An annual audit budget for digital accessibility typically falls between 1,000 dollars and 10,000 dollars per year for most organizations, with the exact figure depending on the number of pages or screens evaluated, the digital properties in scope, and whether user evaluation is included. A single website audit generally starts at 1,000 dollars and ranges to 3,000 dollars, while organizations with multiple properties or larger scopes should plan for higher recurring spend. Budgeting annually accounts for content changes, design updates, and continued WCAG 2.1 AA conformance over time.
| Budget Factor | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| Baseline audit cost | Most accessibility audits start at 1,000 dollars and range to 3,000 dollars per engagement. |
| Per-page pricing | Expect 100 dollars to 250 dollars per page or screen depending on complexity. |
| Annual cadence | One full audit per year plus a smaller follow-up evaluation after remediation is common. |
| Add-ons | User evaluation sessions start at 550 dollars each; technical support runs around 195 dollars per hour. |
What Shapes the Annual Audit Budget
The primary cost driver is scope. Scope is measured in unique page types or screens that represent the distinct patterns across a property. A marketing site with ten unique templates costs less to evaluate than a web application with forty authenticated states.
Complexity also matters. Interactive components, forms, authenticated flows, and dynamic content require more evaluation time than static pages. Two sites with the same page count can land at very different price points when one is heavily interactive.
The WCAG version selected affects cost indirectly. A WCAG 2.2 AA evaluation covers additional criteria compared to 2.1 AA, which can extend audit hours on complex properties.
Typical Annual Spending Patterns
Organizations generally fall into three budget tiers for recurring audit spend:
- Small to mid-size sites: 1,000 dollars to 3,000 dollars annually for a single website audit covering ten to twenty representative pages.
- Multi-property or mid-market: 3,000 dollars to 7,500 dollars annually when a website and a web application are both in scope, or when a follow-up evaluation is built into the plan.
- Enterprise and regulated industries: 7,500 dollars to 25,000 dollars or more annually when multiple digital assets, authenticated flows, and user evaluation are part of the annual cycle.
One Audit Per Year or Ongoing Evaluation
A common pattern is one full audit per year, paired with a lighter re-evaluation of remediated issues. The full audit identifies issues across the in-scope pages. The follow-up confirms fixes and flags anything new introduced by development work.
Organizations publishing significant new content or shipping frequent product updates often add a mid-year evaluation. The budget trade-off is clear: more frequent evaluations catch regressions sooner but increase annual spend.
What the Budget Does Not Cover
An audit budget covers the evaluation itself, not the work that follows. Remediation is a separate line item. Code remediation typically runs 250 dollars to 550 dollars per page or screen when outsourced. Document remediation starts at 7 dollars per page.
VPAT and ACR issuance is also separate. Issuance of an ACR starts at 300 dollars and ranges to 1,000 dollars, on top of the underlying audit cost.
User evaluation with assistive technology users is often budgeted alongside audits but priced separately. Sessions typically start at 550 dollars each.
Building the Annual Number
A practical way to build the figure is to start with the baseline audit, add a line for follow-up evaluation, and reserve a portion for remediation support hours. Technical support at 195 dollars per hour gives development teams access to a specialist when specific issues need clarification.
For organizations preparing for procurement cycles or regulatory deadlines, the audit budget also anchors related work: VPAT or ACR issuance for sales, remediation for conformance, and recurring evaluation to confirm that conformance holds over time. The accessibility audit cost overview covers how these pieces fit together across a full budget.
A realistic annual audit budget reflects scope, complexity, and how often the property changes. Revisiting the number each year as the digital footprint grows keeps it aligned with what the organization actually needs.