A business equipment appraisal is an independent opinion of the value of the furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) of offices, hotels, venues, service businesses, and public agencies, used by owners, lenders, attorneys, and CPAs for financing, litigation, financial reporting, and tax. Every Sencer Appraisal Associates report is signed by an ASA-accredited appraiser, certified as compliant with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), and prepared to meet the International Valuation Standards (IVS) when applicable.
Our work in this category ranges from a single professional office to a minor league multipurpose arena and event space, an NFL team training facility, a four-season mountain resort, and the concessions at a county fairgrounds. We have valued hotel and motel FF&E, country club fitness centers and grounds equipment, bank branches in receivership, consulate office equipment, U.S. Coast Guard equipment, and a state health agency’s emergency-response trailer fleet.
We have offices in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania and Oakland, California, supported by a network of expert associates.
Need a value you can stand behind? Call Sencer Appraisal at 888-473-6237 or use the Request a Proposal form.
What business, office, and service equipment we appraise
Commercial equipment, including business, office, and service equipment, is the broadest category we cover, and the groups below run from the front office to the arena floor. Each reflects equipment we have valued through field or desktop assignments.
Photos on this page come from our own appraisal inspections.
Office, professional, and technology equipment
Office systems furniture, workstations, and cubicles, private-office and conference furnishings, reception and lobby fixtures, audiovisual and videoconferencing systems, servers, storage, and network equipment, data center and trading-floor technology, telephone and call center systems, copiers, printers, and mail room equipment, and the FF&E of law, engineering, architecture, accounting, financial services, and other professional offices.
A group of HON office cubicles valued during a professional office FF&E appraisal.
Automotive service, car wash, and fuel equipment
Two-post and four-post lifts, alignment systems, tire changers and wheel balancers, brake lathes, frame straightening machines, paint booths and curing systems, welders, compressors, and shop tools, tunnel and in-bay automatic car wash systems, dryers, central vacuums, and water reclamation, and fuel dispensers, storage tanks, tank monitoring and leak detection, and canopies at service stations and dealership service departments.
A Rotary two-post car lift valued during an auto service shop equipment appraisal.
Landscaping and grounds maintenance equipment
Commercial stand-on, zero-turn, and slope mowers, compact tractors and skid steers, brush chippers, bucket trucks for tree work, leaf vacuums, blowers, and sweepers, snowplows and salt spreaders, and the grounds equipment of landscape contractors, tree services, municipal public works departments, private estates, and golf courses.
A Bandit 1390XP chipper valued during a landscaping equipment appraisal.
Fitness and athletic equipment
Treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and stair climbers, strength machines, free weights, racks, and benches, Pilates and group-exercise equipment, martial arts and gymnastics equipment, batting cages and pitching machines, and locker room and pool equipment, for single gyms, franchise locations, multi-location health club portfolios, country club fitness centers, and professional team training facilities.
A group of Precor ellipticals valued during a due diligence appraisal.
Sports, entertainment, and event venues
Arena and sports facility FF&E and OS&E, including scoreboards and video displays, ice resurfacers, basketball systems, suite and seating furnishings, broadcast cameras, production switchers, and audio consoles, concession stands, portable bars, and draft beer systems, sports medicine and hydrotherapy equipment at professional training facilities, stage lighting, rigging, chain hoists, and truss, event rental inventories and trade show exhibits, and film, television, and LED volume production studios.
A group of Clarin VIP stadium seating valued during a multipurpose arena equipment appraisal.
Retail, banking, and consumer services
Store fixtures, gondolas, display cases, and checkout counters, point-of-sale and security systems, walk-in and reach-in coolers, bank branch equipment such as ATMs, vaults, safes, teller lines, and drive-up systems, and the equipment of service businesses, from childcare centers and funeral homes to self-storage, janitorial, restoration, and event rental companies.
Hotel, lodging, resort, and country club FF&E
Guest-room casegoods and furniture, televisions, and in-room appliances, lobby and public-area furnishings, operating supplies and equipment (OS&E), spa and fitness rooms, ski and snowboard rental fleets, and the fitness centers, bars, general FF&E, and golf course grounds equipment of country clubs. Our work runs from roadside motels to a four-season mountain resort with lodging, spa, adventure park, and golf.
Government, military, institutional, and nonprofit equipment
Office and technology assets of public agencies and consulates, city parking meters and pay stations, playground equipment, public works fleets and grounds equipment, emergency-response trailers and their medical and disaster supplies, support equipment for the military, seized and forfeited equipment, school district theater lighting and AV systems, and the furnishings and equipment of churches, community colleges, Head Start programs, senior centers, and nonprofit service agencies.
