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What we do
Vehicle appraisal & consulting
What a vehicle is actually worth, documented — and a straight answer about what to do with it.
Two different jobs share this page because customers usually need both at once. An appraisal is a documented opinion of a vehicle's condition and value, backed by market evidence, written so somebody else can rely on it. Consulting is the conversation around it — repair or replace, finish the build or sell it as it sits, take the settlement or push back. One produces a number; the other helps you decide what to do with the number.
When people need an appraisal
Exact mileage, trim, equipment and known previous damage are not busywork. They are the inputs that move a vehicle's value, and a vehicle valued as a base model when it isn't one is valued short. That is the same information an appraisal is built from — which is why we ask for it up front.
The consulting half
Plenty of the calls we take aren't asking for a repair. They're asking whether one makes sense.
- Repair or replace. What the work would cost against what the vehicle is worth once it's done — and whether that math works for this particular vehicle.
- Finish it or let it go. Half-done projects and inherited builds. What's left, what it realistically costs, and what it's worth finished versus sold as it sits.
- Which repair method. PDR, conventional repair or panel replacement, and what each does to the finished result, the timeline and the vehicle's future value.
- Insuring a build properly. A restored or heavily modified vehicle insured at book value is underinsured the day the work is finished. Documentation is what fixes that.
- Buying with a history report. A report says it was damaged. We can tell you what the repair looks like and what it means for value.
- Sequencing a project. What order to do things in so you're not paying twice — paint before the parts arrive is money spent again.
How we do it
- Inspect the vehicle properly. Condition, equipment, trim, mileage, prior repairs and current defects, recorded rather than remembered.
- Photograph it thoroughly so the report shows the vehicle instead of describing it.
- Pull market evidence. Comparable vehicles, adjusted for the things that actually move price on this one.
- Write it up in a form you can hand to a carrier, a buyer, an attorney or an accountant — findings, evidence and reasoning, not just a figure.
- Talk it through. The report is not much use if nobody explains what it means for your decision. That conversation is part of the job.
We document condition and value and we give you our honest read. What an insurer ultimately pays is their decision, and diminished value rules differ by state and by policy — so does what a formal valuation dispute requires. Most auto policies contain an appraisal clause for settling value disagreements, and it is worth asking your carrier about before things get adversarial. We are a body shop, not your insurer and not your attorney; where a matter needs a lawyer or a specific appraisal credential, we will tell you that rather than take the work.
What we work on
We repair this damage on
Our work
Appraisal before & after
Photos from real jobs. Swap these placeholders for your own shots of this kind of work.
Common questions
Appraisal FAQ
What is diminished value, in plain terms?
It's the money a vehicle loses simply because it was damaged, even after it has been repaired correctly. Two identical trucks, one with an accident on its history and one without, do not bring the same price. Whether you can recover that, and from whom, depends on your state and the policy involved — ask your carrier, and get the condition documented either way.
My insurer's total loss offer seems low. Can you help?
We can document what the vehicle actually was — trim, equipment, mileage, condition — and what comparable vehicles are bringing. That gives you evidence instead of an argument. Ask your carrier about the appraisal clause in your policy as well; most auto policies have one for exactly this situation.
Can you appraise a classic, a hot rod or a modified truck?
Yes, and that's where appraisals earn their keep. Standard valuation guides have nothing to say about a built vehicle, and insuring one at book value leaves you short the day it's finished. Bring your receipts and build documentation if you have them — they help considerably.
I'm thinking about buying a vehicle. Is this worth doing first?
Usually, yes. An inspection and a value opinion before the money moves costs a fraction of what a bad purchase does, particularly on anything showing prior damage.
Do I have to have the repairs done here?
No. The appraisal and the consulting stand on their own. If we tell you the vehicle isn't worth repairing, that's the answer — we'd rather lose the job than sell you one that doesn't make sense.
What does it cost and how long does it take?
It depends on the vehicle and what the appraisal is for — a pre-purchase look is not the same job as a documented valuation for a dispute. Call the shop, tell us what you need it for, and we'll tell you what it involves before we start.
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Send us the details and a few photos if you have them. We'll come back with next steps and a time to get eyes on it.