An independent figure for the vehicle, not a dealer's offer.

In Short

What this appraisal is for

A vehicle is rarely valued by the people with the least reason to be neutral about it. We appraise cars, trucks, classic and collector vehicles, and motorcycles to the same USPAP standard as every other report here, for insurers, for the IRS, for a probate court, and for counsel. Each vehicle is quoted as an asset of its own rather than as a line on a household inventory.

When You Need One

Who this is for

A vehicle needs an appraisal when somebody other than the owner has to accept the number. Clients reach us at these points.

• An insurer wants an agreed value or a stated value on a classic or a collector vehicle.
• A vehicle is being donated and the deduction needs a qualified appraisal behind it.
• A vehicle forms part of an estate and the probate inventory has to state what it is worth.
• Two parties are dividing marital property and neither accepts the other's figure for the car.
• A claim has been made and the settlement offered does not match what the vehicle actually is.

The Report

What the report is used for

The standard of value follows the purpose. An insurer scheduling a collector vehicle wants replacement or agreed value; the IRS and a probate court want fair market value. We settle which one applies before the work starts, and the report states it.

Every report is signed and certified under USPAP, and identifies the vehicle by VIN. It sets out the condition the value assumes, the comparable sales behind the figure, and what the appraisal relied on — including that it was prepared from photographs and records, where it was.

• The vehicle identified by year, make, model, trim, and VIN
• The mileage, the options, and the condition the value assumes
• The value, the standard of value applied, and the effective date
• The comparable sales and market data the figure rests on
• The appraiser's certification, qualifications, and signature

How It Works

Four steps, start to signed report

Most assignments are prepared remotely, from photographs and documents. Where an item genuinely has to be seen in person, we say so before you pay rather than issue an opinion we cannot stand behind.

1. You send photographs and an inventory of the items, with any provenance, receipts, or certificates you have
2. We reply with a fixed quote, before any work starts
3. We research comparable sales and market data for each item or asset
4. You receive a signed, USPAP-compliant report you can file

Your Part

What we need from you

• The VIN, and the year, make, model, and trim
• The current mileage, photographed on the odometer
• Photographs from all four corners, plus the interior, the engine bay, and the VIN plate
• Close photographs of every flaw — rust, damage, wear, and any repaint
• The title, and any lien recorded against it
• Service records, restoration invoices, and documentation of any modification
• What the appraisal is for, and who is going to read it

Photograph the vehicle from all four corners, then the interior, the engine bay, the odometer, and the VIN plate. Photograph every flaw as well as every strength — rust, a torn seat, and a repaint all belong in the record, and a report that ignores them is the one an insurer or a trustee will not accept.

Price

What this costs

A vehicle is quoted per asset, not on the household per-item schedule. One vehicle for insurance, an estate, or your own use starts at $250. One vehicle for a donation, a divorce, a claim, or any other IRS or court use starts at $350. A typical single vehicle lands between $250 and $500, and further vehicles in the same assignment are quoted — usually for less than the first.

You get a fixed quote before any work starts, and the fee follows the research the assignment takes, not the value we find. If photographs cannot support the value, we say so before you pay — and if the fee would exceed what the property is likely worth, we say that too.

See the full pricing →