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. On-site is warranted when condition, configuration or verification drive the number, or when the file will face heavy scrutiny. Desktop is faster and works when reliable documentation exists and the assignment allows it. The intended use and the assets decide; the appraiser states the scope and any assumptions in the report.
By Jared Lukes · CEO & lead appraiser · June 1, 2026
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, which is what makes the conclusion harder to challenge.
Both can be USPAP-compliant
Neither approach is "the real appraisal" and the other a shortcut. Both are credible under USPAP when the scope fits the assignment and the report is transparent about how value was developed. What matters is that the level of investigation is appropriate for the intended use, and that any extraordinary assumptions are disclosed.
When on-site is worth it
- 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 file will be reviewed hard: litigation, the IRS, a contested matter or a large credit.
- Documentation is thin, inconsistent or cannot be verified from a list and photos.
When desktop fits
- Reliable, detailed documentation already exists and can be corroborated.
- The assets are common and trade in a transparent market.
- Speed or access matters, 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 file 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.