Scoping an accessibility project before hiring means defining what assets are in play, what standard you need to meet, what deliverables you expect, and what timeline you’re working against. The clearer your scope, the more accurate the quotes you receive and the better the fit with the vendor you choose. Most pricing variation across proposals comes from scope ambiguity, not vendor pricing differences. Spend an hour mapping your project up front and you’ll save weeks of back-and-forth later.
| Input | What to Document |
|---|---|
| Asset inventory | Every website, web app, mobile app, or document in scope |
| Page or screen counts | Unique templates and key user flows, not total page count |
| Standard | WCAG 2.1 AA, WCAG 2.2 AA, Section 508, or EN 301 549 |
| Deliverables | Audit report, ACR, remediation guidance, validation, or training |
| Timeline and budget | Target completion date and approximate budget range |
Start With an Asset Inventory
Before contacting any vendor, list every digital asset that needs to be evaluated. A marketing website, a customer portal, a mobile app, and a set of PDF documents are four separate scopes. Each has different evaluation requirements, different pricing models, and sometimes different specialists.
Group assets by type. One column for websites, one for web apps, one for mobile apps (specify iOS, Android, or both), one for documents. Note the platform where relevant: Shopify, WordPress, custom build, native iOS, React Native. This detail matters when vendors quote.
Count Templates, Not Pages
For websites, vendors price by unique templates and key user flows, not raw page count. A 500-page site built on 12 templates is closer to a 12-template scope than a 500-page scope. Identify your templates: home, product detail, category, blog post, contact, checkout, account dashboard, and so on.
For web apps and mobile apps, count unique screens and the user flows that connect them. A login flow, an onboarding flow, a core task flow, a settings flow. The auditor evaluates each unique state, so screens with meaningfully different layouts each count.
What Standard Do You Need to Meet?
This is the question that surprises most buyers. WCAG 2.1 AA is the most common standard and the one referenced in most U.S. legal contexts and procurement requirements. WCAG 2.2 AA is the newer version and is being requested more often, particularly for newer projects and EU-facing products under the EAA.
Section 508 applies to U.S. federal contexts. EN 301 549 applies to EU public sector and EAA-covered products. If you’re producing an ACR for procurement, the VPAT edition (WCAG, Section 508, EN 301 549, or INT) follows from the standard your buyer expects.
If you don’t know which standard you need, ask the party requesting the work. A procurement team, a legal team, or an enterprise buyer will tell you. Don’t guess.
Define the Deliverables
An accessibility project can include any combination of: an audit report identifying issues against a standard, an ACR documenting conformance for procurement, remediation guidance or hands-on remediation, validation after fixes, user evaluation with assistive technology users, training for your team, or a written accessibility statement and policy.
Be specific about what you want. “An audit” can mean a one-time evaluation with a report, or it can mean an evaluation plus remediation guidance plus validation. The price difference is large. Spell out which deliverables you need so vendors quote the same scope.
Timeline and Budget
Share your target completion date. Some vendors can turn around a small audit in two weeks; larger projects run six to twelve weeks or longer. If you have a hard deadline (a procurement cycle, a regulatory date, a launch), say so up front.
A budget range helps vendors propose the right approach. If you have $5,000 to spend, a vendor can scope an audit accordingly. If you have $50,000, the conversation includes audit plus remediation plus validation plus training. Withholding budget information leads to misaligned proposals.
Decide Who You’re Hiring
Different project types call for different vendor profiles. A small website audit might fit a freelance auditor or a small consultancy. A multi-asset enterprise project with VPAT requirements often calls for an established accessibility company. Ongoing remediation work might be a contractor or a developer with accessibility experience.
Match the vendor type to the project type. A directory like Accessibility Base lists auditors, consultants, developers, and specialists so you can shortlist by what you actually need rather than starting with a generic search.
Write a One-Page Brief
Before sending inquiries, write a one-page document that includes: your company and product, the assets in scope (with template and screen counts), the standard you need, the deliverables you expect, your timeline, your budget range, and any constraints (technical, contractual, or procurement-related).
Send the same brief to every vendor you’re considering. The proposals you receive will be directly comparable, which is the whole point of scoping before hiring.
FAQs
How do I know if my scope is right before I send it to vendors?
Ask one vendor for a free scoping call. Most reputable accessibility companies will spend 20 to 30 minutes helping you refine scope before quoting. Use that conversation to validate your asset inventory and template counts, then send the refined brief to other vendors.
What if I don’t know how many templates my site has?
List the page types you can identify (home, product, blog, contact, checkout) and ask the vendor to help finalize the count during scoping. A skilled auditor can review your sitemap and identify unique templates quickly.
Should I get an audit and an ACR at the same time?
If you need an ACR for procurement, an audit is a prerequisite because the audit findings inform what the ACR documents. Many vendors offer them as a bundled scope. Confirm the standard and VPAT edition before the work begins.
How long does scoping itself take?
Plan on a few hours to draft your brief and one to two weeks to gather quotes. Larger projects with multiple assets and stricter procurement requirements take longer to scope properly.
A well-scoped project produces accurate quotes, fewer surprises, and a working relationship that starts on solid footing. Spend the time up front. The rest of the project gets easier.
Find vetted accessibility professionals across audit, remediation, consulting, and VPAT services. Contact Accessibility Base to browse the directory.