Nadcap Accreditation for Process Houses: What It Is, Who Needs It, Cost and Timeline
Nadcap is the aerospace industry's shared accreditation program for special processes like heat treating, chemical processing, NDT and welding, run by the Performance Review Institute. PRI lists typical accreditation audit fees of $15,000 to $45,000 or more, paid by the supplier, and says a first accreditation usually takes about 6 to 12 months.
What Nadcap is
Nadcap accredits how a supplier runs a specific critical process, not the company's overall quality system. It is administered by the Performance Review Institute (PRI) and governed by the aerospace, defense and space primes that subscribe to it.
PRI says the program was founded in 1990 because each OEM used to audit the same supplier for the same process against its own checklist, sometimes three or four times. Nadcap replaced that with one standardized audit that all subscribing OEMs accept. Subscribers write the audit criteria, PRI schedules audits and assigns auditors, and the accreditation decision is made by a task group of industry peers for that process.
PRI currently runs 24 critical process accreditation programs. Each one has its own audit criteria documents, known as AC documents, and its own task group.
Who needs Nadcap
You need Nadcap when your customer requires it for the process you perform on their parts. The requirement shows up in the purchase order, the customer's quality clauses or their approved processor list, not in a federal regulation.
Process areas covered by Nadcap task groups include:
- Chemical processing, which includes plating and anodizing
- Heat treating, audited to AC7102 and its sub-criteria, including pyrometry
- Nondestructive testing
- Welding
- Coatings
- Materials testing laboratories
- Composites, electronics, sealants, and nonconventional machining and surface enhancement
If you do precision cleaning, oxygen cleaning or another process that is not obviously on the list, ask your customer which specification governs it and ask PRI whether a Nadcap program covers it. Do not assume either way.
Machine shops usually meet Nadcap indirectly. Their customers require that outside plating, heat treat or NDT be done by an accredited source, so the shop's supplier control has to check its processors' Nadcap status.
Nadcap and AS9100: how they fit
AS9100 certifies the quality management system for the whole business. Nadcap validates a specific process, such as your anodize line or your penetrant inspection. PRI describes Nadcap as working alongside AS9100 or ISO 9001.
Nadcap also has its own aerospace quality system checklist, AC7004. PRI's getting-started guidance notes that suppliers can plan to use AS9100 as their quality system instead, and warns that canceling an already scheduled AC7004 audit within 120 days of the date can bring cancellation fees. Sort out which route you are taking before you schedule. See our AS9100 cost guide for that side of the budget.
What Nadcap costs
The supplier pays for its own audits. PRI publishes typical cost ranges on its getting-started page:
| Item | Typical cost (USD) | Source or note |
|---|---|---|
| Nadcap accreditation audit | $15,000 to $45,000 or more | PRI typical range |
| Pre-assessment audit (optional) | $7,000 to $20,000 or more | PRI typical range |
| Reaccreditation audits | Quoted per audit | Typically every 12 to 24 months |
| Internal preparation | Shop specific | Procedures, calibration, training, job records, corrective actions |
PRI says final pricing depends on the number of audit days, travel expenses and the complexity of the scope. An on-site audit generally runs two to five days. Each additional process you add to scope can add audit time.
The internal side is where process houses spend the most. Expect to spend on bringing written procedures into line with the audit criteria, equipment calibration and certifications, operator training and qualification records, and tank, furnace or inspection records that prove the process ran to spec on real jobs.
Nadcap timeline for a first accreditation
PRI puts a typical first-time accreditation at about 6 to 12 months, depending on process scope, readiness and how fast nonconformances close. Its published step times:
| Step | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Review audit criteria and prepare | 2 to 4 months |
| Complete the required self-audit | 1 month, included in preparation |
| Request quote and schedule | Most audits happen 3 to 6 months after scheduling |
| Pre-assessment audit, if chosen | Adds 1 to 2 months |
| On-site audit | 2 to 5 days |
| Nonconformance report (NCR) closure | 1 to 3 months, depending on findings |
| Task group review and decision | About 1 week |
PRI recommends finishing the self-audit 30 to 60 days before the scheduled audit, and suggests scheduling an optional pre-assessment 3 to 9 months ahead of the official audit.
