What does a BRL 100 audit cost? Cost structure and factors

If you're looking for a concrete figure for a BRL 100 audit, you'll be disappointed: no Certification Body (CI) publishes a public price list. What you can do is understand which factors determine the quote — so that you can assess a proposal instead of guessing.

Who is authorised to carry out a BRL 100 audit?

A common assumption is that you can choose between Kiwa and InstallQ. That's not correct for BRL 100. According to the Informatiepunt Leefomgeving (IPLO) (opent in nieuw tabblad), six Certification Bodies are authorised to issue the BRL 100 company certificate: Bureau Veritas, CIBV, DEKRA Certification, ECH-groep, Kiwa NV and SGS INTRON Certificatie. InstallQ is not on that list — InstallQ certifies, among other things, the BRL 6000 series (installation technology) and the CO safety scheme BRL 6000-25, not the F-gas company certificate. (The comparable CO safety scheme BRL K25000 is, incidentally, a separate scheme developed by Kiwa itself — not by InstallQ.) See also what is BRL 100? for the broader context, and STEK vs BRL 100 if you're unsure which accreditation you need.

Because you can choose from six bodies, it pays to request quotes from at least two — rates and approach differ per CI.

Initial certification vs. periodic surveillance audit

The cost structure differs clearly between the first time and the years after that:

• Initial certification. According to Kiwa's own process description (opent in nieuw tabblad), you start with a consultation, after which you receive "a tailor-made proposal setting out one or more scope areas and the costs of the certification process." After a positive initial assessment, DEKRA (opent in nieuw tabblad) first issues a temporary certificate valid for 6 months, followed by a second on-site assessment before the definitive certificate is issued. That is more work — and therefore more cost — than a periodic check.
• Periodic surveillance audit. Once you hold the certificate, maintenance follows. Kiwa applies "at least one inspection every 24 months" for this, and DEKRA confirms: the definitive certificate is valid for two years and "to retain the BRL 100 certificate, an audit is carried out every two years." The official minimum frequency is therefore biennial, not annual. You can read more about what actually happens during such a surveillance audit in the BRL 100 annual check.

What determines the size of the quote?

No CI names a fixed amount, but the factors that influence the price recur across multiple bodies. DEKRA explicitly states that the scope of an audit depends on: the number of technicians, the certified scope areas (activities), and the number of company locations. Concretely, this means:

• Company size. More technicians means more certificates and work instructions to check, and therefore more audit time.
• Number of scope areas. BRL 100 has various scope components (for example design, installation, maintenance). The more scope areas you have certified, the more extensive the assessment.
• Number of locations. Do you work from a single branch or from several secondary branches? Each location may need to be assessed separately, which increases the quote.
• First time vs. follow-up track. As described above, the entry audit is more intensive than the periodic check.

Why is there no fixed price list?

That is not an omission — it is how all six CIs have organised it. Both Kiwa and DEKRA consistently refer to "a tailor-made quote" rather than a price sheet. So be careful with amounts you come across here and there online without a source citation to the Certification Body itself: those figures cannot be verified and may by now be outdated. For your situation, request a quote from the Certification Body of your choice — that is the only reliable figure.

What can you already do to control costs?

• Request a quote from multiple CIs. Six bodies means six chances to compare on price and lead time.
• Limit the number of scope areas to what you actually need. Each additional scope area costs the auditor time.
• Make sure your refrigerant records add up before the auditor visits. An audit that passes in one go saves a re-assessment. See Refrigerant balance: a practical guide for how to get that structurally in order.
• Factor in the software side. The audit itself is one cost item; the administration you have to maintain for it throughout the year is another. See what does work order software cost? for that part of the picture.

Further reading

• What is BRL 100? — the basics: what the certificate covers and why you need it.
• The BRL 100 annual check: what the auditor expects — what actually happens during the surveillance audit.
• STEK vs BRL 100 — which accreditation do you need, and when?

Disclaimer: this article describes the cost structure based on public information from Certification Bodies (Kiwa, DEKRA) and the Informatiepunt Leefomgeving. None of the six authorised CIs publishes concrete rates — for a current price tailored to your company, always request a quote from the Certification Body itself.