Heavy Equipment Appraisal
Certified heavy equipment appraisals and 2025 IronIndex™ equipment values, nationwide.
Since 2009, HEA has delivered USPAP-compliant heavy equipment appraisals and IronIndex™ values that banks, CPAs, attorneys and insurers rely on for loans, disputes and tax work.
USPAP-compliant equipment appraisals from a 5★-rated specialist. Tell us what you own and why you need the report
we’ll follow up within one business day with pricing and next steps.
Appraising Heavy Equipment Since 2009
$$$ BILLIONS worth of equipment appraised
About HEA
We appraise heavy equipment, and only heavy equipment.
HEA is a USPAP-compliant heavy equipment appraisal firm whose reports are used by SBA lenders, commercial banks, CPAs, attorneys and IRS-related valuation work.
The same real-world valuations we perform for clients also power our IronIndex™ equipment value benchmarks.
Since 2009, we’ve appraised billions of dollars in construction, trucking, agricultural and industrial equipment for clients across the United States.
We don’t buy or sell equipment and we don’t run an auction house. Our only job is delivering independent, defensible values you can use for lending, tax, buy/sell, litigation, and insurance.
Who we serve:
- SBA and commercial lenders
- Fleet owners and contractors
- CPAs and tax professionals
- Attorneys (litigation, divorce, estates)
- Insurance carriers, adjusters, and risk managers
- Turnaround and restructuring professionals
Read more about us and our qualifications.
Years in the business
Billions Appraised
IronIndex™: Real-world benchmarks for heavy equipment values
What is IronIndex™?
IronIndex™ is HEA’s in-house benchmark for used heavy equipment values. It combines real appraisal files and recent auction/dealer sales to show what machines are actually selling for, not just their “book value.”
IronIndex™ is our in-house benchmark for used equipment values, built from the same USPAP-compliant appraisals and market data we use in client reports. Instead of generic “book values,” IronIndex™ tracks what machines are actually selling for across auctions, dealers, and private sales.
What IronIndex™ is built from:
- Real appraisal files from banks, CPAs, attorneys, and fleet owners
- Recent auction and dealer sales for comparable machines
- Adjustments for age, hours, condition, options, and region
- Ongoing reviews by a certified heavy equipment appraiser
Excavator Values
Benchmarks for mini, mid-size, and large excavators, showing how hours, attachments, and undercarriage condition move real-world selling prices.
Wheel Loader & Dozer Values
Value ranges for loaders, dozers, and graders, with notes on technology, rebuild history, and how they’re pricing at auction versus dealer lots.
Truck & Trailer Values
Market snapshots for vocational trucks, day cabs, dumps, lowboys, and tankers, tied to recent retail and auction transactions.
Skid Steer & Compact Loader Values
How skid steers and compact track loaders are holding value by brand, hours, and options like high-flow, cabs, and quick-attach systems.
Value ranges for row-crop, utility, and 4WD tractors, combines, and key implements, including how hours and spec packages affect resale.
Benchmarks for drilling rigs, TBMs, and related specialty equipment, where even small changes in configuration, diameter, or history swing values.
Every IronIndex™ data point starts with a real appraisal or market transaction. It’s a lens on the market, not a replacement for a USPAP-compliant appraisal report.
Browse sample benchmarks for common equipment types, then request a certified appraisal when you’re ready.
Heavy Equipment Appraisal Services
Nationwide Heavy Equipment Appraisal Services
We’re a US-based, equipment-only appraisal firm providing certified heavy equipment appraisals in all 50 states.
SBA and commercial lenders, fleet owners, CPAs, attorneys, and business owners hire us for loans, buyouts, insurance, tax and financial reporting, estates, and litigation support.
Desktop (Online) Equipment Appraisals
A desktop equipment appraisal is completed remotely: you send your equipment list, photos, and background, and we research market and auction data to develop a supported opinion of value.
Best for:
- Single machines or small groups of equipment
- SBA and bank loans with good photos and records
- Insurance updates and internal planning
- Situations where travel would add unnecessary cost
On-Site Equipment Appraisals
In an on-site equipment appraisal, we travel to your location, inspect and photograph each machine, verify serial numbers and configurations, and document condition before completing the valuation.
Best for:
- Large fleets or multiple yards and locations
- Complex or specialized machinery and installations
- Litigation, divorce, estate, and partnership disputes
- Situations where you need the most defensible, USPAP-compliant report
Equipment We Appraise
We appraise a wide range of machinery and equipment, including:
- Construction and earthmoving equipment (excavators, bulldozers, loaders, graders)
- Trucks, trailers, and fleet equipment (vocational trucks, dumps, lowboys, support trailers)
- Agriculture and farm equipment (tractors, combines, sprayers, implements)
- Mining, aggregates, and industrial equipment (crushers, screens, plants, process equipment)
- Lifts and material handling (telehandlers, forklifts, cranes, warehousing equipment)
See the full list of heavy equipment types we appraise.
