | flat | $300–$1,200 | 5–15 days |
| Cyber / Digital Forensics | $200–$400 | $1,500–$8,000 | 1–3 weeks |
| Social Media Investigation | flat | $500–$2,500 | 3–7 days |
| Corporate Due Diligence | $200–$400 | $3,500–$25,000+ | 2–6 weeks |
| Process Service | per attempt | $85–$175 | 1–3 attempts |
What All Our Private Investigator Services Have in Common
Regardless of case type, every PathwayPIS engagement uses the same five-step structure:
- Free 15-minute consultation. We confirm the decision you need to make and whether a licensed PI is the right tool. If it isn’t, we say so.
- Written scope and retainer. Hourly rate, retainer amount, deliverable list, and reporting cadence — signed before any field work.
- Highest-yield evidence path first. We work the lead most likely to answer your question, not blanket-coverage surveillance.
- Milestone-based execution. You can pause, expand, or close the case at any milestone. No locked-in long contracts.
- Decision-ready report. Written summary, timestamped media, chain-of-custody, and exhibit formatting where needed for legal use.
What we won’t do: tap phones, hack accounts, record private conversations in two-party-consent states, trespass on private property, impersonate law enforcement, or use evidence-collection methods that won’t survive cross-examination. State PI licensing law varies, but a real licensed investigator works strictly inside it.
Coverage by City
PathwayPIS handles cases nationwide through licensed regional partners. For city-specific intake, current local rates, and state-law context, see our location pages:
Major Metros
Other Cities
Looking for a private investigator near me? Use our directory to match with the closest licensed regional partner — usually within 24 hours of intake.
Get a Confidential Quote for Any of Our Services
Tell us the decision you need to make. We’ll tell you which service fits, what the case should cost, and how long it will take. No pressure, no upsell.
Private Investigator Services FAQ
What services do private investigators offer?
Most licensed PIs offer 6–8 core service types: infidelity surveillance, general surveillance, background checks, asset searches, missing-person locate, cyber/digital investigation, social media investigation, and corporate due diligence. Specialized firms also handle TSCM (bug sweeps), accident reconstruction, and forensic services.
How much do private investigator services cost?
Hourly surveillance work runs $85–$250 per hour depending on city and case type. Flat-fee work like background checks runs $250–$750. Total cases typically run $1,500–$8,000 with retainers of $1,500–$5,000.
Are private investigator services confidential?
Yes. Confidentiality is bound by professional standards and explicit retainer terms. The investigator works for you exclusively and does not disclose the engagement to any third party without your authorization.
Do all PI services require a licensed investigator?
Almost all field surveillance and case-investigation work requires state PI licensure. A few states have lighter rules (Idaho, Wyoming, Mississippi, Alaska, South Dakota), but most cases benefit from a licensed PI for evidence admissibility.
How long does a typical private investigator case take?
Most cases run 1–4 weeks of calendar time. Background checks resolve in 3–7 days; asset searches in 5–15 days; surveillance cases in 1–4 weeks; corporate due diligence in 2–6 weeks.
Can private investigator services be used in court?
Yes when scoped that way at intake. Reports include timestamped media, chain-of-custody documentation, operative attestation, and exhibit formatting that family-court, civil-court, and criminal-defense judges accept.
What’s the difference between a private investigator and a private detective?
None. The terms are interchangeable in most US states. Some state license titles use “private detective” (e.g., Illinois) and others use “private investigator” (e.g., California, Texas, Florida). The work is the same.
Can I hire a private investigator for any reason?
Yes, as long as the purpose is lawful. Common reasons: divorce/custody, business decisions, finding lost contacts, civil litigation support, due diligence, fraud detection, harassment investigation. PIs decline cases that involve unlawful methods or stalking-adjacent intent.
Do you offer private investigator services near me?
Yes. We field cases nationwide through licensed regional partners. Major metros covered include Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Miami, Dallas, Phoenix, Orlando, Austin, and San Antonio. See our private investigator near me directory.
Related Resources
- Private Investigator Cost Guide — full 2026 pricing breakdown
- How to Hire a Private Investigator — pre-engagement checklist
- Private Investigator Near Me — local PI directory
- All Private Investigator Locations
- PathwayPIS Case Studies
- About PathwayPIS
- Request a Confidential Quote