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Boat appraisal and marine survey services for charitable donations, estate settlement, probate, vessel titling, and litigation, prepared in accordance with USPAP. AppraiseItNow appraises and surveys sailboats, yachts, pontoons, speed boats, and personal watercraft.
I love the online appraisal format… I love your professional service!
…couldn’t be happier with the experience
AppraiseItNow delivered a fair, well-supported appraisal that met all required standards
DEFENSIBLE, USPAP-COMPLIANT BOAT APPRAISAL REPORTS — QUALIFIED FOR THE IRS, INSURANCE AGENCIES, LENDERS, AND MORE.
USPAP-compliant appraisals and marine surveys for donations, estate settlement, titling, and litigation.
AppraiseItNow provides independent boat and watercraft appraisals for personal, legal, and compliance-driven purposes, prepared by credentialed appraisers with extensive experience valuing boats and personal watercraft.
Purposes we serve
Our boat and watercraft appraisals are commonly used for:
Value definitions
We provide the following types of boat valuation, of which Fair Market Value is the most popular for tax purposes, divorce, and purchase and sale:
How the process works
Our process is designed to minimize friction while maintaining professional rigor. You submit basic information about the vessel, a credentialed appraiser researches the market and values it, and the finished report arrives electronically:
Marine surveys
For applicable assignments we also offer marine survey services, including the condition and valuation surveys commonly required for insurance underwriting, financing, ownership transfers, and risk assessment. When a marine survey is required, our team advises on the appropriate scope and coordinates it.
We appraise boats and personal watercraft of every class for estates, donations, divorce, insurance, and resale, from a single runabout to a dealer's entire inventory.
Power and sail
From bowriders, center consoles, cuddy cabins, deck boats, and runabouts to motor, sport, and cruising yachts and cruising, racing, and performance sailcraft:
PWC and working boats
We appraise personal watercraft alongside the sportfishing boats, commercial fishing vessels, and utility boats that work for a living:
Specialty, classic, and fleets
Custom-built, heavily modified, or specialty vessels, antique and restored collector watercraft, and the rental fleets, dealer inventory, estates, and private collections that hold several at once are all within scope:
We prepare boat appraisals for the individual who owns the vessel and for the marine lenders, dealers, rental operators, attorneys, CPAs, and fiduciaries handling the financing, sale, or estate around it.
Individual owners
Much of our work is for individual owners: someone documenting a boat donation on IRS Form 8283, a couple dividing a boat in a divorce, a family settling an estate that includes a vessel, or an owner disputing a total loss or diminished value settlement with an insurer.
Lenders, dealers, and advisors
We also work with marine lenders that need a collateral value before financing, dealers and rental operators valuing fleet or trade-in inventory, and the attorneys, CPAs, and fiduciaries handling those matters.
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Owner & CEO
Joe founded AppraiseItNow to make a certified, USPAP-compliant appraisal as simple to order as anything else online. A former Bain & Company strategy consultant, Joe leads the entire team and specializes in strategy, growth, and the firm's tech capabilities.
Vehicle Appraiser
CAGA Certified Appraiser since 2014, covering vehicles, boats, equipment, fine art, and collectibles. A classic-car restoration background informs her vehicle work, with reports prepared for insurance, divorce, and charitable contributions.
Client Success Manager
Manages each engagement from the first enquiry to the delivered report, and keeps you posted at every step along the way.
Certified Appraisers Guild of AmericaCertified Appraiser
The Appraisal FoundationAuthorized by Congress as the source of appraisal standardsWhat clients say we are known for
Across 80+ published AppraiseItNow reviews the picture is consistent: every one is from a client who paid us for an appraisal, and the three things they raise most often are that they would hire us again, how quickly we answer, and how much research is visible in the report.
I love the online appraisal format to give me a good idea of what my boat is worth without showing the boat. The appraisal fee is more than reasonable, and I love your professional service!
Boat Appraisal for Charitable Donation
We recently used AppraiseItNow for one of our clients and couldn’t be happier with the experience. The customer service was excellent, and Joe was quick to respond to all of our questions. He provided everything we needed promptly and made the process smooth from start to finish. Thank you!
Boat Appraisal for Insurance Coverage
AppraiseItNow delivered a fair, well-supported appraisal that met all required standards. Their team was professional, responsive, and fast throughout the process. I would gladly use them again.
Boat Appraisal for Charitable Donation
AppraiseItNow helped us appraise a very unique set of propulsion boats. Service was top notch and provided incredible value for the cost!
