A few hundred dollars is typical for a single-family home, but VA, FHA and rush orders can push the fee far higher. Here is the breakdown, plus the timing rule that decides when you pay.
The appraisal fee is one of the first checks a buyer writes, and it often comes due before the loan is fully committed. For a standard single-family home, most people pay between $300 and $450, but the loan type, the property and the local market can move that number in either direction. Here is what the fee buys, when it is due, and what happens to your money if the deal falls apart.
What an Appraisal Is and Why Lenders Require One
An appraisal is a licensed professional’s written estimate of what a property is worth. The appraiser works independently, and the report explains what gives the home its value and how it stacks up against nearby properties. Your lender requires it because the loan should not exceed what the home is actually worth. That protects the lender, and it also tells you something useful about the home you are buying.
You are entitled to see the result. On a typical home loan secured by a first mortgage, federal rules require the lender to give you a copy of the appraisal and any other written opinion of value the lender obtains. The copy must arrive promptly after the report is complete, or no later than three business days before closing, whichever is earlier. There is no charge for the copies themselves, though the lender may collect a reasonable fee to cover the cost of preparing the report.
What a Typical Appraisal Costs
The 2025 national average for a single-family appraisal was about $357, with most reports falling between $314 and $423, based on Angi survey data. Treat those figures as a starting point rather than a quote. Large or complex properties can run to $2,000, and geography matters: Cleveland comes in around $325, Seattle and Denver run close to $500, and expensive West Coast metros charge $410 to $590.
| Appraisal type | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Full appraisal, single-family home | $300 to $450 |
| Desktop appraisal | $75 to $200 |
| Drive-by appraisal | $100 to $150 |
| Multi-family property | starts at $600 |
| FHA or USDA appraisal | $400 to $900 |
| VA appraisal | $550 to $1,500 (average $732) |
| Rush turnaround | adds $100 to $300 |
Several things push the fee up. Large properties, pricey markets, homes in poor condition and neighborhoods with few comparable sales all cost more to appraise. Government-backed loans add work, and a compressed timeline can bring a rush surcharge. Appraiser pay follows local living costs, so fees in big cities have climbed faster than in rural areas. Loan volume matters too: when refinance activity spikes, rush fees become more common.
When the Fee Comes Due, and Whether It Comes Back
Federal timing rules limit how early a lender can charge you anything. Under TRID, before you have received the Loan Estimate and told the lender to move ahead, the only fee the lender can collect is a reasonable one for pulling your credit report.
After that, most lenders collect the appraisal fee up front, often by card, before ordering the appraisal. Some defer it and collect at closing instead. Either way, the fee shows up on the Closing Disclosure: marked as paid if it was collected early, or as part of your cash to close if it was not. Our line-by-line walkthrough of the Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure shows where each fee lands.
After the appraiser has finished the work, the money is generally gone. The appraiser is owed payment whether your loan closes or not, which is exactly why many lenders collect before ordering the report.
Worth knowing
Ask two questions before you signal intent to proceed: when the appraisal fee is collected, and whether any part of it is refundable. Once the appraiser has done the work, expect the fee to be earned in full.
FHA, VA and Conventional Appraisals Compared
Government-backed loans change the job, and the price. FHA and USDA appraisals typically run $400 to $900 because appraisers on those loans have to meet HUD’s tougher property-condition and safety standards. VA appraisals average $732 and can run from $550 to $1,500, the highest of the common loan types.
The appraisal also does more on these loans. On an FHA reverse mortgage, known as a HECM, the process includes a formal request for review of appraisal results that the borrower can file. If you are weighing loan types, our comparison of FHA and conventional loans for a first home covers how the qualification rules differ.
Conventional loans offer the widest range of valuation options. On select refinances and low loan-to-value transactions, a lender can accept a desktop appraisal at $75 to $200 or a drive-by at $100 to $150, a fraction of the $350 to $600 a full report can cost.
