Professional ADA website audits cost between $5,000 and $20,000 depending on site size, testing depth, and whether legal review is included. Our fixed $8,500 fee covers websites up to 50 pages with full attorney certification and opinion letter included — deliverables that typically add $5,000–$7,000 if purchased separately.

But let's talk about what you're actually paying for, because most business owners focus on the wrong number.

The Number That Matters Isn't $8,500 — It's $75,000

That's the average ADA website settlement when you include the plaintiff's demand ($50,000–$75,000), your attorney fees to negotiate that settlement ($10,000–$25,000), and the mandatory remediation work you'll be required to complete as part of the agreement ($15,000–$40,000). Total exposure: $75,000 to $140,000 depending on how quickly you settle and how much your attorney charges.

Does every business that gets sued pay that much? No. Some settle for less. Some settle for more. But here's what determines which category you fall into: what evidence you can produce when the plaintiff's attorney asks what accessibility testing you've conducted.

If your answer is "we ran a free WAVE scan and our developer added some alt text," you're negotiating from complete weakness. The plaintiff's attorney knows you tested 30% of your site, found some easy fixes, and stopped there. They know you have no systematic process, no documentation, and no legal review. They know you'll settle because you have nothing to defend with.

If your answer is "we engaged a professional firm to conduct comprehensive WCAG 2.1 AA testing, we have documented findings across eight testing modules including manual keyboard and screen reader testing, we have organized evidence folders with timestamps, and we have an attorney-certified opinion letter" — the conversation changes immediately. You're not an easy target. You're a business that took accessibility seriously, documented your process, and engaged legal counsel.

This is why the audit costs $8,500 instead of $500. You're not paying for more testing hours. You're paying for legal defensibility.

What Each Price Point Actually Gets You

Automated Scan-Only Services ($500–$1,500)

These services give you tool reports with violation lists. They catch 30–40% of accessibility issues. They provide zero legal review, zero attorney certification, and zero organized evidence. In settlement negotiations, they're worth almost nothing — plaintiff attorneys know exactly what these tools miss, and they know how to demonstrate that your "compliance" effort was superficial.

Manual Testing Without Attorney Review ($5,000–$8,000)

You get better coverage — probably 70–80% of issues identified through manual testing. But you don't get legal certification, you don't get an attorney opinion letter, and you don't get evidence organized for litigation. Your documentation looks like a technical report, not a legal defense package. In a demand letter negotiation, a technical report from a freelance consultant carries far less weight than attorney-certified evidence.

CDG ADA Defense Audit ($8,500)

Comprehensive testing across eight modules. Every finding documented with screenshots and video recordings. Evidence timestamped and organized in folders your attorney can navigate immediately. Attorney review, certification, and a formal opinion letter. This is litigation-ready evidence — not just a technical report.

Hiring Specialists Separately ($12,000–$18,000)

If you tried to assemble the same package yourself, you'd hire an accessibility consultant at $150–$200 per hour for testing, a project manager at $100–$150 per hour for documentation and organization, and an attorney at $300–$500 per hour for legal review. The same deliverables, assembled independently, would cost $12,000–$18,000. We deliver them in one integrated engagement at a fixed price.

Federal Tax Credits Reduce Your Net Cost to ~$4,375

For eligible small businesses, the federal Disabled Access Credit (IRC Section 44) provides up to $4,125 in tax credits on an $8,500 audit — reducing your out-of-pocket cost to approximately $4,375. That's a 49% effective discount, and it's available to any business with gross receipts under $1 million or fewer than 30 full-time employees.

When you frame the investment correctly — $4,375 net cost after tax credits versus $75,000+ average settlement exposure — the math is not close. Calculate your exact savings with our tax credit calculator.

What Determines Whether the Investment Is Right for You

The ADA Defense Audit makes the most sense for service businesses where the website generates meaningful revenue and the owner has become aware of ADA lawsuits in their industry. If your website drives appointment bookings, lead generation, or client intake — and your business does $1M–$10M in annual revenue — the risk exposure is real and the math on the audit is compelling.

It makes less sense if your website is essentially a brochure with no transactional function, your revenue is below $500K, or you've already received a demand letter and are in active litigation (in which case, your attorney should be directing your next steps, not an audit firm).

The 15-minute ADA risk call exists to help you make that determination. No pressure, no pitch — just an honest conversation about your site's exposure and whether the investment makes sense for your situation.