EN 1090 costs and timeline

The costs of EN 1090 certification come in three parts: the notified body, qualifying your welding work and your own hours. Which part weighs most depends mainly on the execution class and on what you already have. A workshop with qualified welders and a working ISO 9001 system is much faster to finish than a company that starts from zero.

There is no national rate. You request quotes from notified bodies designated for EN 1090-1. You can find them in the European NANDO database . The FPC register of Bouwen met Staal (Building with Steel) lists the execution class and certificate number for each company. For most numbers, the first four digits are the identification number of the notified body.

All amounts on this page are fictional budget assumptions. They are not market rates and they are not quotes. Use them to build your own budget and add real quotes.

Which costs belong to EN 1090?

Split your budget into items that you can justify separately. This shows which costs are one-off and which recur every year.

Cost item	One-off or recurring	What sets the amount?
Initial inspection by the notified body	One-off	Number of audit days, execution class, number of locations
Periodic surveillance	Recurring	Frequency of surveillance and audit length
Welding coordinator	One-off (training) or recurring (hired in)	Required knowledge level, see ISO 3834
Welding procedure qualifications (WPQR)	One-off per process	Number of processes, materials and thicknesses
Welder certificates	Recurring	Number of welders and renewals
Standards	One-off, repeated when revised	Purchase of EN 1090-1, -2 or -3 and ISO 3834 through NEN
Calibration of measuring equipment	Recurring	Number of measuring instruments, see also ISO 17025 for accredited calibration
Advice and manual	One-off	Scope of the support
Internal hours	One-off and recurring	Setting up and maintaining the FPC system

Fictional budget for a small steel builder

Assume a steel builder with twelve employees wants EXC2. It has three welders and no qualified welding procedures yet. The amounts below are assumptions chosen to show how the budget is built.

Item	Assumption	Budgeted amount
Internal hours to set up the FPC system	160 hours × €60 internal rate	€9,600
Welding procedure qualifications	2 procedures, fictional item	€5,000
Training a welding coordinator	Fictional item for training and hours	€6,000
Initial inspection by the notified body	Fictional item, replace with a quote	€4,000
Standards and measuring equipment	Fictional item	€1,500
Total first year (example)	Excluding advice and welder certificates	€26,100

If the internal effort turns out higher, for example 240 hours, the example rises by 80 × €60 = €4,800. That is why your own time is often the biggest uncertainty. A company that already works with ISO 9001 saves mainly on this item.

Timeline: from start to EN 1090 certificate

How long the process takes depends on where you start and on the waiting time at the notified body. In any case, plan time for the system to run for a few orders. The auditor wants to see records, not empty forms.

Determine the execution class and scope

Look at your current and future orders. Choose steel, aluminium or both, and the highest class you need.

Gap analysis

Compare your way of working with EN 1090-2 or EN 1090-3 and ISO 3834. Note what is missing: welding coordinator, qualifications, procedures.

Arrange welding coordination and qualifications

Appoint a welding coordinator or have someone trained. Have welding procedures qualified and welders certified.

Set up the FPC system

Write the procedures, set up records and train the workshop. Use the example procedure overview.

Trial run

Complete a number of orders fully according to the system. Carry out an internal audit and resolve the findings.

Choose a notified body and initial inspection

Request quotes and plan the initial inspection. Resolve any deviations before the certificate is issued.

Certificate, DoP and CE marking

After the certificate, you prepare your first declaration of performance and CE label.

As a rough indication, based on our own estimate: a workshop with experienced, qualified welders and an existing quality system can be ready in a few months. If you start without welding procedure qualifications and without a welding coordinator, expect half a year to a year.

How often does the notified body return for EN 1090?

After the initial inspection, ongoing surveillance follows. Read how this relates to the validity of your certificate at how long an EN 1090 certificate is valid. EN 1090-1 sets the minimum frequency of surveillance visits in annex B, table B.3. On the certificates we looked at, the first surveillance visit takes place about nine months to a year after certification. After that, the intervals can become longer, depending on the execution class and how long you have been certified. Published certificates show cycles of 1, 2, 3 and 3 years, for example.

Not every notified body uses the same frequency. Some default to an annual visit. So ask about this explicitly in the quote, because it determines your recurring costs. Report changes to your production, such as a new welding process or a higher execution class, to your notified body in between.

What does the auditor want to see at the initial inspection?

Prepare for a walk through the workshop and the administration. The auditor often asks about:

A recent order that was made fully according to your FPC system.
The appointment of the welding coordinator and the welding procedure qualifications.
Material certificates and how you link them to parts.
Calibration of measuring equipment and inspection reports.
An internal audit and the follow-up on findings.

Minor deviations are normal. Read how they are classified at major and minor deviations.

Common mistakes in the budget

Budgeting only the quote from the notified body. The invoice from the body is often not the biggest item. Qualifications and your own hours usually add up to more.

Starting welding procedure qualifications too late. Test pieces must be welded, tested and reported. Plan this early in the process.

Not comparing surveillance frequency. Two quotes with the same price for the initial inspection can differ considerably over three years because of a different frequency.

Frequently asked questions about EN 1090 costs

Is EN 1090 more expensive than ISO 9001?

It depends on your starting point. The audit itself is similar in structure, but EN 1090 requires extra investment in welding work: welding coordination, qualifications and welder certificates. If you already have these for other clients, the difference is small. For the comparison, also read ISO 9001 for construction.

Can I hire a welding coordinator?

Yes, many small workshops do this. The hired welding coordinator must then be genuinely involved in your orders. The auditor asks which drawings and welding procedures he has assessed. A name on paper without involvement results in a deviation.

What does recertification cost?

An FPC certificate under the Bouwproductenverordening (Construction Products Regulation) generally remains valid as long as the conditions are met and surveillance is positive. A fixed recertification after three years, as with ISO 9001, is therefore not standard. Do ask how your notified body handles this. The recurring costs come from surveillance visits, welder certificates and your own upkeep of the system.