The hidden cost of traditional audit firms: pricing models, hurdles, and 13 questions to ask before you sign

Traditional audit firms often look straightforward on paper when it comes to pricing, but the final price you end up seeing is often very different. Behind the initial quote sits hidden fees, manual processes, and operational drag that can stall roadmap work and inflate the true cost of certification. This guide breaks down the hidden costs and gives you thirteen questions to ask your audit partner, to ensure you don't get hit with a different cost at the end of your audit.

You’ll get a detailed look at how legacy pricing models actually work, where firms bury platform costs, how outdated methodologies increase internal workload, and what recent buyers wished they’d asked sooner.

The most common hidden costs

How outdated audit methods increase internal workload and slow engineering teams

Where firms embed platform costs and why base pricing rarely includes what you need

How AI is (and isn’t) being used in auditing today—and what actually drives efficiency

13 essential questions to ask any audit firm before you sign a contract

Guidance for evaluating the right partner for your size, complexity, and audit roadmap

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