What does a STEK certificate cost? Cost structure and requesting quotes

If you're looking for a fixed amount for a STEK certificate, you'll be disappointed: nowhere — not on stek.nl, not at Kiwa, not at SGS INTRON — is there a public price list. STEK company certification works on a quotation basis, just as with BRL 100. That's annoying if you want to draw up a budget quickly, but it is explicable: the costs depend heavily on the size and composition of your company. This article explains what determines the price, which cost items you can expect and how to get a concrete quote.

Why there is no fixed price

STEK certification is carried out by independent certifying bodies (CIs) — currently Kiwa and SGS INTRON. Both set their own rate per track, based on the time an initial certification audit and the follow-up checks are expected to take. That estimate is tailor-made: a sole trader with only module A (F-gases) requires a different assessment than a company with multiple branches and modules for CO₂, heat pumps or flammable refrigerants.

For a realistic amount, the best approach is therefore to request a quote directly. Both CIs state that they provide an estimate of time and costs in advance:

• Kiwa: by phone (088 998 32 20), by email (salescins@kiwa.nl) or via their online quote tool
• SGS INTRON: by phone (088 214 51 33) or by email (nl.intron@sgs.com)

What influences the price

A few factors consistently prove decisive for the quote in practice:

• Number of modules. Alongside the base (module A, F-gases), STEK also has modules for CO₂ (B), EPBD inspections (C), heat pumps (D) and flammable refrigerants (E). Each additional module requires extra assessment and logically increases the costs.
• Company size and number of branches. The more technicians, projects and locations a CI has to assess, the more time — and therefore money — the initial certification audit and the periodic checks cost.
• The starting position of your quality system. If you already have processes, work instructions and a leak-check or maintenance logbook in order, the assessment is usually less labour-intensive than for a company that still has to build this up from scratch.
• Choice of CI. Kiwa and SGS INTRON apply their own rates. It can pay off to request a quote from both and compare not only on price, but also on lead time and availability.

Two types of costs: one-off and recurring

Budget for two cost layers with every certification track:

• Initial certification audit (one-off). The assessment before you receive the certificate for the first time. This usually includes a document review and a physical audit on site.
• Periodic check (recurring). After award, the CI continues to assess your company periodically to check whether you still meet the requirements — comparable to the annual check that is also customary with BRL 100. Explicitly ask in your quote how often this happens and what a follow-up check costs, because that determines your structural annual cost just as much as the one-off amount.

A hidden cost item: your technicians' personal certificates

Before your company can be STEK-certified, the technicians who work with refrigerants must already hold a valid F-gas personal certificate. You apply for that certificate separately, at an exam institute — separate from the company certificate and separate from the STEK CI. So budget a separate cost item for this, per technician, on top of the costs of the company certificate itself. See Applying for an F-gas certificate: how it works for the steps.

Pay attention to the timing here: via Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2215 the existing personal certificate categories 1 and 2 have been replaced by the new classification A1/A2 — the transition for new issuances and renewals was already completed as of 29 March 2026, although certificates issued earlier remain valid until their own expiry date. This can affect which exam your technicians have to take and when. Read New F-gas certification A1/A2/B/C 2026 before you plan a certification track, so that you don't get any surprises in your budget.

Do you need STEK at all, or BRL 100 too?

For some installation companies it isn't immediately clear whether they need STEK, BRL 100, or both — and that makes a difference to the budget. Check this first before requesting a quote: see STEK vs BRL 100 — what is the difference, and which one do you need?. If it turns out you only need one of the two, you immediately save on the costs of the track you don't have to go through.

How to build a realistic budget

Because there is no fixed price list, the practical approach is: request a quote from at least two CIs with the same starting points (number of modules, number of branches, number of technicians), and explicitly ask about both the one-off initial certification costs and the recurring surveillance costs. Also include your technicians' personal certificates as a separate line item. That way you compare like with like and avoid being confronted with unexpected costs afterwards. For the content of the audit itself — exactly what the CI looks at — read more in STEK audit: what does the auditor check during a participant inspection?

Summary

There is no public price list for a STEK certificate: Kiwa and SGS INTRON draw up tailor-made quotes, based on the number of modules, the company size and the starting position of your quality system. Besides the one-off initial certification audit, also budget for recurring surveillance costs and for separate costs for your technicians' F-gas personal certificates. If in doubt, first check whether you need STEK, BRL 100 or both, before requesting a quote.