Laboratory Cost Assessment Standard · v1.0
What accredited CE testing actually costs
The open standard that puts a number on lab testing — and a live calculator that builds it, term by term.
The formula
Base Cost
(Labour + Materials
+ Equipment) × (1 + OH)
Complexity Factor
D1 × D2 × D3 × D4 × D5
(≤ 5.0)
The calculator
Build a price the way the standard says
Choose tests
Toys & childcare
Analytical chemistry
Textiles
Household appliances · Electrical (EMC/LVD)
Packaging · Food-contact (FCM)
Furniture
General product safety
Automotive components
Plastics & rubber
Waste · RoHS
Set quantities
distinct items submitted
multiplies chemical tests
Why trust these numbers
A benchmark you can verify — not a price list to believe
LCAS exists because product-testing pricing is deliberately opaque. We built the benchmark we wished existed when sourcing tests for our own clients.
Published, not promised
Every base rate is visible in the rate card and reproduced live in the calculator. Nothing hides behind "request a quote".
Market-based, not self-serving
Figures come from published laboratory price lists and independent EU testing brokers — not from one lab's margin. Where the market is silent, we mark it "on request".
Skin in the game
Multicert coordinates accredited testing for importers every week, so an inflated benchmark would mislead our own clients. Accuracy is in our interest.
You can check our work
Sources are listed under Methodology and every figure carries a "net · indicative" qualifier. This is a reference for what the market charges, not a quotation.
Most ordered in the EU
The packages importers actually buy
Ranked by EU order volume. Each package shows what the regulation forces, what it includes, the single element that drives the price most — and exactly what you pay extra for.
01 Electronics RoHS + REACH SVHC report €250–€700 net · indicative +
RoHS 2 (2011/65/EU) is a precondition for CE marking of any electronics — this per-material report is the lowest-cost file that makes a device legally sellable.
Most cost-driving element
Number of distinct homogeneous materials needing wet-chemistry confirmation — RoHS limits apply per material, so a multi-material device multiplies ICP/GC-MS runs.
You pay extra for
- +Each extra homogeneous material / colour
- +Cr(VI) + phthalate confirmation when XRF is inconclusive
- +Full REACH SVHC quantification beyond a declaration
- +Disassembly into homogeneous materials
- +Rush turnaround
02 Textiles REACH Textile RSL — azo + formaldehyde + pH €120–€550 net · indicative +
REACH Annex XVII Entry 43 (azo amines) and Entry 72 (formaldehyde ≤75 mg/kg) are mandatory; pH is the universal third parameter. The minimum legal chemical dossier for dyed apparel.
Most cost-driving element
Number of colourways — the azo-amine analysis (~€369/sample) dominates and repeats for every separately dyed colour.
You pay extra for
- +Each additional colourway / dyed material
- +EN ISO 14362-3 confirmation if aniline flagged
- +Per-order service fee (~€97)
- +Nickel release (EN 1811) for metal trims
- +Rush turnaround (+30–100%)
03 Toys EN 71 Toy Safety — Parts 1+2+3 €400–€800 net · indicative +
The Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC makes CE marking mandatory via the harmonised EN 71 series; the 1+2+3 trio is the universal baseline for non-electronic toys.
Most cost-driving element
Number of materials/colours for EN 71-3 migration — each colour is a separate ICP run.
You pay extra for
- +Each additional colour / material (EN 71-3)
- +EN 62115 for battery/electronic toys (→ €2,000–5,000)
- +Extra EN 71 parts (-4 / -7 / -8 / -12) when triggered
- +Disassembly of multi-component toys
- +Retest after a failure
04 Food contact EU 10/2011 Migration Compliance €600–€1,500 net · indicative +
The 60 mg/kg overall migration limit is mandatory for all plastic food-contact materials — the cheapest defensible basis for a Declaration of Compliance.
Most cost-driving element
The fatty-food simulant D2 (olive oil) run — several times the cost of an aqueous simulant; repeated-use articles need three successive runs.
