How do I estimate the cost of a large scanning project?

Count your archive boxes (each holds roughly 2,500 pages) to estimate total volume. Assess document condition by opening sample boxes. Send a sample to your scanning provider for accurate per-page pricing. Budget for preparation, scanning, OCR, indexing and contingency (15-20%). Expect 8-25p per page total depending on condition and requirements.

What is a realistic budget for scanning 100,000 pages?

For 100,000 pages of mixed-condition business documents with preparation, scanning at 300 DPI, OCR, and basic indexing, expect a total budget of £10,000-£20,000 (10-20p per page effective rate). Clean, well-prepared documents will be at the lower end; heavily stapled documents in folders will be at the upper end. Add 15-20% contingency.

How to Budget for a Large Document Scanning Project

Budgeting for a large scanning project can feel like guessing. You know you have a lot of paper, but how much it will cost to digitise depends on factors you may not have considered — document condition, preparation requirements, indexing depth, and the gap between what you think you have and what you actually have. This guide helps you build a realistic budget.

Step 1: Estimate Your Volume

You need a reasonable estimate of how many pages you are dealing with. The easiest way:

Archive boxes: A standard archive box holds approximately 2,000-2,500 A4 sheets. Count your boxes and multiply
Filing cabinets: A full four-drawer filing cabinet holds approximately 8,000-10,000 sheets (roughly 3-4 archive boxes per drawer)
Lever arch files: A full lever arch file holds approximately 400-500 sheets
Expansion files and wallets: Variable, but typically 100-300 sheets each

Do not count too precisely at this stage — you need an order-of-magnitude estimate. Knowing you have 50,000-75,000 pages is far more useful for budgeting than spending weeks trying to count to the exact page.

Step 2: Assess Document Condition

Open a sample of boxes and evaluate the contents. This is the step most people skip, and it is the reason most budgets are wrong. Look at:

Are documents loose or in folders/binders?
Are they stapled?
Are there mixed paper sizes?
Is the paper in good condition or damaged/fragile?
Are there sticky notes, annotations, or attachments?
How well organised are they — sorted or random?

A box of clean, loose A4 sheets costs a fraction of a box of stapled, folded, mixed-format documents in lever arch files. If you send a sample box to your scanning provider, they can give you a much more accurate quote than if you just tell them a number.

Step 3: Define Your Requirements

Before requesting quotes, decide:

Resolution: 300 DPI is the standard. Only specify higher if you have a specific need
Colour mode: Auto-colour detect is the best default — colour where needed, black and white otherwise
OCR: Almost always yes — the cost is minimal and the benefit is significant
Indexing: What level? Basic file naming (cheapest), document-level indexing (moderate), or full metadata capture (most expensive)?
Output format: PDF is standard. Multi-page PDFs per document, or per folder, or per box?
Delivery: USB drive, cloud upload, or integration with your document management system?
Originals: Return after scanning, keep in storage, or securely destroy?

Step 4: Build the Budget

A realistic budget for a large project should include all these line items:

Document preparation: 3-12p per page (the biggest variable)
Scanning: 4-10p per page (depends on volume and document type)
OCR: 1-3p per page
Indexing: 0-20p per document (depends on depth)
Quality assurance: Usually included in the per-page rate, but confirm
Collection and delivery of physical documents: £100-£500 depending on volume and distance
Output delivery: Free for USB drive, variable for cloud upload or system integration
Secure destruction of originals (if applicable): £5-£15 per box
Contingency: 15-20% of the total, because volumes are always estimates and document condition always has surprises

Step 5: Get Multiple Quotes

Request quotes from at least three providers, giving each the same brief. Compare on:

Total project cost (not just per-page rate — some providers quote low per-page but charge extra for preparation, OCR or indexing)
What is included in the per-page rate and what is extra
Turnaround time — some providers are faster but more expensive
Quality assurance process — what checking is done and by whom?
Security credentials — ISO 27001, DBS checks, data handling procedures
References from similar projects

Common Budget Mistakes

Underestimating volume: People consistently undercount. A “small archive” of 20 boxes is 50,000 pages — not a small scanning project
Ignoring preparation: The scanning rate looks affordable until preparation doubles it
Forgetting indexing: Scanning without indexing creates a pile of unnamed files that are almost as hard to search as the original paper
No contingency: Volumes turn out higher than estimated, document condition is worse than expected, and scope creep adds requirements. Budget at least 15% contingency
Comparing only on price: The cheapest provider may cut corners on quality, leaving you with an unusable archive

Get a Free Quote

Every project is different, so the best way to understand your costs is to get in touch with our team. We provide clear, no-obligation quotes — usually within the same day.

Call us on 01691 650355 or use the form below.