How Much Does a Safety Plan Cost?
Updated October 5, 2026
Consultants who publish prices charge from $195 to $5,000 for a site-specific safety plan (prices on their own sites, October 2026), and template sellers charge about $100 to $500 for a Word template that still needs a weekend of editing to fit your project. A generated, project-specific plan from TailgateDocs costs $49 and is ready in under 30 minutes. A company-wide written safety program runs $1,500 to $4,500 or more from consultants who publish fees, versus $149 generated. The price gap is large because most of a consultant’s fee is time, not expertise you cannot access another way.
The three ways to get a safety plan, compared
| Option | Cost | Time | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety consultant | $195 to $5,000 (published, Oct 2026) | Quoted per job | Often overkill for one project |
| Word template | $99 to $500 | A weekend of editing | Generic; reviewers spot an unedited template fast |
| TailgateDocs | $49 (plan), $149 (program) | Under 30 minutes | You answer a short questionnaire about your job |
Why consultants cost what they do
A consultant’s fee is mostly hours: an intake call, drafting, and revisions. For a large or unusual project that judgment is worth it. For a standard site-specific safety plan on a routine commercial or residential job, you are paying consultant hourly rates to fill in a familiar structure with your project details, which is exactly the part software does in under 30 minutes.
Templates look cheaper until you count your own time. A $200 Word file still needs you to identify which hazards apply, find the right 29 CFR citations, and rewrite generic paragraphs so they describe your project. Reviewers reject unedited templates on sight.
What you actually pay for at TailgateDocs
You answer about 15 questions about your company, trade, and project. The generator writes every section for your specific work, cites verified 29 CFR standards checked against a real standards table, and delivers a branded PDF in under 30 minutes for $49. If a GC or prequal reviewer asks for a change, you get a free revision within 24 hours. A Spanish version for your crew is $19 more.
Common questions
▸Why is a generated plan so much cheaper than a consultant?
Because most of a consultant’s fee is time spent drafting, and software does the drafting in under 30 minutes. You still get a project-specific document with verified citations; you skip the hourly billing and the one-to-two-week wait.
▸Is a $49 plan good enough for a GC?
Yes when it is genuinely site-specific and cites real standards, which is what TailgateDocs produces and what GCs check for. If a reviewer wants a change, the free 24-hour revision covers it.
▸How much does a full written safety program cost?
Consultants who publish fees charge $1,500 to $4,500 or more for a company-wide written safety program; template sellers charge about $100 to $500 for a generic one. TailgateDocs generates a trade-specific program for $149.
Skip the template. Get the finished document.
Citations checked against 140+ OSHA sections, delivery in under 30 minutes, free revision within 24 hours if a reviewer asks for changes.
More on prequalification & cost
How to Get on ISNetworld: Step by StepSafetyCulture vs J.J. Keller vs TailgateDocs: Different Tools for Different JobsISNetworld vs Avetta vs Veriforce: What Each One Actually RequiresVeriforce Safety Program RequirementsTRIR & DART calculatorWritten Safety Program ($149)
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