Pricing
Free appraisal consultation, and no upfront payment. At least $1,000 more than your insurer's offer, or your $495 fee is waived, once we accept your consultation.
The consultation tells you the range. The research documents your vehicle's value. As your appointed appraiser, we determine the amount of loss with your insurer's appraiser.
Simple, transparent pricing
Start with a free consultation. If we accept your consultation, the Appointed Appraiser Service is one flat price.
Our results: $3,648 more than the insurer's first offer, on average, before our fee. From 264 finished consultations that settled at or above the insurer's first offer, through September 25, 2026; past results, not a promise.
Free Appraisal Consultation
We start the appraisal analysis and walk you through what we find, free.
- Your vehicle's value range against the insurer's offer
- No commitments, no card required
- A straight recommendation: we tell you whether we can help
- The first step of the Appointed Appraiser Service
Appointed Appraiser Service
The full appraisal, from the research to the award letter. It includes the Appraisal Research.
- The Appraisal Research is an independent, documented opinion of your vehicle's market value, with every comparable shown, built from your VIN, mileage, equipment and documents, and your photos when you have them.
- You appoint us as your appraiser under your insurance policy's appraisal clause by sending an authorization email to your insurer yourself. Replies from your insurer still come to you.
- We ask your insurer for its appraiser's name and contact details, and to keep copying you. Then we work with that appraiser to determine the amount of loss, including the appraisal conference.
- If the two appraisers can't agree, an umpire decides. The umpire's fee is separate.
- We produce the appraisal award letter.
At least $1,000 more, or your fee is waived.
This applies once we accept your consultation and serve as your appraiser. The starting point is your insurer's offer on the day we accept. If the appraisal award, or a higher offer your insurer makes instead, is less than $1,000 above it, we waive our $495 Appointed Appraiser Service fee. If an umpire is needed, the umpire's fee is separate.
Appraisal Research
We offer it on its own in your consultation, when a research report is what you need.
- A written research report only: an independent, documented opinion of your vehicle's market value, with every comparable shown.
- 24-hour turnaround on the report.
- It doesn't appoint us as your appraiser, and the $1,000 guarantee doesn't apply to it.
- Your card is authorized when you order and charged when we deliver the report.
- If you later choose the Appointed Appraiser Service, the $199 counts in full toward the $495.
No upfront payment. Your appraisal consultation is free, and we pre-authorize your card only after we accept your consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the pricing work?
Your appraisal consultation is free: we start the analysis and tell you honestly whether we can help. We offer two products. The Appointed Appraiser Service is $495. It includes the Appraisal Research, our appointment as your appraiser under your insurance policy's appraisal clause, determining the amount of loss with your insurer's appraiser, and the appraisal award letter. Appraisal Research is $199: a written research report only. It doesn't appoint us as your appraiser. We offer it on its own in your consultation, when a research report is what you need. We pre-authorize your card only after we accept your consultation, so there's no upfront payment.
What if you can't increase my settlement?
At least $1,000 more, or your fee is waived. This applies once we accept your consultation and serve as your appraiser. The starting point is your insurer's offer on the day we accept. If the appraisal award, or a higher offer your insurer makes instead, is less than $1,000 above it, we waive our $495 Appointed Appraiser Service fee. If an umpire is needed, the umpire's fee is separate. We review every consultation before accepting it, and accept it only when our review finds the value is likely at least $1,000 above your insurer's offer. Our results: $3,648 more than the insurer's first offer, on average, before our fee. From 264 finished consultations that settled at or above the insurer's first offer, through September 25, 2026; past results, not a promise.
What's the difference between the Appraisal Research and the Appointed Appraiser Service?
The Appraisal Research is a written report that documents your vehicle's value with comparables and methodology. It doesn't appoint us as your appraiser. A report alone doesn't obligate your insurer to do anything. The appraisal clause in your policy does — and invoking it requires an appointed appraiser. The Appointed Appraiser Service is that appointment: it includes the research, determining the amount of loss with your insurer's appraiser, including the appraisal conference, and the appraisal award letter.
How long does the appraisal research take?
Our standard turnaround for the appraisal research is 24 hours from the time you submit your insurance company's report and vehicle details. How long the appraisal takes depends on your insurer's appraiser and, if one is needed, the umpire.
Are you affiliated with my insurance company?
No. SecondAppraisal is an independent vehicle appraisal consultancy. We never work for the insurer on the other side of your claim.