AS9100 Certification Cost: What Aerospace Companies Should Expect

The Four Primary Cost Drivers of AS9100 Certification

AS9100 certification cost is not just the registrar audit fee. It typically includes:

1. Consulting & Implementation Support

2. Certification Body (Registrar) Audit Fees

3. Internal Resource & Operational Costs

4. Ongoing Surveillance & Maintenance Costs

Understanding these components helps you budget accurately and avoid surprises.

1 Consulting & Implementation Costs

At Wintersmith Advisory, AS9100 certification consulting is scoped based on complexity, scope, and system maturity — not template packages.

Investment depends on:

• Organizational size

• Design & development inclusion (Clause 8.3)

• Operational complexity

• Number of locations

• Existing ISO 9001 maturity

• Internal resource availability

Typical Project Investment Ranges

Small Aerospace Startup (5–15 employees): $8,000 - $12,000

Mid-Sized Manufacturer (20–75 employees): $12,000 - $18,000

Complex Design or Multi-Site Organizations: $18,000+ depending on scope

Projects cost more when systems are immature or design complexity is high. Investment decreases when ISO 9001 foundations and process ownership are already strong.

We focus on right-sized implementation — building a defensible AS9100 system without unnecessary bureaucracy.

The more structured your existing QMS, the lower your consulting cost.

2 Registrar (Certification Body) Fees

Certification body fees depend on:

• Employee count

• Design inclusion

• Number of audit days required

• Risk classification

• Multi-site operations

Typical ranges:

• Small company: $9,000 – $16,000

• Mid-sized company: $16,000 – $30,000

• Larger or multi-site organizations: Scaled based on audit duration

These fees cover:

• Stage 1 audit

• Stage 2 audit

• Certificate issuance

• Surveillance audits (Years 2 and 3)

3 Internal Resource Costs

This is the most underestimated category.

AS9100 certification requires:

• Management review involvement

• Risk management integration

• Internal audit execution

• Process documentation updates

• Employee training time

• Supplier evaluation strengthening

Even if external consulting is minimal, internal hours carry cost.

Companies often dedicate:

• 5–15% of leadership capacity during implementation

• A quality manager or coordinator (partial or full-time depending on size)

4 Ongoing Surveillance & Maintenance Costs

After certification, you must maintain:

• Annual surveillance audits

• Internal audit program

• Continuous improvement processes

• Risk updates

• Corrective action systems

Annual ongoing costs typically range from:

• $8,000 – $20,000+ depending on size and support structure

What Increases AS9100 Certification Cost?

Cost increases when:

• There is no existing QMS

• Documentation is inconsistent

• Leadership involvement is weak

• Supplier controls are immature

• Design & development is complex

• Multiple sites are included

• Previous audits resulted in major findings

Organizations with operational discipline and ISO 9001 foundations often reduce implementation cost significantly.

How Long Does AS9100 Certification Take?

Timeline impacts cost.

Typical implementation timeline:

• 4–6 months (strong existing ISO 9001 system)

• 6–9 months (moderate maturity)

• 9–12 months (building from scratch)

Rushed certification increases consulting intensity and internal disruption.

The Strategic Perspective on AS9100 Cost

The real question is not:

“How much does AS9100 certification cost?”

It is:

“What is the cost of not being eligible for aerospace contracts?”

For many organizations, a single aerospace contract outweighs the full certification investment.

Certification should be structured as a revenue-enabling investment — not a compliance expense.

How We Help Control AS9100 Certification Cost

As consultants, we focus on:

• Right-sizing documentation

• Avoiding overengineering

• Integrating with existing processes

• Reducing audit findings

• Accelerating evidence development

• Structuring realistic implementation timelines

Our goal is not to inflate scope.
It is to build an efficient, defensible system that passes audit without operational drag.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AS9100 more expensive than ISO 9001?

Yes. It includes additional aerospace requirements such as product safety, configuration management, and counterfeit part prevention.

Can we do AS9100 without a consultant?

Yes — but most aerospace companies reduce risk and timeline significantly with structured guidance.

Does employee count affect cost?

Yes. Certification bodies calculate audit duration partly based on employee count.