You pay extra for
- +Each additional food simulant (C / D1 / E-Tenax)
- +Each additional colour / grade / SKU
- +NIAS / specific-migration GC-MS when recipe unknown
- +Primary aromatic amines for printed articles
- +Per-order service fee (~€97)
05 Footwear REACH Leather Chemical Compliance €120–€300 net · indicative +
REACH Annex XVII Entry 47 caps Cr(VI) in skin-contact leather at 3 mg/kg — the leading cause of RAPEX footwear withdrawals. The minimum legal bundle.
Most cost-driving element
Number of leather colour/material variants — the chemical trio repeats per separately dyed leather.
You pay extra for
- +Each additional leather colour / variant
- +PAH / phthalates on rubber & synthetic parts
- +Cr(VI) thermal pre-ageing (ISO 10195)
- +SVHC candidate-list screening
- +Disassembly into components
06 Cosmetics CPSR-ready bundle — challenge + micro + stability €350–€1,200 net · indicative +
Reg. 1223/2009 requires a Cosmetic Product Safety Report before market; it cannot be signed without micro, preservation-efficacy and stability data.
Most cost-driving element
The accelerated stability and packaging-compatibility study at multiple conditions over ~3 months — the single biggest cost and time driver.
You pay extra for
- +Each additional shade / fragrance variant
- +Real-time stability (12–36 months)
- +Retest after a failed challenge (full 28-day re-run)
- +CPSR safety assessment signature (from ~€350)
- +CPNP notification + EU Responsible Person
07 Childcare EN 1400 Soother Safety €450–€900 net · indicative +
Directive 93/11/EEC hard-caps N-nitrosamine migration from teats; EN 1400 is the harmonised reference every EU retailer and pharmacy demands.
Most cost-driving element
The N-nitrosamine migration test (EN 12868, GC) repeated per teat material and colour/compound variant.
You pay extra for
- +Each teat material (silicone vs latex tested separately)
- +Each colour/pigment where the compound changes
- +Per-order service fee (~€97)
- +Rush (standard ~4–6 weeks)
- +Retest after a fail
08 Furniture REACH Formaldehyde Emission — EN 717-1 chamber €899–€1,300 net · indicative +
REACH Annex XVII Entry 77 caps furniture formaldehyde release at 0.062 mg/m³ from 6 Aug 2026 — an EU-wide legal requirement replacing voluntary national schemes.
Most cost-driving element
Chamber occupancy — a calibrated 1 m³ emission chamber held for a multi-day run, per board type (each decor/core/adhesive combo = its own run).
You pay extra for
- +Per-order service fee (~€97)
- +Each additional board variant (separate chamber run ~€900–1,100)
- +Rush below the standard ~4 weeks
- +EN 16516 / perforator cross-check
- +Retest after resin reformulation
09 Appliances CE Safety + EMC — EN 60335 (LVD) + EN 55014 (EMC) €1,500–€4,000 net · indicative +
Mains appliances must self-declare to LVD 2014/35/EU and EMC 2014/30/EU simultaneously; EN 60335 + EN 55014 is the minimum credible CE evidence file.
Most cost-driving element
The EN 60335 safety side — temperature-rise/heating endurance multiplied by the number of operating modes, attachments and accessories. EMC is comparatively fixed.
You pay extra for
- +Each appliance variant / platform derivative
- +Each supply voltage / frequency (230 V & 120 V)
- +Retest after a fail (leakage, hipot, temperature)
- +RED add-on for Wi-Fi/Bluetooth models
- +RoHS material testing sold alongside
10 PPE EN 388 + EN ISO 21420 Gloves (Module B) €600–€2,500 net · indicative +
PPE Reg. 2016/425 makes Category II gloves require an EU type-examination (Module B) by a Notified Body; EN 388 + EN ISO 21420 is the default starting dossier.
Most cost-driving element
Number of material/coating variants × the mandatory TDM (EN ISO 13997) cut test — the most expensive single line within each variant.
You pay extra for
- +Each glove model / coating variant
- +TDM (EN ISO 13997) cut-test surcharge
- +Impact protection (EN 13594) if claimed
- +Notified Body Module B certificate (separate fee)
- +Annual surveillance / 5-year recertification
11 Construction EN 16516 Indoor-air VOC/SVOC — AgBB + French A+ €1,500–€3,500 net · indicative +
CPR Basic Requirement 3 makes VOC release declarable; one 28-day chamber run satisfies AgBB, French A+, M1, Nordic Swan and BREEAM/LEED at once.
