FAIR Estate & Probate Checklist

Estate Appraisal Checklist: Questions to Ask Before You Hire

Direct answer

Before hiring an estate appraiser, confirm the estate purpose, valuation date, property categories, fee model, report deliverable, and independence in writing. Those answers decide whether the report is useful for probate, estate tax, basis support, family distribution, or advisor review.

  • Match the appraiser to the item category.
  • Confirm the report purpose before pricing.
  • Compare fee disclosure before outreach.
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Estate Appraisal Checklist: Questions to Ask Before You Hire - FAIR online appraisal guide illustration
Estate Appraisal Checklist: Questions to Ask Before You Hire - FAIR online appraisal guide illustration
Decision guide

When an estate appraisal is worth ordering

Estate work needs a defensible value when an executor, heir, trustee, attorney, CPA, court, or insurer will rely on the conclusion.

When an estate appraisal is worth ordering
Situation Formal appraisal? Why it matters
Probate, date-of-death, or step-up basis Usually yes The file may need an effective date, fair-market-value support, and adviser-readable documentation.
Family distribution or heir conflict Often yes A documented baseline helps separate market value from emotional attachment.
Early estate sorting Not always Inventory organization or specialist triage may come before a full report.
Start with the estate purpose

A probate inventory, estate tax file, step-up-in-basis record, family distribution discussion, and sale-planning review are not the same assignment.

  • Ask whether the report is for probate, estate tax, basis support, family distribution, sale planning, or another named use.
  • Confirm intended users: executor, attorney, CPA, court, heirs, fiduciary, or advisor.
  • Avoid a generic value statement when the estate needs a purpose-specific report.
Confirm the valuation date

Estate appraisals often need a date-of-death or alternate valuation date. The appraiser should know the effective date before research begins.

  • Ask whether the report is current, retrospective, or tied to an alternate date selected by counsel.
  • Confirm comparable evidence will be explained against that date, not only today’s market.
  • Use old insurance schedules or auction estimates as background, not as substitutes for estate-date support.
Match the appraiser to the property

Mixed estates can include art, antiques, furniture, jewelry, silver, books, archives, rugs, collectibles, and household contents. One appraiser may not fit every category.

  • Ask which categories the appraiser handles directly and which should go to a specialist.
  • For high-value or attribution-sensitive property, ask about recent experience in that exact category.
  • If the estate spans several specialist categories, ask whether the work should be phased or split.
Get fees and report scope in writing

Executors should be able to explain the fee and report scope to heirs, counsel, or a fiduciary file before work begins.

  • Ask for a written quote covering item count, inspection, report depth, revisions, rush timing, and travel.
  • Reject fees tied to appraised value, tax outcome, sale result, or distribution result.
  • Ask whether the report includes descriptions, photos, condition, provenance, comparable evidence, methodology, and certification.
Prepare the executor packet

Good intake avoids delays and keeps the appraiser, CPA, and attorney working from the same record.

  • Prepare an inventory with stable item names, locations, dimensions, photos, signatures, labels, marks, and condition issues.
  • Gather purchase records, prior appraisals, insurance schedules, auction history, provenance notes, and family inventory sheets.
  • Share deadlines, access limits, attorney or CPA instructions, and whether heirs need separate category reports.
Screen conflicts before hiring

An estate appraisal should be independent from sale incentives, family pressure, and transaction revenue.

  • Ask whether the appraiser buys, sells, brokers, consigns, or receives referral fees related to the property.
  • Confirm the appraiser has no financial interest in estate property or the final value conclusion.
  • If sale advice is needed later, keep sale representation separate from the appraisal engagement.
Common questions
  • What is the first question to ask an estate appraiser? Ask what estate purpose the report will support. Probate, estate tax, basis support, family distribution, and sale planning can require different dates, value bases, report language, and evidence depth.
  • Is a date-of-death appraisal always required? Not always, but many estate files need a date-of-death or alternate valuation date. Confirm the controlling date with counsel or a CPA before research begins.
  • Can one appraiser value everything in an estate? Sometimes, but not by default. Fine art, antiques, jewelry, silver, rare books, archives, rugs, and collectibles may need category specialists.
  • What fee structure is unsafe for estate appraisal work? Avoid any fee tied to appraised value, sale result, tax outcome, or distribution result. Use written flat, hourly, per-item, or project fees.
  • Can an old insurance appraisal be reused for an estate? Usually no. Insurance reports often use replacement value, while estate files often need fair market value tied to a specific estate date.
Related FAIR paths
FAIR trust boundary and source references
  • FAIR does not license appraisers.
  • FAIR does not certify competence or guarantee availability.
  • Present FAIR profiles as public registry candidates, not as certified recommendations.
  • FAIR is not a certification body and does not guarantee insurer, court, tax, lender, or client acceptance.
  • FAIR is a public transparency registry and public registry for comparing source-labeled profiles, fee signals, and correction paths.
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