Cost Calculator
What does an ISO certification really cost?
The honest answer consists of four items, most of which quotes only show one of. We show all four — including the ones that apply to us.
- Consulting, certification body, travel costs and internal effort — complete
- All assumptions disclosed and verifiable
- No form required upfront: result visible immediately
Your numbers, our assumptions — both visible
In the default view, the calculator shows the external costs: consulting, certification body, and travel and incidental expenses. You can add your internal effort — it's the largest item in almost every project, and it depends more on your organization than anything else in this cost calculation.
Non-binding model calculation. The actual audit scope is determined according to the applicable rules for determining audit time and may differ. Not an offer in the legal sense.
Classic or Eucerta?
Where the difference arises
Not in the depth of testing. The same standard is audited to the same standard. The difference lies in everything that happens around the audit.
Classic path
- PreparationExternal consulting mandate, usually on a daily rate basis
- Number of invoicesTwo separate ones: consulting and certification body
- Price known before project startRarely — effort arises during the project
- AuditAppointments based on auditor availability, mostly on-site
- Time to certificateOften 6 to 12 months
- Certificate verifiablePDF, telephone inquiry with the body
- After the certificateThe system falls dormant until the next audit is due
With Eucerta
- PreparationPlatform with templates and gap analysis, included in the price
- Number of invoicesOne
- Price known before project startYes, fixed price
- AuditDigital, where professionally justifiable; on-site, where necessary
- Time to certificate2 to 4 weeks as a rule, 48 hours for a running system
- Certificate verifiablePublic register, verifiable at any time
- After the certificateThe system stays up to date in the platform — the AI reminds of deadlines
Full costs
Three items that appear in no quote — and still occur
Anyone comparing quotes for ISO certification usually only compares the price of the certification body. That is the smaller part of the bill.
Internal effort
The largest single item in almost every project. Three people over four months, half a day per week each, amount to around 25 person-days — a five-figure sum that appears nowhere.
Surveillance audits
A certificate is valid for three years, but a surveillance audit takes place every year. Anyone who only compares the initial audit is comparing just one part — admittedly the most expensive one.
Travel, incidental and waiting costs
Travel, expenses, preparation time — and the weeks in which an order cannot be accepted because the certificate is still missing.
Transparency
Where our figures come from
The audit days are based on the internationally common rules for determining audit time depending on the number of employees, the number of locations and the complexity. The daily rates for consulting and certification are market averages for German-speaking countries; you can set the internal full-cost rate yourself.
All of this is stated in the calculator under “Assumptions” and can be adjusted. If you consider other rates more realistic, calculate with your own.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Cost Calculator
Because three cost drivers are eliminated: the separate consulting mandate, the administrative overhead of an accredited structure, and the travel time for audits that can also be done digitally. The assessment standard remains the same.
Because in classic projects, most of the calendar time is queuing, not assessment: waiting for a consulting offer, for an auditor appointment, for travel, for the committee meeting. That's why the calculator shows time and money side by side — for most customers, the time savings is the more valuable figure.
No. It shows a model calculation. We create a binding offer after a short conversation about scope and locations. Or you book and use our fixed-price offers.
Because it is the largest item and is systematically missing from offer comparisons. Anyone who hides it is not comparing the costs of certification, but only the invoice of the certification body. In the standard view, we still leave it out so that the figure remains comparable with other offers — you can add it in with one click.
From the number of employees, locations and complexity, according to the internationally customary rules. For multiple standards, the reduction for combined audits is taken into account. The complete derivation is shown in the calculator under the "Audit Days" tab.
The calculator covers up to three locations. Beyond that, we create an individual offer, because sampling procedures and the resulting travel expenses - even for us - change the cost calculation.
Both. The exchange rate is maintained centrally and shown in the result with the date.
Seen the numbers. Shall we talk about your case?
20 minutes with someone who knows the standard — and will tell you if a certification doesn't make sense for you right now.