We value equipment from Herman Miller, Kimball, Teknion, Cisco, Dell, HP, Diebold Nixdorf, NCR, Hyosung, Life Fitness, Precor, Cybex, Hammer Strength, StairMaster, Daktronics, Zamboni, Panasonic, Sony, Grass Valley, Yamaha, ETC, Vari-Lite, Martin, Columbus McKinnon, Planar, Avid, Blackmagic Design, Duncan, Gilbarco, BendPak, Rotary, PDQ, Scag, Toro, Walker, Morbark, and many others. If your equipment is not listed here, contact us. We are happy to discuss your specific equipment.
Commercial kitchens in hotels, clubs, arenas, and concession stands are covered on our restaurant equipment appraisal page, and clinical equipment in professional practices on our medical equipment and dental equipment appraisal pages. We also value commercial laundry and dry-cleaning equipment.
When a business, office, or service operation needs an equipment appraisal
Most assignments start with a lender, accountant, attorney, or public agency. Each purpose calls for its own definition and premise of value, so the scope, inspection plan, and report are built around the intended use.
- Litigation and expert testimony. Partner and shareholder disputes, divorce, lease disputes, and damage claims may call for a defensible third-party value, backed by testimony when a case requires it. Shareholder buyouts can require a formal determination of fair value under statutes such as California Corporations Code Section 2000 and Delaware General Corporation Law Section 262.
- Eminent domain and condemnation. When a public project takes the building, the tenant’s furniture, fixtures, and equipment are valued on their own. We have valued FF&E for bank branches, a motel, a funeral home, a fuel station, and office tenants in public-project takings.
- Financing and collateral loans. Lenders, including SBA 7(a) and 504 lenders, rely on equipment values for acquisition loans, refinancing, and asset-based credit, from a single gym to a multi-location health club portfolio.
- Insurance. Replacement cost and actual cash value support coverage limits and loss claims for furnishings, technology, and specialty venue equipment.
- Estate and gift taxes. Qualified appraisals may be required for federal estate and gift tax filings and family transfers involving business assets.
- Charitable contributions. Donated office furnishings, technology, and equipment are documented with a qualified appraisal for IRS Form 8283.
- Financial reporting and purchase price allocations. When a business changes hands, its equipment and FF&E are measured at fair value under Accounting Standards Codification 805, Business Combinations (ASC 805) and Accounting Standards Codification 820, Fair Value Measurement (ASC 820), or under International Financial Reporting Standard 3, Business Combinations (IFRS 3) and International Financial Reporting Standard 13, Fair Value Measurement (IFRS 13). U.S. federal tax allocations follow Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 1060 and are reported on IRS Form 8594.
- Business sales, mergers, and acquisitions. Buyers, sellers, and employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) trustees use equipment values in due diligence, negotiations, and transaction planning.
- Bankruptcy, receivership, and restructuring. Trustees, receivers, and secured creditors rely on accredited values for disposition planning and claims, including bank branches and an insurance company in receivership.
- Surplus property disposition and public agency asset sales. Agencies selling surplus furnishings, technology, and equipment need a documented value before the sale. Recipients of U.S. government grants may need current fair market value under 2 CFR 200.313 when federally funded equipment is retained, sold, or transferred.
- Property tax appeals. When an assessor’s figure for business personal property runs ahead of the used market, an appraisal provides a market-supported value opinion for the tax year.
Why work with Sencer Appraisal
- Accredited appraisers. Every report is signed by an ASA Accredited Senior Appraiser, and the firm is led by a past ASA International President and a long-time ASA chapter officer.
- Over seventy years of appraisal practice. Founded in 1955, with offices in Chadds Ford and Oakland and a network of expert associates across the country.
- Reports built for the intended purpose. Each report is written for its intended users, from lenders and auditors to courts and public agencies, with USPAP and IVS treated as parallel frameworks.
- Independence. We do not auction, sell, or broker equipment, and we hold no financial interest in what we appraise.
- Experience with unusual assets. Our files include arenas, a professional sports training facility, resorts, bank branches, consulates, and state and federal agencies, so an assignment that mixes office furniture with scoreboards or emergency trailers is familiar ground.
Who relies on our equipment appraisals
Our reports are prepared for identified intended users. Depending on the assignment, they may include:
- Business owners, CFOs, controllers, and general managers
- Hotel, resort, club, and venue operators and their asset managers
- Government agencies, grant administrators, and public institutions
- SBA lenders, bank credit officers, and asset-based lenders
- Attorneys, including litigators, family law counsel, and condemnation counsel
- CPAs, auditors, and financial reporting teams
- Private equity, corporate development, and transaction teams
- Bankruptcy trustees, receivers, and secured creditors
- Insurers, brokers, and risk managers
- Estate administrators, trust officers, and fiduciaries
Public-sector work spans every level of government: city parking and public works departments, county agencies and school districts, state health departments, federal agencies including the U.S. Coast Guard, and foreign consulates operating in the United States.
