A VPAT typically costs between 300 dollars and 1,000 dollars for the Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) itself, with most engagements landing in that window. That figure covers the preparation of the completed document. It does not cover the accessibility evaluation that must precede it, which is a separate line item and usually the larger share of the total project.
The VPAT is the blank template published by ITI. The ACR is the finished report filled out against that template for a specific product. When someone asks what a VPAT costs, they are almost always asking about the cost of receiving a completed ACR from a qualified evaluator.
| Cost Element | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| ACR issuance | 300 dollars to 1,000 dollars for the completed report document |
| Supporting audit | Usually 1,000 dollars to 3,000 dollars, priced separately and required as the evidence base |
| VPAT edition | WCAG, Section 508, EN 301 549, or INT, each carrying a different price point |
| Product scope | Page and screen count, authenticated areas, and product complexity drive the audit total |
What the ACR Fee Covers
The ACR fee pays for evaluator time to map audit findings to each applicable success criterion, write the remarks that explain conformance status, and produce the final document in the required edition format.
The evaluator reviews the product against every criterion within scope, records Supports, Partially Supports, Does Not Support, or Not Applicable for each, and documents what was evaluated and how. That writeup is what buyers and procurement teams actually read.
Why the Audit Is a Separate Cost
An ACR without a supporting audit is not a credible document. The audit provides the evidence that backs every conformance claim in the report, which is why reputable evaluators will not issue an ACR without one.
Most accessibility audits start at 1,000 dollars and range to 3,000 dollars depending on page count, screen count, and product complexity. Larger products with many unique templates, authenticated areas, or mobile screens push the total higher.
How VPAT Edition Affects Price
The VPAT comes in four editions, and pricing varies by edition because the scope of criteria evaluated changes.
- WCAG edition: Evaluates against WCAG 2.1 AA or 2.2 AA. Most common edition for SaaS and commercial software sold in the US private sector.
- Section 508 edition: Adds Section 508 requirements on top of WCAG. Used for US federal procurement.
- EN 301 549 edition: Adds the European standard on top of WCAG. Used for European public sector procurement.
- INT edition: Covers all three frameworks in one document. Highest price point, used when selling across multiple markets.
What Drives the Total Project Cost
Total VPAT project cost is the audit plus the ACR issuance fee. Three factors move that total up or down.
Product scope is the largest driver. A five-page marketing site costs far less to evaluate than a SaaS application with fifty unique screens and authenticated workflows. Page count, screen count, and whether the evaluator needs login credentials all factor in.
Edition choice adds a secondary layer. The INT edition requires more evaluator hours than the WCAG edition because more criteria are in play.
Evaluator quality is the third factor. Low-cost providers that skip the audit or rely heavily on automated scans produce ACRs that do not hold up under buyer scrutiny. Scans alone detect approximately 25 percent of accessibility issues, which means a scan-only ACR misrepresents the product’s actual conformance.
Signs the Price Is Too Low
A VPAT quote under 300 dollars with no audit attached is a red flag. So is a provider offering to fill in the template based on a self-assessment questionnaire or a brief product demo. Neither produces a defensible document.
Procurement teams and enterprise buyers increasingly scrutinize ACRs for evaluator credentials, audit methodology, and date of last evaluation. A cheap ACR that gets rejected during vendor review costs more than a properly scoped one done right the first time.
Budgeting for a VPAT
A reasonable budget range for a complete VPAT project on a small to mid-sized web application is 1,300 dollars to 4,000 dollars, combining the audit and the ACR issuance. Larger products, multi-edition reports, or mobile plus web evaluations push the range higher.
Plan for the audit as the primary expense and the ACR as a smaller add-on. If a quote reverses that ratio, ask what the audit actually included.