What Verdica's 820 score means for Ben Chappell
Ben Chappell's composite score of 820 out of 850 places them in the "excellent" band (800–850), indicating strong overall compliance standing based on available regulatory data. This score reflects alignment with both state licensing requirements and PCAOB audit standards, the two primary frameworks Verdica uses to evaluate accounting providers operating in Colorado.
A score in this range signals that Ben Chappell has not triggered major red flags in the regulatory systems Verdica monitors. That said, a score of 820 is not perfect; the 30-point gap to the maximum suggests there are minor areas where compliance could be tighter, or where historical audit findings have created small deductions. For a business owner or consumer evaluating this provider, an 820 means the risk profile is low, but it's worth understanding what those sub-score variations represent before signing an engagement.
How the sub-scores break down
Ben Chappell's three sub-scores show consistency across the compliance dimensions Verdica tracks:
License & Credentials (810): This sub-score reflects Ben Chappell's standing with Colorado's accounting board regarding licensing status, renewal compliance, and credential maintenance. A score of 810 in this category means the provider holds required certifications and meets state registration standards, but may have had minor gaps—such as a late renewal, incomplete continuing education reporting, or other administrative findings that triggered a small deduction. Providers in this band are actively licensed and credentialed; the minor gap is typical and does not suggest a risk of license suspension or revocation.
PCAOB Record (810): This sub-score is derived from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's inspection and audit findings. The PCAOB monitors audit quality, independence, and compliance with professional standards for firms that audit public companies. A score of 810 suggests Ben Chappell's audit work meets PCAOB standards overall, but audit inspections may have flagged small quality issues—such as documentation gaps, sampling questions, or minor deviations from auditing standards—that did not rise to enforcement action but were noted as findings. These are common in routine inspections and do not indicate systemic misconduct.
Disciplinary (850): This is Ben Chappell's strongest sub-score. A perfect 850 means there are no disciplinary actions, complaints, sanctions, or enforcement findings in the state board or PCAOB databases. This indicates a clean disciplinary record with no history of violations, fines, or corrective orders.
What regulators in CO track for accounting providers
Colorado's state accounting board and the PCAOB together maintain the compliance framework for providers like Ben Chappell. The state board oversees licensing, continuing professional education, firm registration, and complaint investigations. Violations tracked include unlicensed practice, failure to maintain independence, inadequate record-keeping, and ethical breaches. License suspensions, revocations, and disciplinary fines move providers into higher-risk score bands.
The PCAOB, a federal regulator, inspects audit firms and reviews the quality of audits of public companies. PCAOB findings address audit deficiencies—areas where the firm's work did not meet auditing standards. Common findings include insufficient audit evidence, inadequate testing of internal controls, or insufficient professional skepticism. Systemic findings, repeated deficiencies, or failure to implement remediation lead to enforcement actions and lower scores. Isolated, corrected findings are typical across the industry and result in modest score reductions.
Both regulators publish their inspection results and complaint histories publicly, which Verdica aggregates into these sub-scores.
Bottom line
Ben Chappell scores in the excellent range and carries a clean disciplinary record, making them a low-risk choice for accounting services in Colorado. Before engaging, confirm that their specific service offerings (audit, tax, bookkeeping) align with your needs and verify references from other clients, since Verdica's score reflects regulatory compliance only, not customer satisfaction or service quality.