How ISO certification pricing is calculated

Why there is no single price

Certification bodies are independent businesses and set their own fees. The effort an audit needs differs a great deal between a small office and a multi-site factory, so a fixed public price would mislead. MIYAAR CONNECT does not publish prices. Figures are only meaningful when a certification body confirms them in writing for your situation.

Factors that shape the quote

Number of employees

More people and more shifts generally mean more audit time. Certification bodies commonly use headcount as a starting point and then adjust.

Number of sites

Each site in scope may need to be visited, and some sites may be sampled. Whether sampling is allowed depends on the standard and the certification body's rules.

Complexity of the organization

Many processes, subcontracted activities, regulated products or technical operations take longer to audit than a simple service.

Scope of certification

The activities, products and locations you want on the certificate set the boundary of the audit. A narrow scope is not always better. It has to describe what you really do.

Audit time

The factors above come together as audit time, usually counted in auditor days. The certification body calculates it for your case and applies it to the initial audit, surveillance and recertification.

Number of standards

Auditing several standards together can save effort where the management systems overlap. See integrated management systems.

Sector risk

Higher-risk sectors, such as food, construction, healthcare or information security, may need more audit time or auditors with specific competence.

What a quote usually covers

Ask each certification body to state clearly:

• which audits are included, and over what period
• what is charged separately, such as travel or application fees
• the standard, edition and scope the quote applies to
• the accreditation held for that scope

When you compare quotes, compare like with like. A lower figure can reflect less audit time, which may matter later. How to choose a certification body covers what to look at.

Preparing for a better quote

The more accurate your inquiry, the more useful the quote. Read what to prepare before requesting a quote. For standard-specific cost factors, see the page for your standard, for example ISO 9001 or ISO/IEC 27001.

Costs of preparing your management system, for example staff time, training or consulting, are separate from certification fees and are your own choice.