How the Nadcap process works
- Register on PRI EAN, the platform formerly called eAuditNet. It holds audit criteria, quotes, scheduling, NCRs and certificates.
- Download the audit criteria for your process from the public documents area and compare them line by line with your procedures.
- Do the self-audit. It is required, and it shows you the gaps before an auditor does.
- Request a quote and schedule the audit through EAN.
- Consider a pre-assessment. A Nadcap auditor reviews your readiness on site. PRI says results are for preparation only, are not used in the accreditation decision, and the auditor will not consult or recommend fixes.
- Host the audit. Auditors review your system and trace real jobs through the process. If you have no aerospace customers yet, PRI tells suppliers to contact their PRI staff engineer, because each task group has its own guidance on job audits in that case.
- Close the NCRs with root cause and corrective action.
- Task group decision. Accreditation is granted once nonconformances are closed, and you appear on the Qualified Manufacturers List.
Keeping Nadcap accreditation
Accreditation is not one and done. PRI says suppliers undergo reaccreditation audits typically every 12 to 24 months. Suppliers with strong audit performance can earn merit status, which stretches the interval between audits and lowers audit cost over time.
Delays hurt. PRI warns that repeated audit delays or excessive nonconformances can lead to suspension, and for programs like the aerospace quality system and materials testing laboratories, 31 cumulative days of delinquency triggers failure. Assign one person to own NCR responses and deadlines.
Is Nadcap worth it for a small process house?
It depends on who you sell to. If your current or target customers list Nadcap on their purchase orders for your process, accreditation is the price of entry, and PRI points out it can replace multiple separate customer audits at your facility. If your work is commercial or ground support equipment where customers only ask for a certificate of conformance to a spec, Nadcap may be premature.
Before committing, ask your top aerospace customers and prospects directly which processes they require Nadcap for, and get the answer in writing. Then scope the first audit to the process with real demand. You can add processes later. Our process houses page covers finding aerospace work for finishing, heat treat, NDT and cleaning shops.
List your processes with Aerospace Sourcing
Buyers on the Space Coast need plating, anodize, heat treat, NDT and precision cleaning done to spec with a clean cert package. When you sign up free as a supplier, list each process, the specifications you run to, and your Nadcap status for each. We match jobs on those details and flow the customer's process requirements down to you. We review every signup and contact you when a job fits; we do not promise a volume of RFQs.
More background: the aerospace supplier guide and the approved supplier list guide.
Questions
How much does Nadcap accreditation cost?
PRI lists typical costs of $15,000 to $45,000 or more for a Nadcap accreditation audit and $7,000 to $20,000 or more for an optional pre-assessment audit. Final pricing depends on the number of audit days, travel and scope complexity. The supplier pays for the audit. Internal preparation, including procedures, calibration, training and records, is a separate cost that varies by shop and process.
How long does it take to get Nadcap accredited?
PRI says a typical first-time accreditation takes about 6 to 12 months. Preparation runs 2 to 4 months, most audits take place 3 to 6 months after scheduling, the on-site audit lasts 2 to 5 days, closing nonconformance reports takes 1 to 3 months depending on findings, and the task group decision takes about a week.
Is Nadcap required by law?
No. Nadcap is an industry program. The requirement comes from customers: subscribing primes and OEMs require Nadcap accreditation for certain special processes through their purchase orders, specifications and approved processor lists. If a customer's paperwork calls for an accredited source for your process, you need it to do that customer's work.
Do I need AS9100 before Nadcap?
Nadcap evaluates a quality system as well as the process itself. Suppliers can use AS9100 as their quality system or go through Nadcap's own aerospace quality system checklist, AC7004. PRI notes that canceling an already scheduled AC7004 audit within 120 days because you plan to rely on AS9100 can bring cancellation fees, so decide early.
How often are Nadcap audits?
After initial accreditation, PRI says reaccreditation audits typically happen every 12 to 24 months. Suppliers with good audit results can earn merit status, which extends the interval between audits. Late responses and repeated delays can lead to suspension or failure, so NCR deadlines matter as much as the audit itself.
Can I get Nadcap if I do not have aerospace customers yet?
Nadcap audits review real jobs run through the process, so this is a common problem for new entrants. PRI's guidance is to contact your PRI staff engineer, because each task group has specific rules for handling job audits when a facility does not yet have aerospace customers.
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