# AS9100 Certification Cost Estimator by Headcount and Sites > Source: https://netray.co/tools/as9100-certification-cost-estimator > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer Calculator for the total cost of AS9100 certification: registrar fees, consultant, training, internal time and the three year surveillance cycle. ## Category aerospace-defense ## Industry Aerospace ## Audience - Quality manager - Operations manager - Owner ## Tool **Kind:** calculator **Currency:** $ **Inputs:** #### Employees in scope **Key:** headcount **Type:** slider **Default:** 60 **Min:** 5 **Max:** 600 **Step:** 5 **Unit:** people **Help:** Everyone whose work touches the quality management system, including shifts. #### Sites in scope **Key:** sites **Type:** number **Default:** 1 **Min:** 1 **Max:** 10 **Step:** 1 **Help:** Each additional site adds audit time. #### Process complexity **Key:** complexity **Type:** select **Default:** 1 **Options:** ##### Machining or assembly only **Value:** 0.85 ##### Typical (several special processes) **Value:** 1 ##### Design authority, software or many special processes **Value:** 1.25 **Help:** Design responsibility, NADCAP processes and software raise audit time. #### Registrar day rate **Key:** day_rate **Type:** number **Default:** 1500 **Min:** 500 **Step:** 50 **Unit:** $/day **Help:** Get quotes; rates vary by registrar and region. #### Application and certificate fees **Key:** app_fee **Type:** number **Default:** 1200 **Min:** 0 **Step:** 100 **Unit:** $ **Help:** One-time fees quoted by the registrar. #### Consultant days **Key:** consultant_days **Type:** number **Default:** 20 **Min:** 0 **Step:** 1 **Unit:** days **Help:** Zero if you build the system in-house. #### Consultant day rate **Key:** consultant_rate **Type:** number **Default:** 1400 **Min:** 0 **Step:** 50 **Unit:** $/day #### Internal auditors to train **Key:** auditors **Type:** number **Default:** 2 **Min:** 0 **Step:** 1 #### Internal auditor course cost **Key:** course_cost **Type:** number **Default:** 1500 **Min:** 0 **Step:** 100 **Unit:** $ each #### Awareness and training hours per employee **Key:** hours_per_person **Type:** number **Default:** 6 **Min:** 0 **Step:** 1 **Unit:** hrs #### Core team hours to build the system **Key:** core_hours **Type:** number **Default:** 400 **Min:** 0 **Step:** 20 **Unit:** hrs #### Loaded labor rate **Key:** loaded_rate **Type:** number **Default:** 55 **Min:** 0 **Step:** 5 **Unit:** $/hr **Outputs:** #### Initial audit days (stage 1 + 2) **Key:** audit_days **Expr:** ceil(clamp(3 + 0.9 * sqrt(headcount), 3, 60) * (1 + 0.5 * (sites - 1)) * complexity) **Format:** integer **Description:** Approximate. The registrar sets the final figure from its own audit time rules. #### Registrar cost, initial certification **Key:** registrar_initial **Expr:** audit_days * day_rate + app_fee **Format:** currency #### Consulting **Key:** consulting **Expr:** consultant_days * consultant_rate **Format:** currency #### Auditor courses **Key:** training **Expr:** auditors * course_cost **Format:** currency #### Internal effort (time cost) **Key:** internal_cost **Expr:** (headcount * hours_per_person + core_hours) * loaded_rate **Format:** currency **Description:** Labor you already pay for but must plan for. #### First certification total **Key:** first_year_total **Expr:** registrar_initial + consulting + training + internal_cost **Format:** currency **Primary:** true #### Annual surveillance audit cost **Key:** surveillance **Expr:** ceil(audit_days / 3) * day_rate **Format:** currency **Description:** Surveillance is commonly about one third of initial audit time. #### Registrar cost over 3 years **Key:** three_year_registrar **Expr:** registrar_initial + 2 * surveillance **Format:** currency **Primary:** true **Chart:** #### First certification total vs employees in scope **Type:** line **X:** headcount **From:** 10 **To:** 500 **Steps:** 25 **Series:** - first_year_total - registrar_initial **Disclaimer:** Planning estimate only. Registrars calculate audit time from their accreditation rules and your processes. Obtain written quotes from at least two accredited registrars. ## Content **Intro:** AS9100 certification cost is mostly three things: registrar audit days, outside help, and your own team's time. This estimator combines them from your headcount, sites and complexity, and shows the three-year registrar cost so surveillance audits do not surprise you. **Sections:** #### How the estimate works **Body:** Audit time grows with the square root of headcount rather than linearly, which matches how registrars scale, and increases with additional sites and process complexity. The tool converts days to money using your registrar's day rate plus application fees. Surveillance audits use about one third of initial time each year, and the recertification audit comes up again in year three. Add consultant days, internal auditor courses and the hours your staff spend on awareness training and writing procedures. **Bullets:** - Registrar fees: audit days times day rate, plus travel and fees - Consulting: optional, but common for first-time certification - Training: lead auditor course for the quality manager, internal auditor course for others - Internal time: often the largest hidden cost #### Reading the result **Body:** The first certification total is the budget number for a project plan. The three-year registrar cost is what you will pay the certification body to keep the certificate, excluding corrective work, NADCAP, customer audits and software. A 60-person machine shop typically lands in the low five figures to mid five figures once internal time is counted, but your quotes decide the real figure. Use the chart to see how cost scales as headcount grows. #### Ways to cut cost without cutting quality **Body:** Reuse an existing ISO 9001 system, since AS9100 builds on it with aerospace additions such as configuration management, product safety, counterfeit parts prevention, first article inspection and on-time delivery performance. Keep the scope accurate, because excluded sites and processes reduce audit days. Ask registrars for a multi-year price, and prepare with an internal audit and management review before stage 2 so there are fewer nonconformities to close. **Cta:** If your ERP data is spread across systems, Netray can set up a private on-prem AI layer that answers audit questions from your own records, such as on-time delivery and supplier performance. **Faq:** #### How much does AS9100 certification cost? **Answer:** For a small to mid-sized shop, registrar fees for initial certification often run from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on audit days. Add consulting, training and internal labor. Use quotes from accredited registrars for a real budget. #### Why does AS9100 cost more than ISO 9001? **Answer:** AS9100 adds aerospace requirements and registrars usually assign more audit time, plus fees for the IAQG OASIS database. Customers also often demand additional controls such as FAI, counterfeit prevention and special process approval. #### How long does certification take? **Answer:** Companies with an ISO 9001 system often take six to twelve months. Starting from scratch is commonly nine to eighteen months, because records need time to accumulate and an internal audit and management review must be completed before stage 2. #### Are surveillance audits yearly? **Answer:** Yes. The certificate lasts three years, with surveillance audits in years one and two and a recertification audit before the end of year three. Special causes such as complaints can trigger extra audits. ## Search terms as9100 standard certification cost, as9100 certification course cost, as9100 begin certification cost, how much does as9100 certification cost, as9100d certification cost small company, as9100 registrar audit days, as9100 certification budget, as9100 surveillance audit cost --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json