FIRE INVESTIGATION, RESEARCH, AND EDUCATION

​​GULF COAST FIRE, LLC

Hourly Rate - For office and investigative time, portal to portal, plus expenses.

Expenses - Expenses may include, but are not limited to: mileage, meals, lodging,  airfare, car rental, taxi service, supplies, rental equipment, parking, laboratory fees, etc.  Basic automobile mileage will be charged at the federal  per mile rate.  All other expenses will be passed directly to the client.

Travel Rate  - Automotive travel will be charged portal to portal at the hourly rate, plus mileage unless other prior arrangements are agreed upon.  The standard hourly rate will be reduced by 25% for air travel time.

Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) Rate - A HAZMAT rate will apply to losses containing hazardous materials requiring special training and/or special personal protective equipment (PPE) greater than level D.  A charge of 1.5 times the standard hourly rate will apply for the entire day while conducting the scene examination.

Depositions and Court - Deposition and/or court testimony will be charged at 1.5 times the hourly rate for a minimum of 6 hours.  All testimony, unless ordered by the court, will cease at 5:30 pm local time. 

Investigations resulting in testifying in criminal court (including meetings and preparation time) will be billed to the client.  Certain cases, including criminal cases, will require advanced payment against fees.

The client will be responsible for all invoice amounts, in their entirety, subject to the terms and conditions of the Letter of Engagement. Bills will be presented as the case progress and are due upon receipt.

The above rates and billing policies are subject to change.  Please contact Gulf Coast FIRE for the latest information.

Once a file has been accepted, a signed Letter of Engagement must be returned to Gulf Coast FIRE to indicate you are aware of our fee schedule and that you are retaining our services.  We do not consider ourselves retained until we receive the signed Letter of Engagement.  Please contact our office for additional information regarding our hourly rates and policies.

RATES AND BILLING POLICIES