Comparing ISO 14001 quotes: what should they include?
A good ISO 14001 quote contains the scope, the number of audit days per phase, the accreditation of the certification body and a specification of what is included in the price. Only compare quotes if they cover the same thing. Otherwise you are comparing apples with pears. An accredited body holds accreditation from an authority such as the Dutch Accreditation Council (Raad voor Accreditatie, RvA) . Below you will find a checklist, an example with three quotes and the pitfalls that companies most often fall into. For the total cost of the process, see costs and timeline. For how an audit works, read the audit process.
Which elements must a quote contain?
There are six elements that should appear in every quote. If one is missing, ask for it before you compare.
| Element | What you should see | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Which locations, departments, activities and processes | Determines which audit you are buying |
| Audit days | Number of days per phase: initial audit, surveillance, recertification | The largest cost item, often priced per day |
| Accreditation | That the body is accredited by the RvA (or an equivalent national accreditation body) | Tenders and clients often require it. Check their requirements |
| Travel days and costs | Whether these are included in the price or invoiced separately | Can make up a substantial part of the total |
| Preparation | Whether a pre-audit (trial audit) is part of the quote | Determines whether you have extra costs. Advice does not come from the certification body itself |
| Annual costs | Surveillance and recertification, per year | The certificate also costs money after the first year |
Accreditation is the requirement that companies most often overlook. Always ask whether the body is accredited for ISO 14001. Read more about choosing a body in the audit process.
An example: three quotes side by side
A manufacturing company (fictional, 60 employees, one location) asks three bodies for a quote. The scope is the same: the whole production site, all clauses of the standard. The three quotes are set out in one table below.
| Element | Quote A | Quote B | Quote C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | Whole site | Whole site | Production, excluding office |
| Initial audit (days) | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Surveillance per year (days) | 2 | 2 | 1.5 |
| Accreditation stated | Yes | Yes | No, only on request |
| Travel costs | In price | Invoiced separately | In price |
| Preparation | Not included | Pre-audit included | Not included |
| Price first year (excl. VAT) | Still to request | Still to request | Still to request |
Be careful what happens if you only look at the price. Quote C looks cheaper, but its scope is different: the office is not covered. A client may ask questions about this later. Quote B has more audit days and you pay travel costs separately, but it includes a pre-audit. That shows where you still have gaps before the actual audit.
The price cells are deliberately empty: this example is fictional and does not quote market prices. Each body charges its own day rate. Therefore always ask for the total amount per year, including travel and preparation, so that you compare like with like.
A quote without a scope and without a number of audit days cannot be compared. Ask for these first, even if the body considers them standard.
How to compare quotes
Fix the scope before you ask for quotes
Write down which locations, departments and activities fall under the system. Send the same text to all bodies. That gives you an equal basis.
Ask for a breakdown of the audit days
Ask for the number of days per phase and what happens on those days. An auditor who charges five days for a small site must be able to explain why.
Compare the annual costs with the one-off costs
The certificate is valid for three years, with annual surveillance. Calculate over the whole cycle, not just the first year. The costs and timeline page gives an indication of the proportions.
Check the accreditation
Ask for the accreditation and its validity. A certificate from a body without accreditation for ISO 14001 is often not accepted. Read the requirements of your client.
Ask what is missing
Ask about travel costs, preparation, re-inspections and any costs if a major nonconformity is found. The last can extend your process. Read what a major nonconformity is and what you do about it.
Pitfalls when comparing
- Choosing the cheapest quote without checking the scope. A smaller scope is cheaper, but it may not cover your whole company.
- Comparing one-off costs and forgetting the rest. Surveillance and recertification cost money every year or every three years.
- Forgetting internal time. It takes employees hours to build the system and prepare for the audit. Those hours are not in the quote, but they are part of your real costs.
- Buying a certificate without checking accreditation. The certificate may then not be usable in a tender later.
- Confusing a consultancy with a certification body. The consultancy helps you prepare. The certification body assesses the system. These roles are separate: according to ISO/IEC 17021-1 , the standard for certification bodies, a body may not offer management system consultancy. See the step-by-step plan for the order of steps.
What the quote says about the body
The quote also says something about the body itself. A body that asks about your processes, your number of employees and your risks is thinking about the scope with you. A body that only quotes a price says little about the quality of the audit. Take this into account when you choose.
You can also have a conversation. Ask the body which sectors they often audit and how they handle a combined audit with ISO 9001. If you want to combine the two, read combining ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
Common questions
Is the cheapest quote always the worst? No. But the price only tells you something when the scope and number of audit days are the same. Check that first.
Can I negotiate the number of audit days? The number of days follows from your scope and the size of your organisation, based on rules from the accreditation world (International Accreditation Forum, IAF ). Ask the body to explain the calculation. A different number of days can have a reason, but it must be explainable.
Should I sign the quote straight away? No. First ask about the terms and cancellation rules. That way you know what you can get back if your plans change.
Next step
Fix the scope, ask three bodies for a quote using the same text, and put them side by side in a table as above. Only then make a decision. If you first want to understand the total lead time, read the step-by-step plan.