Website accessibility work is difficult to quote when a client says, “Can you make our site accessible?” The request sounds like one deliverable, but it can include evaluation, design changes, code fixes, content updates, third-party tools, and follow-up testing. A strong quote separates those jobs, defines what will be reviewed, and avoids promising a blanket legal outcome.
Start by describing the work as an evaluation against an agreed accessibility standard and a defined set of pages or user journeys. The W3C overview of WCAG explains the widely used Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Automated scans can help identify some issues, but they are only one part of an evaluation; manual review and appropriate assistive-technology checks matter too. For legal obligations, applicability depends on the organization and circumstances. The U.S. Department of Justice web accessibility guidance is a useful reference, not a substitute for legal advice.
Separate the audit, fixes, and retest
Do not bundle an open-ended “accessibility fix” into one fixed price before you understand the site. Quote in stages so the client can see what is known, what remains uncertain, and what decisions could change the cost.
- Discovery: confirm the platform, site size, key tasks, existing reports, plugins, and the standard or target level the client wants assessed.
- Audit: review an agreed sample of page templates and user journeys, combining automated checks with manual inspection. Specify whether keyboard navigation, screen-reader checks, mobile behavior, forms, and documents are included.
- Remediation: implement agreed fixes in the site’s code, design system, or content. Price this after discovery where the scale of work is uncertain.
- Retest: verify the specific fixes made and report remaining issues. State the number of retest rounds and the test scope.
This staged approach resembles the way a broader redesign quote makes migration, launch, assumptions, and exclusions visible rather than hiding them inside one headline price. For a related example, see how to price and scope a website redesign.
Define the sample and the boundaries
Page count alone is a poor measure of effort: dozens of pages may share a few templates, while one checkout flow may contain many interactive states. List the templates and user journeys you will inspect, such as home, service detail, search, contact form, account sign-in, and checkout. Specify the sample size, browsers or devices, and whether logged-in or password-protected content is in scope.
Document exclusions just as plainly. Typical exclusions include third-party platforms you cannot modify, external documents, new content writing, translation, extensive redesign, unsupported legacy browsers, and fixes outside the agreed templates. Identify client responsibilities too: providing test accounts, approving copy changes, giving access to the codebase, and choosing an internal owner for decisions. If the initial review reveals a larger issue set than expected, pause and agree on a change before continuing.
Choose a pricing model that fits the uncertainty
- Fixed fee for discovery or a bounded audit: works when the sample, deliverables, and test approach are clear.
- Per-template or phased remediation: useful when the audit shows distinct groups of fixes that can be prioritized and approved in stages.
- Time and materials with a cap: often safer for older, undocumented, or highly customized code. Set a not-to-exceed amount for the first phase and require approval before exceeding it.
- Fixed-price remediation package: consider this only after findings are understood and the included fixes, acceptance checks, and exclusions are specific.
For example, a fictional small studio might quote $1,200 for discovery and a bounded audit of five templates and two key journeys, then provide a separate estimate for remediation after the findings are reviewed. Those figures are illustrative, not market benchmarks. Calculate your own price from labor, specialist testing, project management, overhead, and a reasonable contingency for known unknowns.
Keep the estimate connected to real effort. Account for reproducing issues, coordinating design and development, testing changes, client review, and documenting results—not only the time spent editing code. If you use standard service items, save audit, remediation, and retest as separate reusable entries with internal costs and clear descriptions. That makes future quotes faster without making the scope less precise.
Write acceptance criteria, not a guarantee
Use language that states what you will deliver and how it will be checked. For example: “We will evaluate the five listed page templates and two agreed user journeys against the WCAG version and conformance target identified in this quote, using automated checks and manual testing described in the method. We will provide a findings report, implement the approved fixes listed in Phase 2, and retest those fixes once. New pages, new features, third-party content, and work outside the listed issues require written approval and may change price or timeline.”
Avoid phrases such as “guaranteed ADA compliant” or “100% accessible.” Accessibility is an ongoing quality of the whole experience, and results can depend on content, integrations, browsers, assistive technology, and future changes. Explain the limits of the assessment and recommend ongoing checks when the site changes. For broader guidance on making scope and quote documents work together, see scope of work vs. quote.
Build a reusable quote checklist
- Name the standard or evaluation target and version, where agreed.
- List page templates, user journeys, devices, and testing methods.
- Separate discovery, audit, remediation, and retesting fees.
- State deliverables, assumptions, exclusions, client inputs, and schedule dependencies.
- Set retest limits, acceptance criteria, and a written change-approval process.
- Clarify that the work is not a legal opinion or a guarantee of universal compliance.
A clear accessibility quote helps the client make an informed decision and helps your team avoid absorbing an undefined project. Build the stages as reusable quote items, keep internal cost assumptions out of the client-facing description, and present the scope in a branded document that is easy to review. With Ququ, you can create a reusable quote template and adjust it for each site; start with a free quote and keep the process practical as your service library grows.
