Most accessibility audits cost between 1,000 and 3,000 dollars. The final price depends on the size of the site or application, the depth of evaluation, and the conformance level being assessed. Understanding what drives these numbers helps set realistic budgets and avoid overpaying for incomplete work.
| Key Point | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Typical Range | 1,000 to 3,000 dollars for most websites and web applications |
| Per-Page Pricing | 100 to 250 dollars per page or screen evaluated |
| Primary Cost Factor | Number of unique page templates and interactive components |
| Conformance Standard | Most audits evaluate against WCAG 2.1 AA or WCAG 2.2 AA |
| What You Receive | A detailed report identifying accessibility issues with locations and remediation guidance |
What Determines the Accessibility Audit Cost?
The number of unique pages or screens is the single biggest pricing factor. An audit does not evaluate every page on a site. Instead, it covers representative templates: the homepage, navigation, forms, login flows, product pages, and other distinct layouts. A ten-page marketing site costs less to audit than a forty-screen web application with dynamic content and complex interactions.
Per-page pricing typically falls between 100 and 250 dollars. The variation reflects differences in page complexity. A static informational page takes less time to evaluate than an interactive dashboard with data tables, modal dialogs, and custom form controls.
What Does an Accessibility Audit Include?
A properly conducted audit is a human-led evaluation of your digital property against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) conformance criteria. The process includes screen reader testing using assistive technologies like NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver. Keyboard testing confirms that every interactive element is operable without a mouse. Visual inspection and code inspection round out the evaluation.
An automated scan is typically conducted as one component of the audit, but it is not the audit itself. Scans only flag approximately 25% of accessibility issues. The remaining 75% requires human evaluation, which is what you are paying for when you hire an auditor.
The deliverable is a report that identifies each accessibility issue, its location within the interface, the applicable WCAG criterion, and specific remediation guidance.
Why Price Ranges Vary Between Providers
Not all audits cover the same ground. A lower-priced evaluation might rely heavily on automated scans supplemented by limited human review. A higher-priced audit from a qualified accessibility firm involves thorough manual evaluation across multiple browsers and assistive technologies.
When comparing quotes, the per-page price matters less than what each page evaluation actually includes. An audit at 100 dollars per page with full screen reader testing, keyboard testing, and code inspection delivers more value than one at 150 dollars per page that skips assistive technology evaluation.
Audits for Web Applications vs. Websites
Web applications with authenticated states, role-based interfaces, and dynamic content take longer to evaluate. The auditor needs to assess each user flow and application state, not static pages alone. Expect pricing at the higher end of the range for SaaS products, portals, and applications with complex interactivity.
Standard informational websites with repeating templates typically fall at the lower end. Fewer unique templates means fewer pages to evaluate.
Costs Beyond the Audit
The audit itself identifies issues. Fixing them is a separate cost. Code remediation typically ranges from 250 to 550 dollars per page or screen, depending on the severity and volume of issues identified. Document remediation, particularly for PDFs, starts at 7 dollars per page.
Organizations that need a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) completed as an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) should budget for that separately. ACR issuance ranges from 300 to 1,000 dollars depending on the VPAT edition and product complexity.
Ongoing monitoring through scheduled automated scans adds a recurring cost but catches new issues as content and code change over time.
How to Budget for an Accessibility Audit
Start by counting unique page templates, not total pages. A site with 500 pages might only have 12 distinct templates. Those 12 templates are what the audit evaluates.
Factor in the conformance level. WCAG 2.1 AA is the most commonly referenced standard in procurement requirements and legal contexts. Auditing against 2.2 AA covers the latest version and is increasingly requested.
If remediation is part of the plan, budget for the audit and remediation as separate line items. Some providers offer bundled pricing, but keeping them distinct gives better visibility into where costs accumulate.
What Separates a Quality Audit from an Inadequate One
A quality audit uses human evaluators working with assistive technologies across defined browser environments. It produces a report with specific issue locations, WCAG criterion references, and actionable remediation steps. It covers the full scope of WCAG conformance at the specified level, not a partial check of the most common issues.
An inadequate audit often repackages automated scan results as a full evaluation. Since scans only flag approximately 25% of issues, an audit that relies primarily on scan output misses the majority of what matters. The price may look attractive, but the coverage gap carries real risk.
Audit pricing reflects the depth of human expertise applied to the evaluation. The 1,000 to 3,000 dollar range for most sites represents the cost of qualified professionals doing thorough, standards-based work.