Boat Appraisal for Loan Collateral
AppraiseItNow was excellent to work with. They delivered exactly what I needed and were incredibly responsive throughout the process. I’d definitely recommend them!
Boat Appraisal for Insurance Claim
Very straightforward and efficient way to gain a quality certified boat appraisal. I will suggest AppraiseItNow to all my boating friends!
Boat Appraisal for Loan Collateral
Standard Fee Range
$195 – $495
Standard range for our Boat appraisals based on past projects
Two report tiers. Your intended use sets which one you need.
from $195
USPAP-compliant report for standard purposes
from $295
USPAP-compliant and IRS-qualified report for advanced purposes
Please note that the fees listed below are for informational purposes and are subject to change. Our team will review your materials and issue your quote before we get started.
1 vehicle
$195 – $495
Single-vehicle appraisal
5 vehicles
$795 – $1500
Small fleet or collection pricing
10+ items
$1800 – $4500+
Large fleet—discounted aggregate pricing
Our Boat appraisal fees are transparent, scope-based, and designed to be fully USPAP-compliant for your intended use. We don't bill by the hour and will propose a fixed fee before we start our work, so you'll know exactly what you are paying before engaging our team. Please note that the pricing outlined here is strictly for informational purposes; before issuing your quote, we will need to get a better understanding of your assets so we can properly scope the assignment.
Popular uses
Boat appraisals and marine surveys serve donors, hull insurers, buyers and sellers, executors, divorcing spouses, marine lenders, and the DMV. The uses below describe what each engagement produces and open the page for it.
Sailboats, powerboats, and yachts given to a charity that will use them rather than sell them. The deduction is then fair market value, and above $5,000 it rests on a qualified appraisal filed with Form 8283, which we prepare and sign.
Agreed values for a hull policy, and independent valuations after a storm, a grounding, or a fire when the carrier's total loss offer does not match the market. Condition and survey findings are documented alongside the comparable sales.
A fair market value opinion before listing a boat or making an offer on one, so the asking price rests on recent sales of comparable vessels rather than on a broker's guess.
Date-of-death value for a vessel in an estate, used for the probate inventory, the estate tax return, and dividing the estate among heirs who may not all want a boat.
A neutral value for the boat one spouse is keeping, prepared for either attorney and written to stand up in court if the settlement is contested.
Collateral values for a marine loan, appraisals for a bonded title when a vessel changes hands without its paperwork, and schedules of value when a boat is listed in a bankruptcy filing.
A boat passed to a child or a trust above the annual exclusion is reported on Form 709 at fair market value on the date of the gift, with a qualified appraisal supporting the figure on the return.
Real boat and marine assignments we have completed, showing the intended use each report was prepared for, the standard of value applied, and how the conclusion was supported.
An 18-foot 1970s fiberglass runabout on its trailer, valued as of the owner's date of death for an Ohio probate filing.
Read the case study
Two heavy-duty marine diesels pulled from a commercial vessel, with actual cash value and repair cost both needed for the claim.
Read the case study
A vintage Mirrocraft aluminum boat gifted within a family, with the exact model traced through the original catalog.
Read the case studyWe appraise a wide range of boats and watercraft classified as personal property, including powerboats, sailboats, yachts, personal watercraft (PWCs), fishing boats, work boats, specialty and custom vessels, vintage and classic boats, and multi-unit fleets or collections.
A boat appraisal focuses on value, while a marine survey focuses on condition and seaworthiness. An appraisal may reference observable condition as it relates to value, but it does not replace a marine survey. Some assignments require both services, depending on the intended use. AppraiseItNow offers marine survey services for applicable assignments and will advise on the appropriate scope and coordinate when a survey is needed.
Yes. We regularly prepare appraisals for insurance coverage, total loss determinations, and value disputes. These reports are structured to support insurer review and may involve additional scope when negotiation or clarification is required.
Fees are scope-based and quoted as a fixed price before work begins. Pricing depends on vessel type, size, complexity, intended use, and whether an onsite inspection or marine survey is required. Final fees are confirmed after reviewing asset details and scope.
Most boat and watercraft appraisals are completed within 5–10 business days once all required information is received. Timelines may vary for complex vessels, fleets, or survey-based assignments.
The IRS specifies in Publication 561 that: "Except for inexpensive small boats, the valuation of boats should be based on an appraisal by a marine surveyor because the physical condition is so critical to the value."
While unclear what defines "small" or "inexpensive," AppraiseItNow understands that boats exceeding 40' in length will require a marine survey. This is something we can guide you through once we get in touch! AppraiseItNow prepares hundreds of Form 8283-compliant donation appraisals each year, including for boat donations.
