Desktop vs on-site equipment appraisal: which do you need?
A desktop appraisal develops an opinion of value from the asset list, photographs and documentation you provide, with no in-person visit. An on-site appraisal adds a physical inspection of the equipment. Both can be fully USPAP-compliant. Choose on-site when condition, configuration or verification drives the value, or when the report will face hard review (litigation, the IRS, a large credit). Choose desktop when reliable documentation exists and the intended use accepts that scope.
Lukes & Lukes is an independent machinery and equipment appraisal firm; a NEBB-certified Machinery & Equipment Appraiser (CMEA) sets the scope and states every assumption in the report.
By Jared Lukes · CEO & lead appraiserUpdated
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What is a desktop appraisal?
A desktop appraisal is developed without a site visit. You provide an asset list, photographs, serial and model numbers, service records and any supporting documentation, and the appraiser values the equipment from that record, applying the same approaches to value and the same USPAP framework as any other assignment. The report discloses that the value relied on client-provided information and states the assumptions that go with it.
What is an on-site appraisal?
An on-site appraisal adds a physical inspection. The appraiser sees the equipment in place, confirms make, model, configuration and condition, checks high-wear components and verifies what is actually present and operable. For a multi-site fleet, that can mean visiting one or several locations. Inspection removes assumptions.
| Attribute | Desktop | On-site |
|---|---|---|
| Basis | Your asset list, photographs, serial and model numbers, service records and documentation | Physical inspection of the equipment in place, confirming make, model, configuration and condition |
| Verification | Relies on client-provided information; the report states the assumptions that go with it | Checks high-wear components and verifies what is present and operable; inspection removes assumptions |
| USPAP | Can be fully compliant when the scope fits the assignment | Can be fully compliant when the scope fits the assignment |
| When it fits | Reliable, detailed documentation exists; assets are common and trade in a transparent market; a site visit is impractical or the intended use accepts a desktop scope | Condition, hours or high-wear components drive value; configuration or what conveys is uncertain; documentation is thin; the report faces litigation, the IRS, a large credit, or a workout or liquidation |
| Coverage | Nationwide | Nationwide, at one or several locations |
Video · 50 seconds · with transcript
Desktop vs on-site appraisal: which one are you buying?
Fifty seconds on what the inspection actually adds, and when the file needs it.
Is a desktop appraisal USPAP-compliant?
Yes. A desktop appraisal and an on-site appraisal are both credible under USPAP when the scope fits the assignment and the report discloses how value was developed. The Scope of Work Rule lists "the extent to which tangible property is inspected" as part of the scope of work, and states that the credibility of assignment results "is always measured in the context of the intended use." Inspection is a scope decision the appraiser must be able to support, and any extraordinary assumption that replaces it is disclosed in the report.
Is a desktop valuation tool the same as a desktop appraisal?
No. A desktop valuation tool, pricing guide or database lookup returns an estimate; it does not identify the intended use, choose a premise of value, reconcile approaches or sign a certification. A desktop appraisal is developed by an appraiser under USPAP, from your documentation, and the appraiser answers for it. A lender, the IRS or a court reviews the appraisal, not the tool. See whether an AI-generated appraisal is USPAP compliant.
When should you choose an on-site appraiser?
Choose an on-site appraisal when any of the following is true.
- Condition, hours or remaining life of high-wear components materially drive value.
- Configuration and what conveys are uncertain, as with imaging, CNC or integrated lines.
- The report will be reviewed hard: litigation, the IRS, a contested matter or a large lending credit.
- The engagement is a workout or liquidation where the report must survive trustee, creditor or court review.
- Documentation is thin, inconsistent or cannot be verified from a list and photos.
When is a desktop appraisal enough?
A desktop appraisal is enough when all three of these hold.
- Reliable, detailed documentation already exists and can be corroborated.
- The assets are common and trade in a transparent market.
- A site visit is impractical, or the intended use accepts a desktop scope.
We recommend the scope the assignment actually needs rather than defaulting to one or the other, and we work nationwide either way. We do not quote a value before we have the information the conclusion requires.
Common questions
Answers, up front.
Is a desktop appraisal a real appraisal?
Yes. A desktop appraisal can be fully USPAP-compliant. It develops value from client-provided documentation rather than a site visit, and the report discloses that scope and its assumptions. What matters is that the level of investigation suits the intended use.
When do I need an on-site inspection?
When condition or configuration materially drive value, when what conveys is uncertain, when documentation is thin or unverifiable, or when the report will face heavy review such as litigation, the IRS or a large credit. Inspection removes assumptions and makes the conclusion harder to challenge.
Do you appraise nationwide for both?
Yes. We work nationwide, as a desktop appraisal from your asset list and photographs, or on-site across one or more locations, anywhere in the United States.