Material handling equipment appraisals.
A material handling appraisal from Lukes & Lukes is an independent, USPAP-compliant opinion of value for the warehouse and distribution floor: forklifts and lift trucks, pallet racking and shelving, conveyors and sortation, and automated storage. Two facts decide most of these values. Forklift fleets are often leased, so we confirm title before a truck counts as collateral. And installed assets, racking above all, lose much of their value to dismantling and freight the moment they leave the building. Built to withstand lender, SBA, IRS, audit and legal review.
What we appraise
The warehouse, asset by asset.
We value the handling and storage fleet, from a few forklifts to a fully automated distribution center, and we settle ownership and removal cost before the number goes in the report.
- Forklifts and lift trucks: counterbalance, reach, order pickers and pallet jacks.
- Storage: selective, drive-in and pushback racking, shelving and mezzanines.
- Conveyor and sortation: belt, roller, accumulation and automated sortation.
- Automated systems: automated storage and retrieval (AS/RS), AGVs and warehouse robotics.
- Dock and yard: dock levelers, balers and yard support equipment.
What drives the number
Ownership, hours, and the cost to remove.
Forklift fleets are frequently leased, and leased trucks are not the business's assets, so we confirm title first. Forklifts then trade on class, hours, power type (electric vs LP or diesel), capacity and attachments. Racking is a low-value-per-pound installed asset, so its value is dominated by the cost to dismantle, freight and reinstall, which is why a full warehouse of racking is worth far less at liquidation than it looks. Conveyors, sortation and AS/RS are custom and integrated, worth more to a going concern than in a sale.
Read the full breakdown: what material handling equipment is worth →
Which value applies
The right premise for the situation.
The same warehouse 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 drives a forklift's value?
Class, hours, power type (electric vs LP or diesel), capacity, mast height and attachments, measured against a deep used market. We also confirm whether the truck is owned or leased, since leased units are not the business's assets and cannot serve as its collateral.
Why is racking often worth less than expected?
Because racking is an installed, low-value-per-pound asset, and what it returns depends on the cost to dismantle, freight and reinstall it. Once removal and shipping are subtracted, orderly liquidation value is often a fraction of replacement cost.
How are conveyor and automated systems valued?
As integrated systems. They are productive in place but custom and hard to relocate, so their value to a going concern is much higher than their liquidation value. AS/RS and AGVs are the most installation-specific and hardest to redeploy.
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.