SOC 2 Audit Timeline: How Long Does It Really Take? [2025]

You just lost a $500K deal. The reason? “We need SOC 2 Type 2 with a 6-month observation period.” Your CTO promised it in 3 months. Your auditor quoted 16 months. Someone’s math is very wrong.

Here’s exactly how long SOC 2 actually takes, what drives the timeline, and the 6 decisions that can cut months off your audit—or add a year of delays.

How Long Does a SOC 2 Audit Actually Take?

Most companies dramatically underestimate. They think “SOC 2 in 6 months” because they read it on a compliance vendor’s marketing site. The reality: that’s only possible if you already have every control in place, a dedicated owner, and choose a specialist auditor willing to work nights and weekends.

Here’s what actually happens:

• Specialist auditors (fastest): 6-10 months for Type 2
• Regional/mid-tier auditors: 9-14 months
• Big Four auditors: 12-20 months
• Starting from scratch: Add 3-6 months to any timeline above

The difference isn’t just auditor speed. It’s five critical variables most companies don’t control.

Timeline Comparison by Audit Type

Audit Type	Specialist Auditors	Big Four	Best Case
Type 1	3-6 months	6-12 months	Companies with controls ready
Type 2	6-10 months	12-20 months	+ 3-6 mo for 6-month observation
From scratch	+3-6 months	+4-8 months	No existing controls

The Fast Track: Type 1 in 3-6 Months (If You’re Actually Ready)

This timeline only works if your security isn’t a disaster. You need MFA everywhere, encryption on, logging configured, and policies written (even if they’re rough). Most importantly: someone needs to own this full-time. A CTO juggling 12 other priorities won’t cut it.

Month 1: Find your gaps and pick an auditor. Most companies waste 3 weeks here getting quotes from auditors who are booked for 6 months. Call specialist auditors first—they have availability and move fast.

Month 2: Your GRC platform does the heavy lifting here. Vanta, Drata, or Secureframe automates 70% of evidence collection. Without one, expect to spend 200+ hours manually screenshotting configs and pulling logs. That $15K-$30K platform fee saves you $40K+ in labor.

Months 3-4: The auditor tests your controls. This is where companies with weak documentation fail. They have the control (MFA is on), but can’t prove it operated consistently. Screenshot from today doesn’t prove it was on last month.

Months 5-6: Findings and report issuance. If you get “exceptions” (failed control tests), expect delays. Minor exception: 2 weeks. Material exception: restart the audit.

SOC 2 Type 2 Timeline: Fast Track (6-10 Months)

Prerequisites for Fast Track

• All Type 1 prerequisites met
• Observation period of 3-6 months (not 12 months)
• Specialist auditor with availability
• Strong internal processes for evidence collection

Months 1-3: Preparation (Same as Type 1)

• Month 1: Readiness & auditor selection
• Month 2: Control implementation
• Month 3: Audit kickoff & scoping

Months 3-9: Observation Period

Fast track: 3-6 month observation period

• Ongoing: Controls operate consistently
• Monthly: Collect evidence (access reviews, vulnerability scans, etc.)
• Quarterly: Auditor check-ins (interim testing)
• Critical: NO exceptions — every control test must pass

Month 9-10: Final Testing & Fieldwork

• Weeks 36-38: Auditor tests all evidence from observation period
• Weeks 39-40: Follow-up questions, supplemental evidence
• Deliverable: Testing complete, findings identified

Month 10: Report Issuance

• Weeks 41-42: Remediate findings, submit final evidence
• Weeks 43-44: Draft report review, finalize report
• Deliverable: Final SOC 2 Type 2 report

Total: 6-10 months (with 3-6 month observation period)

Typical Timeline (Most Companies)

Type 1: 4-8 Months

Realistic for companies that:

• Have some controls in place but need improvements
• Are writing policies from scratch or heavily revising
• Have limited internal resources (1-2 people part-time)
• Experience some auditor delays or scheduling conflicts

Type 2: 9-14 Months

Realistic for companies that:

• Choose 6-12 month observation period (recommended)
• Use mid-tier or regional auditors
• Have moderate control gaps to fix during preparation
• Experience 1-2 minor exceptions requiring remediation

Big Four Timeline: 12-20 Months

Why Big Four takes longer:

• Longer sales cycle: 2-3 months from inquiry to engagement letter
• Complex scoping: 4-8 weeks for scope definition and planning
• Longer observation periods: Prefer 12 months vs 3-6 months
• Slower responsiveness: 3-5 business days vs same-day from specialists
• More rigorous testing: Deeper evidence requirements, more samples
• Longer report cycles: 6-10 weeks for final report vs 3-5 weeks

Typical Big Four Type 2 timeline: 12-20 months

The 5 Variables That Actually Control Your Timeline

1. Your Starting Point (Not “Readiness”—Reality)

If you have MFA, logging, encryption, and policies: Add 0-2 months. You’re fixing gaps, not building from zero.

If you’re halfway there: Add 2-4 months. You have some controls but they’re inconsistent or undocumented. This is most startups—they have prod security but haven’t written it down.

If you’re starting from scratch: Add 4-8 months. No MFA, no centralized logging, no policies. You’re building a security program, not just getting an audit. Consider hiring a consultant or you’ll burn 6 months learning what should take 6 weeks.

