ISO certification costs: overview per standard

What does an ISO certificate cost? That depends heavily on the standard, the size of your company and your starting point. A small company with ISO 9001 pays a few thousand euros, while a large organisation with ISO 27001 can spend tens of thousands of euros. This page shows the ranges per standard side by side, with a link on each row to the full cost overview.

The costs roughly consist of three items: advice, implementation and the external audit by an accredited certification body. You buy the standard itself from NEN (Royal Netherlands Standardisation Institute) . We explain each item and give honest tips, mainly on reducing the audit costs.

Costs per standard at a glance

The table shows the total indication for the first year, from a small to a large project. Click through for the full breakdown by company size.

The big differences lie in scope and complexity. SOC 2 is higher because it is an American attestation with intensive evidence gathering. VCA is relatively accessible. If you already have a management system, the costs of a second standard are often lower.

The three cost items explained

With almost every standard, the costs consist of the same three blocks. If you understand those, you know where your money goes.

Advice and guidance

Often the largest item, especially with your first certification. A consultant helps with the gap analysis, documenting processes and preparing for the audit. Hourly rates are usually between €100 and €200 per hour. You can also do it yourself, but that costs more of your own time.

Implementation and internal time

This is the time of your own staff plus any technical measures. Someone has to describe processes, involve employees and support the audit. A common mistake is underestimating this item: for a small company it quickly amounts to tens to hundreds of hours.

The external audit

The certification body charges based on audit days. The number of days depends on your number of employees and your complexity, following guidelines from the Global Accreditation Cooperation (GAC, formerly IAF) . Day rates are indicatively between €1,000 and €1,500.

Reducing the cost of the external audit

You cannot negotiate the audit costs away, but you can influence them. Below are honest ways to get a grip on the price.

Prepare well. The better your documentation and records are in order, the smoother the audit runs. Nonconformities cost a re-audit, and that is extra money. An internal audit beforehand prevents surprises during the initial audit.

Combine audits. Do you have several standards, for example ISO 9001 and ISO 14001? Many certification bodies do a combined audit. That saves audit days, often 20 to 30 per cent of the audit costs. The standards share a lot of structure, so you reuse documentation.

Make multi-year agreements. A certification cycle lasts three years: an initial audit plus two surveillance audits. By agreeing the whole cycle in one quote, you often get a sharper total price and certainty about the rates.

Compare quotes. Request quotes from several certification bodies. Look at the total price (day rate and number of days), not just the hourly rate. The auditor’s travel costs count too, so a certification body in your region can be cheaper.

Next step

Not sure yet which standard you need? The guide to choosing an ISO certification puts all the standards side by side by goal and sector. Want to know how the audit you pay for works? Read the initial audit explained. Or see how to choose a suitable party at choosing a certification body.