SOC 2 consulting services, from readiness to report

Plan for three cost buckets. Implementation consulting: our SOC 2 Build engagements typically cost USD $20,000 to $50,000 depending on scope, with a fixed price quoted after the scoping call. A GRC platform typically costs $5,000 to $25,000 per year. The audit from an independent CPA firm is paid separately: a Type I audit starts at around $5,000 and a Type II audit at around $7,500, more for multi-category or multi-system scopes. The readiness assessment that starts every engagement is free.

A well-run engagement typically gets you audit-ready in 8 to 12 weeks. A Type I audit then takes roughly 2 to 4 weeks to complete and report. A Type II requires an observation window, usually 3 to 12 months, during which your controls operate and produce evidence, and many enterprise buyers expect at least six months. The auditor then needs about 2 to 4 weeks to issue the report. We can compress the readiness timeline when a customer deadline is fixed.

A Type I report attests that your security controls are designed properly at a single point in time. A Type II report, which many enterprise customers ask for, attests that your controls operated effectively over a period of time, typically 3, 6 or 12 months.

The SOC 2 framework does not explicitly mandate a penetration test. It is a common way to produce evidence for criteria on monitoring and vulnerability detection, such as CC4.1 and CC7.1, and many auditors and enterprise buyers expect one. We manage the penetration test as part of Build and repeat it annually in Operate.

Ask who does the work: a senior consultant with production experience, or a junior associate with a checklist. Ask whether the controls are designed for your stack or dropped in from a template, and whether they cover the environment you operate, including on-prem and hybrid. Ask whether the price is fixed or hourly, and whether the consultant manages the auditor relationship. Our guide on how to choose a SOC 2 consultant lists the questions to ask on a first call.

Yes. Teams with on-prem servers, co-location racks or a hybrid mix often have the hardest time tying physical access, on-prem logs and cloud admin records into one evidence trail. We scope controls to the systems you operate and build that evidence trail with tooling that reaches on-prem. See our SOC 2 for bare-metal and on-prem infrastructure service for detail.

Yes. We act as the main point of contact between you and the auditor: we organize and submit evidence, defend your scope when it is challenged, push back on overreaching requests and walk the auditor through your control narrative. The audit firm stays independent by design. We can introduce reputable firms; you pick the firm, and we manage the engagement.

Yes. The System Description, Section 3 of the SOC 2 report, is a standard part of our service. We work with your team to document the scope, boundaries, services, controls and applicable Trust Services Criteria, so it meets AICPA requirements and is ready for the auditor.

Yes. We provide readiness assessments and internal audits before your SOC 2. We are not a CPA firm and do not issue the report, so we can act as your independent security and compliance consultant, find gaps and confirm your controls are effective before the external audit.

Yes. US and international SaaS companies are the core of our SOC 2 work, delivered remotely, with pricing in USD and reports for US enterprise buyers. Canadian companies can see our page for SOC 2 consultants in Canada, or compare the top SOC 2 consultants in Canada.