Document scanning with Dajon starts from £0.03 per image, with a minimum order of £250, and records storage starts from £4.00 per box per year – depending on volume and scope. All prices exclude VAT. We scan and store records from our facility in Orpington under ISO 27001, BS 10008, Cyber Essentials and NHS DSPT.
The price per page is only part of what a project costs. This page explains what moves the price up or down, what indexing includes, and how to compare quotes so that the figure you approve is the figure you pay.
Starting prices
| Service | From (ex VAT) | Priced by |
|---|---|---|
| Document scanning, standard office paper | £0.03, depending on volume and scope. | Image |
| Minimum order | £250 | Project |
| Records storage | £4.00, depending on volume and scope. | Standard archive box per year |
| Scan on demand | £15.00 for files under 100 images | File retrieved and scanned |
| Secure collection | £45.00 for up to 20 boxes, then £1.00 per extra box | Collection, plus per box |
“From” prices are for high-volume, standard-condition A4 paper with box-level indexing and our standard turnaround. Your quote is based on a sample of your records.
Scan on demand
When you need a stored file, we retrieve it and send it to you as a scanned file. The price depends on the size of the file.
| Images in the file | Price per file (ex VAT) |
|---|---|
| Under 100 | £15.00 |
| 100 to 200 | £20.00 |
| 201 to 300 | £25.00 |
| 301 to 500 | £30.00 |
| 501 to 1,000 | £45.00 |
Collections and deliveries
A secure collection in Central London costs £45.00 for up to 20 boxes, plus £1.00 for each extra box. We agree collections and deliveries outside Central London for each project.
What affects the price of your project
Six things decide most of the cost of a scanning or storage project. We look at each one when we sample your records, and each appears as its own line on your quote.
| Cost driver | What lowers the cost | What raises the cost |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | Large projects, where set-up is spread across more pages | Small batches and very short runs |
| Document condition | Loose, flat A4 in good condition | Fragile, torn, folded or damp paper; mixed sizes; bound books; large-format plans |
| Preparation | Papers already unbound and in order | Removing staples, clips, tags and plastic wallets; repairing pages; inserting separator sheets |
| Indexing depth | Box-level or batch-level indexing | Document-level indexing and field-level data capture |
| Turnaround | Our standard schedule | Priority or same-day delivery, or work outside normal hours |
| Storage term | Short, fixed retention periods with planned destruction | Long or open-ended storage; frequent retrievals |
Volume. Most of the cost of a scanning project is set-up, preparation and quality checking, so the price per page falls as the number of pages rises. A sample of your records lets us estimate the page count before we quote.
Document condition. Standard office paper runs through production scanners at speed. Fragile, damaged or unusual items are handled one at a time on flatbed or large-format scanners, which takes longer.
Preparation. Preparation is everything done to paper before it can be scanned: removing fastenings, unfolding, repairing tears and putting pages in order. On many projects it takes more staff time than the scanning itself, which is why we price it from your sample rather than leaving it to the final invoice.
Indexing depth. The more information you want captured about each document, the more time each one takes. See “What indexing includes” below.
Turnaround. Our standard schedule lets us plan your project into production. Faster delivery is available where we can staff it.
Storage term. Storage is charged per box per year. Retrieval, return, permanent withdrawal and secure destruction at the end of the retention period are separate items, and we list each one on your quote.
What indexing includes
Indexing is the information we attach to each scanned file so that you can find it again. Every scanning project includes the standard items below; the indexing level you choose decides how much more we capture.
Included as standard in every project
- Searchable PDF with optical character recognition (OCR) on typed text
- File naming to an agreed convention
- Box-level or batch-level index, linking each file to the box it came from
- Quality checks on image readability and page counts
- Delivery by secure transfer, or into SharePoint or your document management system
Indexing levels
| Level | What we capture | Typical use | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box or batch | Box number, date range, department | Archives you rarely search | Included |
| File or folder | File name or reference, such as a client number or employee ID | HR, client and patient files | Low |
| Document | Document type and date for each document in a file | Claims, contracts, deeds | Medium |
| Field-level data capture | Named fields from each document, such as policy number, amount or address, checked and exported as data | Feeding a system, invoice processing, AI projects | Higher, priced per field |
Not sure which level you need? Tell us how your team searches for records today and we will recommend one. Our data capture page explains field-level capture in more detail.
