How do I negotiate auditor fees for SOC 2?
March 6, 20262 min readSOC 2 Cost and Budget
Can You Negotiate SOC 2 Auditor Fees?
Yes. SOC 2 auditor fees are not fixed — they are based on estimated effort. Anything you do to reduce the auditor's workload translates to lower fees. And like any professional service, getting competitive quotes gives you negotiating power.
Negotiation Strategies
| Strategy | How It Works | Potential Savings |
|---|---|---|
| Get three quotes | Compare fees from different firms | 20–40% variance is common |
| Request fixed fees | Eliminate hourly billing uncertainty | Prevents cost overruns |
| Prepare evidence in advance | Submit organized evidence before fieldwork | 10–20% lower effort-based fee |
| Start with Type I only | Smaller scope = lower fee | $3,000–$8,000 less than Type II |
| Commit to multi-year | Promise Type II renewal engagement | 10–15% annual discount |
| Reduce scope | Security-only, fewer systems | Direct fee reduction |
What Drives Auditor Pricing
Auditors estimate fees based on:
- Hours of fieldwork — More controls and systems = more testing hours
- Number of walkthroughs — More people to interview = more time
- Evidence quality — Disorganized evidence takes longer to review
- Remediation risk — Companies likely to need re-testing cost more
- Firm overhead — Larger firms have higher overhead baked into fees
How to Get the Lowest Fee
The single most effective way to reduce your auditor fee is to be well-prepared. When you submit organized, complete evidence on day one of fieldwork, the auditor spends less time chasing information. This directly reduces their hours and your bill.
Screenata organizes your evidence by control area and maps it to Trust Services Criteria before your auditor begins — making your engagement faster and cheaper.