Who Orders the Appraiser, and Who Actually Pays
On a purchase, the cost usually falls to the buyer. The buyer’s lender places the order, and the buyer repays the lender for the fee, typically through the closing costs. With a refinance there is no buyer, so the homeowner covers it. A seller who hires an appraiser before listing pays directly and, in that case, is the client.
Here is what surprises people: the money does not make you the appraiser’s client. On a loan appraisal, that role belongs to the lender. Fannie Mae’s rules give the lender responsibility for choosing the appraiser, and lenders may use an appraisal management company to handle the ordering. What they may not do is accept an appraisal ordered by the borrower, the seller or the real estate agent. The rule exists to keep the appraiser independent of anyone who wants a particular number.
The contract can shift the bill. Buyers generally pay the costs of the transaction, but depending on the contract or state law the seller may cover some of them. You can sometimes negotiate a seller credit toward your closing costs, but sellers usually want a higher price for the home in return, so the money tends to come back one way or another.
Low Values, Dead Deals and Paying for It Twice
If the appraisal comes in below the agreed purchase price, financing can get complicated, because the lender will not base the loan on a value the report does not support. The deal may need renegotiating, and seller credits toward buyer costs are sometimes worked out in exchange for a higher price. If you believe the value is wrong, ask the lender to have the report reviewed; FHA reverse mortgage files have a formal process for this called a request for review of appraisal results. You cannot hire your own appraiser and expect the lender to use that report, for the independence reasons above.
If the deal falls apart after the appraisal is done, a buyer who paid up front generally does not get the money back. The appraiser did the work and is owed payment regardless of the outcome. If the lender had deferred collection, the lender absorbs the cost.
There are a few ways to avoid paying twice. Some loans qualify for an appraisal waiver, a value-acceptance option with no appraisal fee at all. Reduced-scope desktop and drive-by appraisals can substitute for a full report on select refinances and low loan-to-value transactions. And plan for the fee before you make an offer; our checklist for before you make an offer on a house covers the costs worth budgeting at that stage.
Related guides
- How Much Cash Do You Need to Close on a House?: Where the appraisal fee sits among your total cash-to-close costs.
- Reading the Fees: APR, Points and Closing Costs: How to compare lender fees when the estimates look different.
- Getting Pre-Approved for a Mortgage, Step by Step: What happens before the lender ever orders an appraisal.
The short version
- A standard single-family appraisal averaged about $357 in 2025, with most reports between $314 and $423; large or complex properties can reach $2,000.
- Under TRID rules, the only fee a lender can collect before you receive the Loan Estimate and say you want to proceed is a reasonable credit-report charge.
- After the appraiser has completed the work, the fee is generally earned and will not come back, since the appraiser is paid whether the loan closes or not.
- VA appraisals average $732 and FHA or USDA appraisals typically run $400 to $900, more than conventional reports, because of stricter government rules.
- The lender orders the appraiser and is the client; paying the fee does not give you control over who appraises the home or the value reached.
Readers also ask
Who pays for the appraisal if the sale falls through?
The buyer usually does, and after the appraiser has finished the work the fee is generally not returned, since the appraiser is owed payment either way. If the lender had deferred collection to closing, the lender absorbs the cost.
Can I use an appraiser I hire myself?
No. Fannie Mae’s rules give the lender responsibility for ordering the appraisal, and lenders cannot accept one ordered by the borrower, the seller or the real estate agent. The rule keeps the appraiser independent.
Is there a way to skip the appraisal fee?
Some loans qualify for an appraisal waiver with no fee at all, and select refinances and low loan-to-value transactions can use cheaper desktop or drive-by appraisals. Ask your lender whether your loan qualifies.
Do I get a copy of the appraisal?
Yes. On a typical home loan the lender must give you a copy promptly after the report is complete or at least three business days before closing, whichever comes first. Copies are free; the lender can only charge a reasonable fee for preparing the report itself.
This guide is general information about U.S. mortgages, not financial, tax or legal advice. Loan terms depend on the lender and on your credit, income and property, so confirm the details with your lender, and see consumerfinance.gov for official guidance.
