How Long Does SOC 2 Take?

The straightforward answer: While the AICPA does not mandate a specific minimum observation period, most auditors look for at least 3 months to gather sufficient evidence of operating effectiveness. This is industry practice, not a regulatory requirement. The preparation phase can sometimes be streamlined, and observation period length is determined in consultation with your auditor. (Note: No explicit AICPA minimum exists; 3 months reflects commonly accepted auditor practice.)

Key Takeaways

Quick Answer: SOC 2 Type 2 typically takes 4.5-6 months total. A 3-month observation period is standard industry practice for demonstrating operating effectiveness. Planning ahead is valuable: working backward from your target date helps ensure a smooth process.

Understanding the Timeline: 4.5-6 Months

The observation period is the component that establishes the floor for the overall timeline. It requires time for auditors to gather evidence of controls operating consistently.

Where the Time Goes

Phase 1: Implementation (6-8 weeks)

Early weeks: Assessment and Planning

• Understanding your technology stack, data flows, and customer requirements
• Identifying gaps between current state and SOC 2 requirements
• Defining scope and selecting Trust Services Criteria

Middle weeks: Controls Implementation

• Environment separation (if not already in place)
• Database encryption verification
• Access controls and MFA deployment
• Security tooling deployment (MDM, code scanning, vulnerability management)

Later weeks: Documentation and Evidence

• Policy documentation tailored to your organization
• Evidence collection automation setup
• Team training deployment
• Penetration testing

The time your team invests during this phase depends significantly on your approach. With a managed service, much of the heavy lifting is handled by your compliance partner, ensuring things are done correctly the first time and avoiding costly iterations and rework.

Phase 2: Observation Period (3 months)

During this phase:

• Auditors can sample evidence from any point in the window
• Your organization continues normal operations
• Compliance monitoring identifies any control issues early
• You can share "audit in progress" letters with prospects

This phase is relatively low-touch for your team, particularly if you're working with a compliance partner who handles auditor communication.

Phase 3: Report Generation (2-3 weeks)

• Auditors compile their findings
• Any exceptions are documented
• Final SOC 2 report issued

This final phase typically requires minimal involvement from your team, primarily a review call to finalize the report.

Understanding What Can (and Can't) Be Accelerated

The observation period establishes the baseline timeline. It's the window auditors need to gather evidence of controls operating consistently.

What can be optimized:

• Implementation phase: well-prepared organizations can often complete this more quickly
• Evidence collection: automation significantly reduces manual effort

What remains fixed:

• The observation period (typically 3 months for first-time audits)
• Auditor review process

The Value of a Managed Approach

When organizations pursue SOC 2 independently, significant time goes into:

• Learning the SOC 2 framework and requirements
• Mapping controls to your specific technology stack
• Writing policy documentation
• Configuring evidence collection systems
• Finding and coordinating with auditors
• Managing the audit process
• Addressing issues identified during the audit

With a managed service approach, your compliance partner brings additional hands to handle much of this work, ensuring things are done correctly the first time and avoiding the iterations and rework that can extend timelines significantly.

The result is that your team can focus on implementing the technical controls that only you can address, while compliance expertise is handled by people who do this work every day.

Common Factors That Affect Timeline

Technical complexity is rarely the primary issue. More often, timelines are affected by:

Maintaining Momentum

Projects that maintain consistent attention through the implementation phase tend to complete more efficiently. When compliance work stretches out too long, it can become increasingly difficult to bring back to focus.

The 6-8 week implementation window tends to work well: fast enough to maintain engagement, realistic enough to be achievable alongside other business priorities.

Timeline Considerations by Company Profile

Early-Stage Startup (5-20 employees)

Typical characteristics:

• Cloud-native infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Vercel)
• Small, focused team
• Modern tech stack
• Flexible decision-making

Timeline considerations:

• Implementation often efficient due to smaller scope
• Faster internal decisions
• Modern cloud stacks tend to be compliance-friendly

Growth-Stage Company (20-100 employees)

Typical characteristics:

• Multiple teams and systems
• Some existing security practices
• Growing customer security requirements
• Dedicated engineering resources

Timeline considerations:

• More systems to include in scope
• Cross-team coordination required
• Balancing compliance with growth priorities

Scale-Up (100+ employees)

Typical characteristics:

• Complex infrastructure
• Multiple products or services
• Established processes
• Security team often in place

Timeline considerations:

• Broader scope with many systems
• Legacy systems may need attention
• More stakeholders to coordinate

Backward Planning: When to Start

Start with your deadline and work backward:

1Deadline: Report needed by [DATE]
2
3Subtract:
4- 2-3 weeks for report generation
5- 3 months for observation period
6- 6-8 weeks for implementation
7- 1 week buffer
8
9Start date: ~5 months before deadline

Example Timelines

Need SOC 2 by end of Q2 (June 30):

1January 15:   Kickoff
2February 28:  Implementation complete, observation begins
3May 31:       Observation period complete
4June 15:      Type 2 report issued ✓

Need SOC 2 by end of year (December 31):

1August 1:     Kickoff
2September 15: Implementation complete, observation begins
3December 15:  Observation period complete
4December 30:  Type 2 report issued ✓

"In-Progress" Letters: Don't Wait for the Report

You don't have to wait 4.5 months to show clients something. Once the audit begins, auditors provide letters stating:

• You've engaged in the SOC 2 audit process
• List of all security controls being audited
• Estimated completion date
• "So far so good" assessment

Use these letters to:

• Close enterprise deals during observation
• Satisfy procurement "certification in progress" requirements
• Show prospects you're serious about security

Clients rarely block on "not yet certified" if they can see you're 2-3 months away with real auditor engagement.

Common Questions

"What if we need something urgently?"

SOC 2 Type 1 can be completed more quickly for situations where timing is critical. However, Type 1 has limitations. Most enterprise buyers will want to understand your Type 2 timeline.

Type 1 is typically most useful as a bridge while Type 2 observation continues. See our Type 1 vs Type 2 guide for more details.

"Can we start during fundraising?"

Yes. Many Series A/B companies pursue SOC 2 while fundraising. With a managed service approach, the work is distributed over the implementation period rather than concentrated, making it manageable alongside other priorities. The key is having someone who can coordinate.

Some organizations prefer to begin the engagement after funding closes but get started on planning earlier.

"Our infrastructure isn't stable yet. Should we wait?"

SOC 2 reports describe your infrastructure, so the report should remain accurate for the year it covers.

Consider waiting if:

• You're planning major cloud migrations
• You're re-architecting significantly
• Your product strategy might pivot substantially

Generally okay to start if:

• Core infrastructure is settled
• You might add features but the foundation is stable
• You have customers depending on current architecture

"Can we add new employees during observation?"

Yes. Normal business changes are expected. The audit captures your organization at a point in time, with the understanding that businesses evolve. Hiring and team changes don't disrupt the process.

Factors That Can Accelerate the Timeline

Factors That Can Extend the Timeline

How Bastion Approaches Timeline

Our focus is on helping you reach Type 2 efficiently while minimizing the burden on your team:

• Managed service approach: We bring additional hands to handle the compliance expertise work, ensuring things are done correctly the first time
• Avoiding rework: Proper preparation means fewer iterations and surprises during the audit
• Auditor coordination: We handle the communication and back-and-forth with auditors

The result is a more predictable path to your SOC 2 report, with your team focused on the implementation work that only you can do.

Have questions about timeline for your situation? Talk to our team

Sources

• AICPA SOC Suite of Services - Official SOC 2 framework overview
• AICPA SOC 2® Guide - Detailed guidance on Type 1 and Type 2 examination periods