Pricing accessibility work shouldn’t feel like a gamble, but for many agencies, it still does.
Accessibility is now a standard part of digital delivery. Clients expect it to be considered, scoped, and delivered responsibly, yet many agencies still struggle to price accessibility work with confidence.
Under-quote it, and you absorb the cost.
Over-quote it, and the work never gets approved.
Avoid it entirely, and you risk delivery issues later.
This guide explains how confident agencies price accessibility work clearly, safely, and sustainably, without guesswork, panic, or overpromising.
Why pricing accessibility feels so hard
Most pricing issues stem from uncertainty, not effort.
Agencies often struggle because:
- accessibility is introduced late in the process
- scope is unclear (pages, templates, components?)
- WCAG feels technical and abstract
- teams don’t know what “good” looks like
- clients want certainty that doesn’t safely exist
The result is vague pricing, hidden effort, or rushed decisions.
Strong agencies solve this by structuring accessibility pricing around delivery stages, not promises.
The biggest accessibility pricing mistakes agencies make
Before looking at what works, it’s worth calling out what doesn’t.
Bundling accessibility invisibly
Hiding accessibility inside “UX” or “QA” work makes it impossible to scope, explain, or defend later.
Treating accessibility as a one-off task
Accessibility isn’t a single activity, it spans design, development, verification, and maintenance.
Pricing without a clear scope
Without defining templates, components, or journeys, accessibility pricing becomes a moving target.
Overpromising outcomes
Avoid pricing language that implies guarantees, absolutes, or permanent outcomes.
A better way to price accessibility: break it into stages
Confident agencies price accessibility as a structured workstream, aligned to delivery.
1. Early advisory and scoping
This is where accessibility is cheapest — and most effective.
Through design-stage accessibility guidance, agencies:
- scope accessibility expectations early
- review designs and components
- inform development decisions
- reduce rework and surprises
This work is typically priced as:
- fixed, project-based advisory
- workshops or design reviews
- early-stage audits
It sets the foundation for everything that follows.
2. Verification and auditing
Once a site or feature is built, agencies need clarity and evidence.
This is where WCAG conformance audits fit.
Well-scoped audits are priced based on:
- page templates (not total pages)
- components or journeys
- defined WCAG version and level
Pricing audits this way:
- keeps costs predictable
- aligns effort to value
- makes approval easier
Audits should be positioned as evidence and insight, not a pass/fail gate.
3. Remediation support (when required)
Remediation effort varies, so pricing should reflect that.
Agencies often:
- estimate remediation separately
- provide ranges, not fixed promises
- align fixes to prioritised issues
Clear reporting and guidance reduce remediation uncertainty and support more accurate pricing.
4. Ongoing monitoring and maintenance
Accessibility doesn’t stop at launch.
Content updates, feature releases, and CMS changes can introduce new issues over time.
With ongoing WCAG monitoring, agencies:
- track regressions early
- maintain accessibility confidence
- support retainers and continuous improvement
- avoid repeated large audits
Monitoring is typically priced as:
- a monthly per-site fee
- bundled into support retainers
This creates long-term value for both agency and client.
How to present accessibility pricing to clients
Clients don’t want complexity, they want clarity.
Confident agencies:
- explain what’s included at each stage
- avoid technical overload
- offer options, not ultimatums
- frame accessibility as part of quality delivery
A simple explanation sounds like:
“We address accessibility in stages — guiding decisions early, verifying outcomes against WCAG, and maintaining accessibility as the site evolves. This keeps scope clear and costs predictable.”
That framing builds trust without fear.
Project-based vs template-based pricing
One of the most effective pricing shifts agencies make is moving from page-based to template-based pricing.
Why it works:
- templates reflect real effort
- components repeat
- scope is easier to define
- pricing scales logically
This approach aligns particularly well with structured audits and platform-based tracking.
What confident agencies do differently
Agencies that price accessibility well tend to:
- introduce it early
- separate advisory, verification, and monitoring
- document scope clearly
- avoid absolute claims
- use evidence to support decisions
They don’t sell certainty, they sell process, transparency, and confidence.
Where IncluD fits
IncluD helps agencies price and deliver accessibility with clarity.
From design-stage accessibility guidance that supports early scoping, through WCAG conformance audits that provide clear, defensible evidence, to ongoing WCAG monitoring that maintains accessibility over time.
All of this is delivered through a purpose-built agency accessibility platform, designed to fit real delivery workflows and remove pricing guesswork.
Key takeaways for agencies
Agencies price accessibility best when they:
- break it into delivery stages
- define scope clearly
- avoid hidden effort
- support accessibility beyond launch
- use evidence instead of promises
When priced properly, accessibility becomes a predictable, valuable part of delivery — not a risk.
