Construction and heavy equipment appraisals.
A construction equipment appraisal from Lukes & Lukes is an independent, USPAP-compliant opinion of value for the fleet: excavators, loaders, dozers, graders, cranes, compaction and off-highway trucks. Each is valued by make, model, year, meter hours, condition and attachments, against an unusually deep and transparent auction and dealer market, so comparable sales evidence is strong. Hours and undercarriage drive the number, and emissions tier can limit where a machine can be sold. Built to withstand lender, SBA, IRS, audit and legal review.
What we appraise
The fleet, machine by machine.
We value single machines or full fleets, and we anchor to a deep, public secondary market. Attachments that convey are valued in their own right, and for fleets we account for location and transport.
- Earthmoving: excavators, wheel loaders, dozers, graders and skid steers.
- Lifting and cranes: rough-terrain, crawler and truck cranes, telehandlers and boom lifts.
- Compaction and paving: rollers, pavers and milling machines.
- Off-highway trucks and hauling: articulated and rigid haul trucks and water trucks.
- Attachments: buckets, thumbs, couplers, hammers and specialty tools that convey.
What drives the number
Hours, undercarriage, and a market built for comparison.
Meter hours and undercarriage or wear-item condition lead, then make, model and configuration, attachments, documented maintenance, and emissions tier, which can restrict where a machine may operate or sell. Because so much equipment trades through large public auctions and dealers, the sales comparison approach usually leads and inflated numbers are easy to disprove. Heavy equipment is mobile, so transport and de-mobilization cost bear on net recovery, especially for a multi-unit fleet under a liquidation premise.
Read the full breakdown: what construction equipment is worth →
Which value applies
The right premise for the situation.
The same machine carries different numbers depending on why you need the appraisal. We determine and defend the premise your situation requires.
Common questions
Answers, up front.
What most affects a construction machine's value?
Meter hours and undercarriage or wear-item condition lead, then make, model and configuration, attachments that convey, documented maintenance, and emissions tier. Because the auction market is deep, comparable sales evidence is strong and inflated numbers are easy to disprove.
Do you value attachments and a whole fleet?
Yes. Attachments such as buckets, thumbs and couplers are valued in their own right, and we appraise single machines or full fleets. For fleets, we also account for location and transport, which affect net recovery under a liquidation premise.
Which value premise is used?
Equipment loans, ABL and recovery usually use orderly or net orderly liquidation value; a purchase or sale uses fair market value; insurance uses replacement cost; estate matters use fair market value as of a date.
Are these appraisals accepted by lenders, the SBA and the courts?
Yes. Reports are USPAP-compliant, prepared by a NEBB-certified Machinery & Equipment Appraiser (CMEA), and built to withstand lender, SBA, IRS, audit and legal review.