2. Auditor Choice

Auditor Type	Response Time	Report Delivery	Timeline Impact
Specialist	Same day - 24 hours	3-5 weeks	Fastest
Regional	24-48 hours	4-6 weeks	Fast
Mid-tier	48-72 hours	5-7 weeks	Moderate
Big Four	3-5 business days	6-10 weeks	Slowest

Impact: 2-6 month difference between specialist and Big Four for same scope

3. Internal Resources

Dedicated Owner (full-time)

• Someone spending 30-40 hours/week on SOC 2
• Can respond to auditor requests same-day
• Proactively collects evidence and fixes issues
• Timeline: Baseline

Part-Time Owner (50%)

• Someone spending 15-20 hours/week on SOC 2
• Responds within 2-3 days
• Shares responsibilities with other work
• Timeline: +1-2 months

Shared Responsibility (multiple people)

• No single owner, tasks distributed across team
• Slower coordination and decision-making
• Higher risk of tasks falling through cracks
• Timeline: +2-4 months

4. Observation Period Length (Type 2 Only)

• 3 months: Minimum allowed, rarely accepted by customers
• 6 months: Common for first audit, generally accepted
• 12 months: Preferred by enterprises, rolling coverage

Impact: 3-9 month difference in timeline based on observation period choice

5. Exceptions and Findings

Clean Audit (no exceptions)

• All controls operating effectively
• No findings requiring remediation
• Timeline: Baseline

Minor Exceptions (1-3 exceptions)

• Missed 1-2 access reviews
• Late patches (within 30-60 day SLA)
• Documentation gaps
• Timeline: +2-4 weeks

Material Exceptions (4+ exceptions)

• Controls not operating consistently
• Significant security gaps
• May require extending observation period
• Timeline: +1-3 months

What Nobody Tells You About Accelerating SOC 2

Don’t optimize for speed. Optimize for “no surprises.” The companies that finish fastest aren’t the ones trying to rush. They’re the ones who fix everything before the auditor looks. If your auditor finds 1 control failure, you add 2 weeks. Find 5? Add 2 months.

The $15K GRC platform isn’t optional. I don’t care what your CFO says about “we can do it manually.” You can also dig a foundation with a shovel instead of an excavator. One takes 3 months, one takes 3 days. Vanta ($10K-$25K/year), Drata ($10K-$20K/year), or Secureframe ($8K+/year) will save you 200+ hours of manual work.

Choose your observation period strategically, not randomly. Everyone asks “what’s the minimum?” (3 months). Wrong question. Ask “what will my biggest prospect accept?” If you’re selling to Fortune 500, they want 12 months. Doing 3 months means you re-audit in 9 months anyway. Do it once, do it right.

Specialist auditors aren’t just faster—they’re better. Big Four auditors staff your audit with fresh graduates following a checklist. Specialists staff it with people who’ve done 50+ SOC 2 audits. They know every shortcut, every common pitfall, every way to present findings so customers don’t freak out. Response time matters: same-day vs 5-day turnaround is the difference between 6-month and 12-month timelines.

Timeline by Company Profile

Early-Stage Startup (10-50 employees)

• Type 1: 4-6 months (specialist auditor)
• Type 2: 7-10 months (6-month observation)

Best approach: Specialist auditor + GRC platform + 6-month observation

Growth-Stage Company (51-200 employees)

• Type 1: 5-8 months (specialist or regional)
• Type 2: 10-14 months (6-12 month observation)

Best approach: Regional or specialist auditor + GRC platform + 6-12 month observation

Enterprise (200+ employees)

• Type 1: 6-10 months (mid-tier or Big Four)
• Type 2: 12-18 months (12-month observation)

Best approach: Mid-tier or Big Four + dedicated compliance team + 12-month observation

Timeline Milestones to Track

Week 1: Decision Made

• Commit to SOC 2
• Assign internal owner
• Set target completion date

Month 1: Foundation Set

• Gap assessment complete
• Auditor selected
• Budget approved

Month 2: Controls Implemented

• All critical controls operational
• Policies documented
• GRC platform configured

Month 3: Audit Begins

• Kickoff meeting held
• System description drafted
• Observation period starts (Type 2)

Months 3-9: Observation (Type 2)

• Controls operating consistently
• Evidence collected monthly
• Interim auditor check-ins

Final Month: Report Delivery

• Testing complete
• Findings remediated
• Final report issued

Red Flags That Extend Timeline

• Auditor unavailability: "We're booked 6 months out" adds 6 months to timeline
• Poor internal coordination: Multiple owners, unclear responsibilities
• Significant control gaps: Starting from scratch on security program
• Unresponsive auditor: 5+ day response times create bottlenecks
• Frequent findings: Failing control tests repeatedly
• Scope creep: Adding systems/locations mid-audit
• Executive turnover: Loss of sponsor or owner mid-project

The Realistic Timeline Plan

If you're starting today and need SOC 2 for enterprise sales:

1. Month 1-2: Gap assessment, auditor selection, policy writing
2. Month 2-3: Control implementation, GRC platform setup
3. Month 3: Audit kickoff, observation period begins
4. Months 3-9: Observation period (6 months recommended)
5. Months 9-10: Final testing and fieldwork
6. Month 11: Report issuance

Total: 11 months for Type 2 with specialist auditor

Add 2-4 months if using Big Four. Subtract 2-3 months if doing Type 1. Adjust based on your readiness level and resources.

Related articles: Prepare for Your First Audit • Type 1 vs Type 2 • How to Choose an Auditor