What affects the value of business and service equipment
Furniture, fixtures, and equipment may lose value faster than production machinery. Styles change, technology turns over quickly, and active used markets may set prices well below original cost. Condition, brand, configuration, and the volume of similar equipment offered for sale all affect value.
The line between equipment and the building matters. Hotels, bank branches, and arenas contain items that are bolted down, wired in, or built into the space. For the appraisal scope, we distinguish movable business personal property from leasehold improvements and building components, and the report states what is included. In hotel work, FF&E is commonly valued apart from the real property and operating business for lending, sales, and property tax.
The premise of value follows how the assets are expected to change hands. Equipment valued in place, as part of an operating hotel, club, or venue, often carries a different value than the same items sold one at a time after removal. The appraiser identifies the premise that fits the intended use and explains it in the report.
Outside the United States, FF&E is often called fixtures, fittings, and equipment. Our valuers prepare reports under USPAP and, when the assignment calls for it, IVS. For more on how an appraisal is built, see What Is an Equipment Appraisal?
Venue, institutional, and government assignments
This work sometimes combines assets that rarely appear together. Examples include:
- An NFL team’s training facility, including sports medicine, hydrotherapy, broadcast, and food service equipment, valued at fair value for financial reporting.
- A minor league multipurpose arena and event space, from scoreboards and ice resurfacers to concession and broadcast equipment, valued for disposition planning.
- Concession stands, bars, and draft beer systems at a county fairgrounds, valued for an incoming concessions operator’s purchase decision.
- A four-season mountain resort with lodging, spa, adventure park, and golf, valued for purchase price allocation.
- Country club fitness centers, bars, general FF&E, and golf course grounds equipment.
- A rental inventory of more than 24,000 stage rigging assets, valued to set a tax basis.
- Collegiate sports broadcasting equipment and an LED virtual production stage.
- Bank branches in FDIC receivership and the office assets of an insurance company in state receivership.
- FF&E of a motel, bank branch, funeral home, fuel station, and office tenants taken for public projects under eminent domain.
- Office furnishings and equipment for several consulate offices.
- A state public health agency’s fleet of emergency-response trailers and their medical and disaster supplies.
- Support equipment for the U.S. Coast Guard.
- City-owned solar pay-by-space parking meters, valued for sale.
If your assignment is unusual, that is a good reason to call. Request a proposal or call 888-473-6237.
How we handle your appraisal
1. Scope and written proposal
We confirm the intended use and users, the effective date, and the definition of value, then quote a fixed fee in writing.
2. Asset list and records
Your fixed asset ledger, purchase records, and equipment schedules become the working inventory. We distinguish FF&E and business personal property from leasehold improvements and building components.
3. Field inspection or desktop appraisal
During an inspection, we confirm what equipment is present, collect associated records, and note condition and configuration. When a visit is not necessary or practical, an uninspected desktop equipment appraisal may be the faster and less expensive route if you can provide complete unit lists, records, and photographs. Multi-location assignments are coordinated as one engagement.
4. Research and analysis
We research the active used market, dealer and auction data, and replacement costs. We consider the sales comparison, cost, and income approaches and apply those appropriate to the assignment.
5. Report delivery
You receive a report certified as compliant with USPAP and, when applicable, IVS, and prepared to address the appropriate tax, financial reporting, appraisal, lender, or agency requirements. The report documents the scope, data, assumptions, methods, and conclusions so the intended users can follow the analysis.
Ready to start? Request a proposal.
FAQ
Business, Office, and Service Equipment Appraisal Frequently Asked Questions
Questions we are asked most often by business owners, operators, and public agencies, and by their lenders, accountants, and counsel.
What is a business equipment appraisal?
What does FF&E include?
What kinds of organizations do you appraise equipment for?
Can one appraisal cover multiple locations?
Does a business equipment appraisal value the whole business?
Can an appraisal help with a business personal property tax appeal?
Do you appraise equipment for government agencies?
Do I need an on-site inspection, or will a desktop appraisal work?
How much does a business equipment appraisal cost?
Who is qualified to appraise business equipment?
Where does Sencer Appraisal value business, office, and service equipment?
From our offices in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania and Oakland, California, supported by expert associates across the country, we value business equipment throughout the United States and internationally.
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.
Prepared by Matthew Edelstein, ASA (Chadds Ford office) and Garrett Schwartz, FASA, CEA (Oakland office), principals of Sencer Appraisal Associates.