Everything we will need, before you send anything
Assignments slow down for one reason more than any other: documentation arriving in three instalments. Pick the asset and the purpose and get the whole list at once — print it, or send it to whoever is gathering the files.
1 What is being appraised?
2 What is the appraisal for?
Pick an asset type
The list changes with both the asset and the purpose.
Why we ask for so much
Two reasons, and neither is bureaucratic. First, the intended use dictates the scope of work: a report written to satisfy the IRS has content requirements an insurance schedule does not, and we cannot meet them from photographs alone. Second, every fact in a defensible report has to have a source. When an opposing expert or an examiner asks where a number came from, “the owner told me” is a weak answer and “here is the invoice” is not.
You will not have all of it. That is normal and it is fine — send what exists, tell us what does not, and we will tell you whether the gap matters. What we cannot do is discover halfway through that a document we needed has existed all along.
Marked required
We cannot start without it, or the report will not be usable for its stated purpose.
Marked helpful
It sharpens the analysis and often lowers the fee, because it removes research we would otherwise have to do.
Not on the list
Send it anyway if you think it matters. We would rather read something unnecessary than miss something.
This tool organizes published rules so you can see where you stand before you call anyone. It is not tax, legal, or engineering advice, and it is not a determination. Confirm the outcome with your CPA, your attorney, or the official who actually makes the decision.
Want this handled properly?
Send the documents through the request form — it accepts photographs and PDFs directly — and we will come back with a fixed written quote. Quoting is free, the fee is fixed in writing before any work begins, and a credentialed appraiser signs the report.