For manufacturers with 15–125 employees, CMMC Level 2 readiness typically takes 6–12 months and costs between $20,000 and $90,000+. There are 110 required controls under NIST 800-171, and most companies begin only 30–50% compliant. Costs vary based on existing security posture, network complexity, and how much CUI is stored. Delaying compliance until contract deadlines can significantly increase cost and risk.

What Impacts Timeline?

Key variables:

  • User count
  • Existing security maturity
  • OT complexity
  • Volume of CUI
  • Internal leadership involvement

Simple environments: 4–6 months
Average manufacturers: 6–9 months
Complex OT environments: 9–12+ months

Where the Costs Come From

Typical cost breakdown:

  • Gap assessment: $5k–$15k
  • Tooling: $5k–$25k
  • Remediation: $10k–$40k
  • Documentation: $5k–$20k
  • Ongoing management: $150–$300 per user/month

Realistic Timeline Framework

Month 1–2: Assessment
Month 3–6: Remediation
Month 7–9: Documentation
Month 10–12: Readiness validation

Why Compliance Takes Longer Than Expected

  • Legacy shop-floor systems
  • Shared accounts
  • Poor network segmentation
  • Incomplete logging

Example

A 75-employee aerospace supplier began at 35% compliance. After an 8-month remediation effort totaling $55,000, they passed readiness validation and secured a $4.8M contract renewal.