Most cost-driving element
Number of variants — each needs its own dedicated 28-day chamber run; chamber occupancy (not analysis) is the bottleneck, so cost scales almost linearly with specimens.
You pay extra for
- +Each colour / formulation variant (separate 28-day run)
- +Additional sampling time points
- +Extended SVOC / target compounds
- +Multi-language or separate A+ vs AgBB certificate
- +Retest after a fail
What makes testing expensive
- →Number of colour / material / SKU variants — every distinct colour, board, leather or homogeneous material is a separate chargeable sample
- →Per-material chemical runs (ICP, GC-MS) repeated for each material instead of one shared test
- →Chamber occupancy for emission tests (EN 717-1, EN 16516) — multi-day to 28-day runs billed per specimen
- →Fatty-food simulant D2 and extra simulants in food-contact migration
- →Product complexity — operating modes, attachments, components to disassemble
- →Mandatory advanced sub-tests inside a standard (e.g. EN ISO 13997 TDM, 3× repeated-use migration)
What you commonly pay extra for
- +Each additional colour / material / SKU — repeated with no volume discount
- +Retest after a failed result (full re-run, often after reformulation)
- +Rush / expedited turnaround surcharge
- +Per-order lab service / handling fee (commonly ~€97)
- +EU Authorised Representative / Responsible Person for non-EU sellers
- +Bilingual or client-template report and extra copies
- +Notified Body certificate / signed declaration (Module B, CPSR, DoC/DoP) billed separately
The Standard · v1.0 · June 2026
One formula. Five principles.
LCAS (Laboratory Cost Assessment Standard) is an open standard, published by Multicert in 2026, for estimating the cost of accredited product testing in the EU using the formula FP = BC × CF. Product-testing prices are opaque — hidden behind "request a quote", impossible to compare. LCAS makes any quote build and read the same way across laboratories.
The LCAS formula
Base Cost — BC
(Labour + Materials + Equipment)
× (1 + Overhead)
Complexity Factor — CF (capped at 5.0)
D1 × D2 × D3 × D4 × D5
The five complexity dimensions
Read the full LCAS v1.0 specification
Five principles behind it
- 01
Disclose the cost drivers
The client knows up front what affects the price — no hidden items, no "individual quote" without explanation.
- 02
Price per method, not per project
A base rate for a specific test to a standard — not an opaque lump sum for the whole job.
- 03
Scale explicitly
Samples × material variants / colours, counted openly — the dominant cost multiplier in chemical testing.
- 04
Separate surcharges
Rush mode, extended panels, accreditation — distinct, visible items, never added silently.
- 05
State who runs the test
Disclose whether the accredited in-house lab or a partner laboratory performs it.
Worked example
| Scope | EN 71-3 + phthalates · plastic toy |
| Base rate, EN 71-3 | €200 / material |
| Variants | 3 colours → 3 × €200 = €600 |
| Phthalates (REACH) | €240 |
| Turnaround | standard |
| Indicative total | from €840 net |
Definitions
- Sample
- A physical specimen submitted for testing.
- Material variant / colour
- Each distinct material or colour — counted separately, as it needs its own determination.
- Determination
- A single analytical measurement of one parameter on one sample or variant.
- Base rate
- The price for one determination by a given method, before scaling and surcharges.
Who LCAS is for
One standard, two sides of the quote
For laboratories
Apply the formula the same way every time — derive Base Cost, justify the Complexity Factor across the five dimensions, and publish a quote a client can verify line by line. Compete on transparency, not just price.
See how to apply itFor clients & importers
Read any quote the same way, compare laboratories on equal terms, and see exactly what drives the price — before you commit. No more opaque lump sums.
Estimate a priceGo deeper
Specification
The LCAS v1.0 standard
Formal clauses behind FP = BC × CF — definitions, the five dimensions, multiplier rules, data hierarchy.
Read the spec →Rate card
All base rates
Full net-EUR rate card across 18 EU categories, with the methodology and sources behind every figure.
Open the rate card →FAQ
Questions importers ask
Binding quotes, what prices include, why „from", how current the figures are, and more.
Read the FAQ →