Diminished Value Appraisal Cost: What You Get for $499
Our professional diminished value appraisal service costs $499. It includes an independent report and support after you submit the report to the insurer.
What the $499 covers
We review vehicle identity, accident and repair records, relevant market evidence and the potential impact of the loss on value. The written report explains the appraisal conclusion and its assumptions. We also provide after-submission support so you are not left with an unexplained PDF.
What after-submission support means
Support helps you understand the report, identify which valuation points an insurer challenges and clarify the documentation used. It does not mean we guarantee insurer acceptance, represent you as an attorney or conduct unlimited legal negotiations.
Our money-back guarantee
We guarantee more than the $499 appraisal fee in additional recovery, or your money back, subject to the written guarantee terms supplied before purchase. Request the terms and confirm how incremental recovery is measured and verified before payment. An appraisal itself does not force an insurer to pay.
When not to buy an appraisal
If fault, claim type, prior accidents, age or repair records make the potential claim weak, start with the free review. A responsible screening may recommend against a paid appraisal.
Questions to ask before ordering
Do you guarantee a specific diminished value number?
No. The valuation conclusion must follow the evidence.
Will the insurer pay my appraisal fee?
Not automatically. Fee recovery is a separate question depending on the claim and legal circumstances.
Can I send my repair estimate first?
Yes. The free review is designed to assess whether a paid report may be worthwhile.
Washington primary sources and important limits
Washington’s insurance commissioner explains that diminished value generally concerns the market-value difference remaining after repair and that it is usually pursued against the at-fault driver’s insurer. It is not paid automatically: the loss must be supported by evidence. Read the OIC’s auto-claim guidance.
WAC 284-30-330 addresses unfair claim settlement practices; WAC 284-30-370 addresses investigations; WAC 284-30-380 addresses settlement standards. These rules do not supply a universal diminished-value formula or guarantee payment. The OIC adopted revisions effective October 18, 2026; read the version effective for your claim.
RCW 48.18.620 governs appraisal provisions in qualifying first-party automobile physical-damage policies issued or renewed effective January 1, 2026 or later. Whether a specific post-repair diminished-value dispute is within a policy’s appraisal scope requires policy and claim analysis. Do not assume this statute gives every third-party diminished-value claimant an appraisal right. WAC 284-30-391 addresses total-loss settlement methodology, not a post-repair diminished-value formula.