ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management
ISO 14001 cost: what you pay and where it adds up
On the classic route, ISO 14001 certification costs several thousand francs over a three-year cycle, plus consulting and your own staff time. Zertify charges CHF 699 in the first year, then CHF 469 per year including the yearly online re-audit. This page shows each cost item so you can compare the routes with real numbers.
01: Cost drivers
What determines the cost of ISO 14001 certification
The price of an environmental management system is rarely one invoice. It is the sum of several items, and their weight depends on your company.
Figures for the classic route on this page are indicative ranges for small and medium businesses. Quotes from certification bodies differ, so ask for a written offer before you decide.
- Size and number of sites
- More employees and more locations mean more audit days. A workshop with one site is cheaper to audit than a logistics firm with three depots.
- Environmental aspects
- A manufacturer with emissions, waste streams and permits has a larger scope than an office-based service company. The auditor needs more time for the former.
- Certification body
- Day rates and travel charges differ between providers. Some quote a fixed package, others bill by audit day.
- Consulting
- Many companies hire a consultant to build the documentation and prepare for the audit. This is optional, but it is often the largest single item.
- Internal time
- Someone in your company has to list environmental aspects, collect legal obligations and run the improvement cycle. This time never appears on an invoice, yet it is real cost.
02: Classic route
What the classic route with an on-site audit costs
The classic route means an on-site audit by a certification body. The certificate then runs in a three-year cycle, and the audit fees repeat within that cycle.
All amounts below are indicative ranges, not offers. A small company with one site can expect the lower end. Several sites or complex environmental aspects push the price up.
Initial certification audit
Indicatively CHF 3,000 to 8,000. The auditor reviews your documentation and then visits your site to check that the system works in practice.
Surveillance audits in years two and three
Indicatively CHF 1,500 to 4,000 each. They are shorter than the first audit, but the auditor still comes on site.
Recertification at the end of the cycle
Indicatively CHF 2,500 to 6,000. It is a fuller audit than the surveillance visits and starts the next three-year cycle.
Without consulting, the audit fees over the first three years add up to roughly CHF 6,000 to 16,000 as an indicative range.
03: Further costs
Consulting and internal effort come on top
Consulting for ISO 14001 is indicatively priced between CHF 5,000 and 20,000, depending on how much the consultant writes and how much you do yourself. A company that already tracks its energy use, waste and permits needs less support than one starting from nothing.
Internal effort is harder to price. Plan indicatively 15 to 40 person-days for the first year: identifying environmental aspects, recording compliance obligations, setting the policy and objectives, preparing for emergencies and measuring results. Managing director time counts too, because the standard places responsibility with management.
This work is not a side effect of certification. An environmental management system has to exist in your daily operations, and it often pays for itself through lower energy, material and disposal costs. Any route to the certificate requires it.
04: Zertify
What Zertify costs and how it fits
Zertify costs CHF 699 in the first year, then CHF 469 per year including the yearly online re-audit. The certificate is valid for 3 years. Prices include 8.1% Swiss VAT for customers in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
The route is an online self-assessment with 34 yes/no questions. 14 of them are mandatory requirements of ISO 14001:2015 and must all be answered yes. Of the other 20 questions, at least 14 must be yes. SICE reviews every assessment, and the certificate is issued by G6 Agency AG under licence from SICE. After you pass and pay, the PDF arrives within 4 hours. It carries a number and a QR code, so your customer's purchasing department can check it on the public verification page.
There is no on-site audit and no consultant to book. You answer honestly, which means the measures behind the 14 mandatory requirements must really be in place in your company.
Billing is an automatic yearly subscription. You can cancel at any time in your customer account, effective at the end of the current year. If you cancel, the certificate ends with the paid year. You do not need an account to buy.
05: Comparison
ISO 14001 cost over three years: classic route and Zertify
The table covers the first three years. Classic figures are indicative ranges and exclude VAT. Zertify prices include 8.1% Swiss VAT for customers in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
| Cost item | Classic route (indicative) | Zertify |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Audit CHF 3,000 to 8,000 | CHF 699 |
| Years 2 and 3 | Surveillance audits, CHF 1,500 to 4,000 each | CHF 469 per year, including the online re-audit |
| Consulting | CHF 5,000 to 20,000, optional | Not required |
| On-site visits | Every audit | None |
| Time to certificate | Weeks to months | 4 hours after passing and payment |
| Total, three years | CHF 6,000 to 16,000, plus consulting and internal time | CHF 1,637, plus internal time |
Companies certifying two or three standards get a 20% discount for two standards and 30% for three or more. The discount also applies to the yearly fee.
06: Choosing
When is the classic route still worth the money?
Some tenders and large customers write an on-site audit into their requirements. If a supplier questionnaire or tender document asks for it, clarify this with the customer before you buy anything.
If your customers ask for an ISO 14001 certificate that can be verified, and nothing more, the cheaper route usually covers it. Read how the routes differ before you decide.
07: FAQ
Questions about ISO 14001 cost
08: Guide
Related pages
Find out if your company passes
Answer 34 yes/no questions and see whether your environmental management meets ISO 14001:2015.
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