Pricing
What an appraisal costs
$500 flat for a single-family residence, whatever its size. Confirmed in writing before the inspection is scheduled.
What flat actually means
- No square-footage surcharge
- A 6,000 sq ft house is the same fee as a 1,200 sq ft one.
- No charge to fix our own error
- Corrections are not billable, and there is no fee to send the report again.
- Quoted equals invoiced
- Rush turnaround is the only thing that changes the figure, and it is agreed in writing before any work starts.
| Assignment | Fee | Turnaround | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial property | Quoted individually | 14–21 business days | Priced on property type, size, tenancy, the intended use of the report, and whether a full narrative or a restricted report is appropriate. |
| Divorce & equitable distribution | $500 | 5–7 business days | Flat fee for a single-family residence, any size. |
| Estate & date-of-death | $500 | 5–7 business days | Flat fee for a single-family residence, any size. |
| Gift tax | $500 | 5–7 business days | Flat fee for a single-family residence, any size. |
| Litigation support | Quoted individually | 7–14 business days | Priced on the record involved, the effective date, and whether a deposition or testimony is contemplated. |
| PMI removal | $500 | 3–5 business days | Flat fee for a single-family residence, any size. |
| Pre-listing | $500 | 3–5 business days | Flat fee for a single-family residence, any size. |
| Property tax appeal | $500 | 5–7 business days | Flat fee for a single-family residence, any size. |
| Retrospective valuation | $500 | 5–10 business days | Effective dates more than a few years back, or a municipality with very thin sales volume, are quoted individually. |
| Two-to-four family | Quoted individually | 7–12 business days | Priced on unit count, whether leases and rent rolls are available, and how thin the comparable sales are in that municipality. |
What the fee includes
- Inspection and measurement
- Research and comparable sales analysis
- The written report, digitally delivered
- Delivery to counsel or an accountant on written instruction
Quoted individually
- Commercial property
- Two-to-four family
- Acreage and multi-parcel
- Retrospective dates more than a few years back
- Rush turnaround
- Additional effective dates on the same property
- Deposition or testimony, engaged separately
Fees are never contingent on the value reached, on a predetermined result, or on whether an appeal succeeds. That is prohibited under USPAP, and an appraisal produced on those terms is worth nothing to the person you need to convince.
FAQ
Questions about pricing
Is it really the same price for any single-family home?
Yes. A single-family residence is a flat fee whatever its square footage. Charging by size implies the work scales with the house, and for ordinary residential assignments it largely does not — the research, the comparable analysis and the report are the same job. What genuinely changes the work is property type and complexity, which is why commercial, two-to-four family, acreage and multi-parcel assignments are quoted individually instead.
What falls outside the flat fee?
Commercial property and two-to-four family buildings, because those need an income approach rather than straight comparable sales. Acreage and multi-parcel holdings. Retrospective effective dates several years back, or a municipality with very thin sales volume, where the research is materially longer. Rush turnaround also carries a premium, because it displaces other scheduled work. All of those are quoted before anything starts.
Do I pay before or after?
The fee is agreed in writing before the inspection is scheduled. Payment terms are set out in the engagement. What never happens is a fee contingent on the value reached — that is prohibited under USPAP and it would make the report worthless to whoever you need to persuade.
Is a cheaper appraisal a worse appraisal?
Not necessarily, but ask what you are getting. The two things worth checking are whether the appraiser will use the effective date your purpose actually requires, and whether the report explains its adjustments or just states a number. A cheap report with the wrong effective date is not a saving — it cannot be used at all.
Someone else advertises a lower starting price. Why?
Because "starting at" is not a price, it is the bottom of a range you find the top of later. It is usually the fee for a small, simple, easily-comparable house on a standard timeline, and the additions — square footage, acreage, distance, complexity, a second effective date — come afterwards. That may still work out cheaper for you, and it is worth asking any appraiser what the figure becomes for your actual property before you compare it to anything. What we publish is the number for the whole assignment, not the number it starts at.
Next step
Tell us the purpose and the deadline
Those two things determine the effective date, the fee, and the turnaround. If an appraisal is not the right instrument for what you need, you will hear that first.