APPRAISAL 101 TOPICS
A desktop equipment appraisal is a valuation completed without a site inspection, relying instead on provided information about the subject assets. Also called a desk appraisal or an uninspected appraisal, a desktop appraisal is completed by the appraiser at their office desk.
The information provided might include assets lists of equipment, photographs, invoices, or other documents. Each appraisal is unique, so Sencer Appraisal works with our clients to determine the information required to complete the appraisal process.
The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), the ethical and performance standards for the appraisal profession in the United States, does not require an inspection of the appraised assets. The standards of the American Society of Appraisers (which accredits our appraisers), those of the International Valuation Standards (used for financial reporting both inside and outside the United States), and the standards of the Internal Revenue Service also have no requirement for an inspection. The equipment appraiser is just required to disclose whether or not they inspected the equipment. The appraiser must also make sure there is enough information on the assets to develop a “credible” uninspected desktop equipment appraisal. This means Sencer Appraisal’s equipment appraisers can only consider a desktop equipment appraisal if the provided information will have complete detail on the equipment.
The hurdle with the desktop equipment appraisal process is that we still need enough detail on each and every appraised asset. So while our appraisers aren’t inspecting the assets, someone still needs to gather and organize the information about the assets. It is just a question of whether the appraiser is collecting the information on each asset or if the client is doing so themself. With the client doing the information gathering though, a desktop appraisal can sometimes be a more economical solution, as long as the information is provided in an organized manner. (See our desktop appraisal FAQ for details.)
To find out more about whether your valuation project is a good fit for a uninspected desktop equipment appraisal, please read our desktop equipment appraisal FAQ or give us a call at 888-473-6237.
Just a sample of some the many types of equipment from the many industries that we regularly appraise:
We appraise the machinery that plants, harvests, processes, and moves what farms produce, including growing operations of every kind. Our farm equipment appraisals page covers the full range, along with our work with cannabis cultivation equipment and coffee cultivation and harvesting equipment.
We appraise the machines that build and move: earthmoving, lifting, paving, drilling, and the fleets behind them. See our heavy and construction equipment appraisals page for the equipment we cover and how these assignments work.
Hospitals, surgery centers, imaging suites, and private practices all rely on equipment with complex specialized equipment. See our hospital and medical equipment appraisals page, along with our related pages for dental equipment appraisals and clinical and diagnostic laboratory equipment appraisals.
Front of house or back, we value what keeps a food business running, from the cooking line to the dining room. Start with our restaurant equipment appraisals page, which also connects to our work with coffee brewing and espresso equipment.
From single production lines to entire plants, we value the equipment that processes, packages, and moves food and beverages. Learn more on our food processing equipment appraisals page, including our related work with cannabis processing equipment and coffee roasting and packaging equipment.
From a single CNC machine to a complete machine shop, we value the equipment that cuts, forms, and finishes metal. Visit our machine shop and metalworking equipment appraisals page to learn more.
We also appraise woodworking equipment, from cabinet shops to full millwork operations, manual tools to CNC equipment. Contact us to discuss your equipment.
We appraise laboratory and scientific equipment in research, testing, and production settings, and our clinical and diagnostic laboratory equipment appraisals page covers our medical laboratory work in depth. Contact us about any lab.
We appraise dry cleaning plants, commercial laundries, and coin-operated operations of every size. Contact us to discuss your equipment.
Retail fixtures, professional office furnishings, and the equipment behind them are all within our practice. Contact us for a proposal.
We value the equipment in repair shops, body shops, and dealership sales and service departments. Contact us to get started.
We regularly value the equipment that moves, lifts, and stores product in warehouses and plants. Contact us to discuss yours.
We appraise computer and networking equipment, from office IT equipment to server rooms and data operations. Contact us for a proposal.
General industrial and manufacturing equipment is the core of our practice: production machinery, plant support equipment, and everything between. See our industrial and manufacturing equipment appraisals page.
We value processing equipment across the chemical, plastic, and rubber industries. Contact us to discuss your operation.
We appraise high-tech manufacturing equipment, from electronics assembly to precision production lines. Contact us to discuss your equipment.
Projects are managed from our offices in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, and Oakland, California, supported by our network of expert associates.
We serve industry and offices across the Northeast, including Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, along with Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
We appraise equipment throughout the Southeast, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Arkansas.
Our Southwestern work covers Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Colorado, with appraisals performed on site or on an uninspected desktop basis.
Western projects are managed from our Oakland office, serving the Northern California's East Bay, San Francisco, Southern California, and Oregon, along with clients in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.