Compare the total, not the price per page
Some bureaus advertise a low price per page that makes their quotation look very attractive, then add costs to the final invoice that the quote did not show. The most common are preparation or processing charged by the hour, and fees for permanently withdrawing boxes from storage (“perm-out” fees). By the time these appear, your records are already with the supplier.
Our quote lists every chargeable item and the rate for each, based on a sample of your records. If something we find during the project would change the price, we tell you and agree it before we do the work.
Questions to ask any supplier before you sign
- Is preparation included in the price per page, or charged by the hour?
- What indexing is included, and what does each extra field cost?
- Is there a minimum order or minimum invoice?
- What do collection, delivery and return of the originals cost?
- What does it cost to retrieve a box, to withdraw boxes permanently, and to destroy them securely?
- Is there a charge to end a storage contract or move records to another supplier?
- Can you give a fixed total for the project after sampling the records?
Worked examples
These examples are illustrative. They show how a quote is built up, not a price for your records. Your quote depends on a sample of your own documents. Prices exclude VAT.
Example 1: HR archive, 40 boxes, file-level indexing
A company is moving offices and wants 40 boxes of personnel files scanned and securely destroyed. At around 2,500 pages a box, that is about 100,000 pages. Files are stapled and in good condition.
| Item | Quantity | Rate | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secure collection | 1 collection, 40 boxes | £45.00 for 20 boxes, £1.00 per extra box | £65.00 |
| Preparation (staple removal, page order) | 100,000 pages | £0.02 per page | £2,000.00 |
| Scanning to searchable PDF with OCR | 100,000 images | £0.03 per image | £3,000.00 |
| File-level indexing (employee name and ID) | 1,200 files | £0.50 per file (based on 2 fields at £0.25 per field) | £600.00 |
| Secure destruction of originals with certificate | 40 boxes | £3.00 per box | £120.00 |
| Total | £5,785.00 |
Example 2: Insurance claims files, document-level indexing, mixed condition
An insurer needs 15 boxes of claims files scanned, with each document labelled by type and date. About a fifth of the files contain folded plans.
| Item | Quantity | Rate | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preparation, including unfolding and repairs | 37,500 pages | £0.02 per page | £750.00 |
| Scanning, standard pages | 30,000 pages | £0.03 per image | £900.00 |
| Scanning, large-format | 1,000 pages | £2.50 per image | £2,500.00 |
| Document-level indexing | 9,000 documents | £0.50 per document (based on 2 fields at £0.25 per field) | £4,500.00 |
| Return of originals to storage | 15 boxes | £3.00 per box | £45.00 |
| Total | £8,695.00 |
Example 3: Storing 200 boxes for 7 years
A law firm stores 200 boxes of closed matter files for 7 years, retrieves about 20 boxes a year and has them destroyed at the end of the retention period.
| Item | Quantity | Rate | Cost over 7 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intake, barcoding and listing | 200 boxes | £2.00 per box | £400.00 |
| Storage | 200 boxes × 7 years | £4.00 per box per year | £5,600.00 |
| Retrievals and returns | about 140 | £2.50 per retrieval | £350.00 |
| Secure destruction with certificate | 200 boxes | £3.00 per box | £600.00 |
| Permanent withdrawal | 200 boxes | £3.50 per box | £700.00 |
| Total | £7,650.00 |
Estimate your page count
Not sure how many pages you have? Our Page Count Calculator turns boxes, filing cabinet drawers and lever-arch files into an estimated page count you can use to request a quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does document scanning cost?
Scanning starts from £0.03 per image for standard office paper, with a minimum order of £250, ex VAT. The total depends on volume, condition, preparation, indexing and turnaround, and we quote after sampling your records.
Why do you sample records before quoting?
Preparation and indexing can cost more than the scanning itself, and both depend on what is in the boxes. A sample lets us price them on the quote instead of charging by the hour afterwards.
Is preparation included?
Preparation is priced from your sample and shown as its own line on the quote. We do not add hourly preparation charges to the final invoice.
Do you charge to take boxes out of storage permanently?
Yes, at £3.50 per box, shown on your storage quote from the start.
Do your prices include VAT?
No. All prices on this page exclude VAT.
Can you give a fixed price?
Yes. Once we have sampled your records and agreed the scope, we can fix the total for the project.
Get a quote
Tell us roughly how many boxes or files you have, what type of records they are and when you need them. We will arrange a sample and send you an itemised quote.