Your policy almost certainly contains an appraisal clause — a right to an independent valuation that you can invoke without hiring anyone.
We put an independent voice in your corner so the insurer can't just say no and walk away.
See a sample appraisal report — PDF, 51 pages
Was your car totaled or repaired?
We calculate your estimate differently depending on what happened.
We use your document only to calculate your estimate. We do not share or sell your information.
Your insurer's report. Your evidence. Your money.
After an accident, carriers use their own tools to minimize what they owe you. We read those numbers and show you what a fair recovery could look like.
Your insurer's valuation report is usually a PDF titled something like "Total Loss Valuation" or "Vehicle Valuation Report" from CCC or Mitchell. It's in your settlement packet, or you can request it from your adjuster.
Diminished value is the gap between what your car was worth before the accident and after, even once repairs are done. You can seek it from an at-fault driver's insurer as part of a liability claim. This is a recognized claim type, not a loophole. We are not your attorney and this is not legal advice.
You
Send the insurer's own report
The valuation the offer was built from. Nothing else is needed to start, and no account is required.
We
Read it line by line
The comparables, the condition ratings, and the adjustments are checked against the market. Your estimate is computed on upload.
An ASCAA-certified appraiser
Signs the written appraisal
If you go further than the free estimate, the report you submit is signed by a certified appraiser — the credential the appraisal clause contemplates.
You
Answer the insurer
You hold the documented figure and the evidence behind it. What you do with it, and whether you invoke the appraisal clause, stays your decision.
What stands behind the report
Upload your repair estimate or enter your vehicle details. The estimate is the document your valuation is built from.
Your vehicle is priced against comparable sales and the damage recorded on the estimate, not against the insurer's worksheet.
See what the documentation supports. If you want it signed, the full appraisal is prepared by an ASCAA-certified appraiser.
A certified appraiser signs it.
Every appraisal is prepared and signed by an ASCAA-Certified Auto Appraiser under ASCAA License #ASCAA-CERT-9659. ASCAA is an independent third-party body that we do not operate, so the licence is checkable without taking our word for anything.
ASCAA License #ASCAA-CERT-9659
You can read the whole report before you pay.
The full 51-page appraisal is published — watermarked as a specimen with the vehicle identifiers removed, and otherwise the real document. Comparable sales, the damage on record, the method and the signature page are all in it.
We state what this does not do.
The free estimate is not a guarantee, an appraisal, or legal advice. It cannot predict what an insurer will ultimately pay, and it cannot account for damage absent from the documents you send. The Value Advocate publishes those limits rather than a confidence claim.
Questions about your settlement, the paperwork, or what this costs.
You can dispute a valuation yourself — but most people do not know the process, what evidence is persuasive, or how to request the data behind an insurer's offer. An advocate provides that knowledge and helps you present a documented case rather than an informal complaint.
No. Disputing a valuation through the appraisal clause in your policy is a right explicitly granted by the policy. Using a right your insurer is contractually bound to offer is not grounds for retaliation. If you experience punitive treatment as a result, that may rise to a bad-faith claim.
Real comparable sales — vehicles similar to yours that actually sold in your market recently — are the most persuasive evidence. Your vehicle's service records, original window sticker, or dealer-installed options documentation can support a higher condition or equipment adjustment.
An appraisal process typically takes a few weeks to a month from initiation. Each side selects an appraiser, those appraisers review the evidence, and if they disagree, they select a neutral umpire to decide. The timeline depends on cooperation and the complexity of the vehicle.
An appraisal award is typically binding. If you believe the process was flawed — an appraiser had a conflict of interest, or the umpire was not properly qualified — you may have grounds to challenge the award in court. This is rare and should involve a consumer attorney.
Send the repair estimate and get your number. No account needed to see it.