The line-by-line budget
Course fee including EFAW first aid: expect £250 as a fair national average.
SIA licence fee: currently around £190 and reviewed annually.
Identity verification, DBS-adjacent checks, printed passport photos: budget £30.
Where guards overspend
Paying premium prices for London-based courses when regional providers deliver the same qualification for 40% less.
Buying branded uniforms before securing employment. Most employers supply.
Where guards under-spend and regret it
Cheap unbranded steel-toe boots. Twelve-hour shifts on concrete demand proper support.
Skipping a decent hi-vis torch and radio earpiece — both pay for themselves inside a month.