Is a diminished value appraisal worth it?

Start with the size of the loss

The fee for a typical diminished-value appraisal is $250–$350. The question is how that compares with what your vehicle lost. Two quick checks give you a sense of scale:

• The rough estimate calculator. It is not an appraisal, and it is useful for exactly this decision.
• Ask a dealer what your vehicle would be worth on trade with and without the accident history.

If both suggest a loss in the low hundreds, an appraisal is hard to justify. If they suggest thousands, the fee is a small part of what is at stake.

Then check that the claim can be made

A large loss only matters if someone can be asked to pay it. The eligibility checklist covers the eight factors in detail. The short version:

• Another driver was at fault, and they are insured.
• Your state allows the claim. See state laws.
• You have not signed a release of the property-damage claim.
• You are inside the deadline to sue.

When it usually is worth it

• Newer, lower-mileage or higher-value vehicles
• Structural or frame repairs, airbag deployment, or damage across several panels
• The vehicle’s first reported accident
• The insurer has denied the claim or offered a formula figure, and you need evidence to answer it
• You expect to sell or trade the vehicle within a few years

Six situations where it usually is not

1. Minor cosmetic damage on an older or high-mileage vehicle. The market gap is small.
2. You were at fault and your own policy excludes diminished value, as many do.
3. The vehicle already had accident history. A second accident usually adds less.
4. You signed a full release.
5. The deadline has passed.
6. The vehicle is leased and the leasing company holds the claim. See leased and financed vehicles.

In some of these, lighter evidence may be proportionate. See doing it yourself.

What an appraisal can and cannot do

An appraisal gives you a documented, checkable figure and the evidence behind it. It does not decide the claim. Insurers, arbitrators and courts make their own decisions, and results vary with the vehicle, the evidence, the insurer and the state. Weigh the fee against a realistic range of outcomes, including the chance the insurer pays less than the report shows.

The no-cost way to find out

The claim review is free: we look at your situation and tell you whether an appraisal is likely to help. The appraisal itself is a paid report. If an appraisal is unlikely to be worth the fee for your vehicle, we will tell you.

Some diminished-value appraisals also qualify for our Conditional Money-Back Guarantee, which has conditions and state exclusions. Read the terms before you rely on it.

Start Your Free Claim Review, or call (877) 655-1661.