ISO 27001 Cost Calculator: What Will UKAS Certification Really Cost?
Get a personalized GBP estimate covering Stage 1 + Stage 2 audits, internal labor, tooling, and ongoing surveillance. Compare DIY, consultant, and automation paths side by side.
How This ISO 27001 Cost Calculator Works
This calculator estimates total ISO 27001 program cost in GBP based on company size, current security maturity, certification body tier, and implementation approach. Auditor fees follow the ISO/IEC 27006 day-count formula multiplied by typical UKAS day rates: around £1,200 for smaller bodies, £1,250 mid-market, and up to £2,000 for brand-name CBs like BSI, LRQA, and DNV. Day rates rose roughly 20 percent into 2026 because of auditor scarcity and the ongoing 27001:2022 transition workload, so older benchmarks understate today's pricing.
The estimate also includes internal labor, security tooling (vulnerability scanner, SIEM, MDM, awareness training, penetration test), remediation, and either consultant fees or platform subscription depending on the path you select.
The Six Cost Components Explained
| Component | Year 1 range (GBP) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 + Stage 2 audit fees | £6,250 – £75,000 | Day-count × CB day rate; size-driven |
| Internal labor (DIY) | 600 – 1,000 hours | £40K – £80K at loaded rates |
| Internal labor (platform) | 150 – 300 hours | £10K – £25K at loaded rates |
| Security tooling stack | £20,000 – £80,000 | SIEM, MDM, vuln scanner, awareness, pen test |
| Consultant fees (optional) | £9,000 – £35,000 | £1,200 – £1,800 per day, project scope |
| Platform subscription | From £6,995/yr | Replaces most consultant + manual labor |
Day-count drives auditor fees more than any other lever. Small companies under 50 staff need 5 to 10 audit days. Mid-market 50 to 250 staff need 10 to 20 days. Above 250 staff, day-counts run 20 to 60 plus, which is why enterprise programs cross £75,000 in audit fees alone. Penetration testing and managed SIEM are the most underbudgeted tooling lines. A CREST-accredited annual penetration test runs £6,000 to £20,000, and managed SIEM for a mid-market SaaS sits in the £8,000 to £40,000 band before any in-house staffing on top.
What Drives Cost Up or Down
- Headcount in scope
- The single biggest cost lever. Audit days follow the regulated headcount table in ISO/IEC 27006. Halving scoped headcount can halve Year 1 audit fees.
- Certification body tier
- BSI, LRQA, and DNV charge premium day rates for the same auditor pool. Smaller UKAS-accredited bodies often deliver equivalent rigor at 30 to 40 percent lower fees.
- Starting maturity
- Companies with prior SOC 2 or ISO 9001 experience typically see 30 to 50 percent compression because risk methodology, supplier management, and internal audit are already in place.
- Approach
- DIY has the lowest cash outlay and the highest internal hours. Consultants reduce internal time but add fees. Platforms compress both internal hours and consultant dependency.
The 3-Year Cost Cycle Most Companies Forget
ISO 27001 is a 3-year program, not a one-off audit. Year 1 covers Stage 1 plus Stage 2 at full price. Years 2 and 3 carry surveillance audits at roughly 33 percent of the initial fee. Year 3 or 4 brings the full recertification audit at 80 to 100 percent of Year 1. Skipping any of these lapses your certificate. The cycle compounds for tooling and platform subscriptions, which renew annually, and for internal labor, which drops significantly after Year 1 but never disappears entirely.
| Year | Audit type | Audit fee % of Year 1 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Initial (Stage 1 + Stage 2) | 100% |
| 2 | Surveillance | ~33% |
| 3 | Surveillance | ~33% |
| 4 | Recertification | 80–100% |
DIY, Consultant, and Platform: Side by Side
Three paths exist and they differ significantly on total cost of ownership. DIY using spreadsheets keeps cash spend low but burns 600 to 1,000 internal hours. A specialist consultant typically charges £9,000 to £35,000 for an end-to-end engagement and produces strong documentation, but you depend on someone who leaves after Stage 2. A platform-led approach automates evidence collection, ships pre-built policy templates, and runs continuous monitoring through surveillance years that almost run themselves. Hicomply sits in this third category with 75+ integrations across cloud, identity, HR, and security tooling, which is what cuts internal hours from hundreds to tens. The full ISO 27001 cost guide walks through where Year 1 spend concentrates.
How to Use Your Estimate
The calculator gives you a budget range to socialize internally, not a fixed quote. Use it to set executive expectations, compare CB tiers, and pick an implementation path. Pair it with the ISO 27001 readiness assessment to see how much remediation sits between you and Stage 1, and the certification timeline tool to lay out phase-by-phase milestones. Hicomply plans start from £6,995 per year with unlimited users. The platform covers SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, NIST CSF, SOX IT controls, Cyber Essentials, and TX-RAMP, so a multi-framework program shares controls and avoids duplicating work. Book a demo to model your specific environment in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does ISO 27001 certification cost?
Total first-year cost typically ranges from £15,000 for a small SaaS using automation to over £150,000 for a large enterprise on the consultant path. Auditor fees alone run £6,250 to £12,500 for under 50 staff and £25,000 to £75,000 for 250+ staff. Internal labor, tooling, and remediation usually add at least as much again.
How long does ISO 27001 certification take?
First-time programs typically take 3 to 12 months. Small companies with prior framework experience and a compliance platform reach Stage 2 in around 90 days. Cold-start enterprises without tooling usually need 9 to 12 months because ISMS design, control implementation, internal audit, and management review all sit on the critical path.
Is ISO 27001 cheaper with Hicomply than with a consultant?
For most small and mid-market organizations, yes. Hicomply plans start from £6,995 per year with unlimited users, while a consultant-led program for the same company size typically costs £18,000 to £70,000 in fees alone. The platform also reduces internal labor hours, which is usually the largest hidden cost in any ISO 27001 program.
What costs do companies miss in their ISO 27001 budget?
The most overlooked items are the surveillance audits in years 2 and 3, the recertification audit in year 3 or 4, and the 600 to 1,000 internal labor hours required for a fully DIY first certification. Tooling like SIEM and pen testing also gets underestimated. These together can double the published auditor fee.
What is the annual cost of maintaining ISO 27001?
Annual recurring costs typically run 30 to 50 percent of first-year spend. Surveillance audits in years 2 and 3 are roughly 33 percent of the initial audit fee. Tooling subscriptions, platform fees, and a portion of internal labor for evidence collection continue. Year 3 or 4 brings the recertification audit at 80 to 100 percent of the initial fee.
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