Where We Provide Heavy Equipment Appraisals
We’re based in the U.S. and provide heavy equipment appraisals nationwide. Most projects start as desktop (online) assignments, and we schedule on-site inspections where condition, scale, or risk justify a visit. The goal is simple: get you a USPAP-compliant report that holds up, no matter where the machines are located.
Nationwide Coverage
We appraise equipment in all 50 states, from large metro fleets to rural yards and farm communities.
For many projects, a desktop appraisal is the best blend of speed and cost.
When equipment concentration or case complexity demands it, we travel on-site to inspect units in person.
Typical Locations We Serve
We regularly appraise equipment for contractors, fleet owners, and operators in and around major metros, regional hubs, and rural communities.
No matter if your machines are at a single yard, spread across multiple job sites, or stored on farms and industrial facilities, we can scope a desktop or on-site appraisal that fits your situation.
Equipment Appraisal 101: Introduction to Heavy Equipment Values
We created this Heavy Equipment Appraisal 101 infographic to walk through the core questions every valuation has to answer: what you own, why you need the appraisal, how we gather data, and how we arrive at an opinion of value. Using the same five-step process we follow in real USPAP-compliant assignments, whether you need fair market value, liquidation value, or something more specialized.
At a Glance: How Our Equipment Appraisal Process Works
- Step 1 – Intake: You share your equipment list, photos, and why you need the appraisal (loan, buy/sell, tax, insurance, litigation, or internal planning), plus any deadlines or special requirements.
- Step 2 – Research: We gather market data: recent sales and auction results, dealer listings, manufacturer specs, and pricing guides for comparable machines.
- Step 3 – Analysis & adjustments: We choose the right approaches to value (cost, sales comparison, and sometimes income) and adjust for age, hours, condition, configuration, technology, market demand, and geography.
- Step 4 – Opinion of value: We develop a supported opinion of value (fair market, orderly or forced liquidation, salvage, or scrap), matched to your assignment’s purpose and USPAP standards.
- Step 5 – Written report: You receive a written, USPAP-compliant appraisal report you can use with SBA lenders, banks, CPAs, attorneys, insurers, or internal stakeholders.
If you want to go deeper into how appraisers think about value types, methods, and market factors, you can read my 2025 “Introduction to Heavy Equipment Values” guide.
Who Relies On Our Equipment Values
Our appraisal reports don’t live in a vacuum. They’re read, questioned, and relied on by people who make real decisions with real consequences. Lenders, fleet owners, CPAs, and attorneys use our equipment values to document collateral, support negotiations, and defend their position when the numbers are challenged.
Lenders and Credit Teams
SBA and commercial lenders use our equipment appraisals to document collateral support, set advance rates, and justify loan decisions to internal credit committees and regulators. They need reports that clearly explain methods, data sources, and value conclusions.
What lenders look for in our reports:
- Plain-language explanations they can share with credit and examiners
- Clear identification of each asset and its role in the business
- Market-supported values tied to recent sales and auction data
- Explicit value type (fair market, orderly liquidation, forced sale, etc.)
Fleet Owners & Operators
Fleet owners and operators use appraisals to understand what their iron is really worth (beyond book numbers or dealer estimates). They need a realistic picture when they’re buying, selling, consolidating yards, or evaluating whether to hold, rebuild, or replace key units.
How fleet owners use our values:
- Planning buy–sell or trade cycles for major machines
- Comparing “run it longer” vs. replacement scenarios
- Supporting internal capital allocation and budgeting
- Documenting values for insurance schedules and risk reviews
CPAs & Financial Advisors
CPAs and financial advisors rely on equipment appraisals when they need supportable numbers for financial statements, tax planning, and transaction work. They’re not looking for hype, they’re looking for a clear trail from assumptions to conclusions.
Where CPAs use equipment appraisals:
- Purchase price allocations and business combinations
- Estate, gift, and trust planning involving machinery-heavy businesses
- Impairment testing and balance sheet reviews
- Support for tax positions tied to equipment values
Attorneys & Legal
Attorneys and legal professionals use our appraisals when equipment values are central to a dispute or agreement. They need reports that can stand up to questioning, be understood by judges and mediators, and clearly separate facts, assumptions, and opinions.
Legal matters where our reports are used:
- Shareholder and partner disputes involving equipment-heavy businesses
- Divorce cases with significant machinery and fleet assets
- Business breakups, buyouts, and forced sales
- Litigation support where opposing parties disagree on value
Insurance Carriers & Risk Managers
Insurance carriers, adjusters, and risk managers use our equipment appraisals to document values before a loss, support claims after an event, and validate whether existing schedules still reflect reality. They need clear, defensible numbers when negotiating with insureds, reinsurers, and internal stakeholders.
Where insurance teams use equipment values:
- Establishing and updating equipment schedules and limits
- Supporting loss and damage claims after fires, accidents, or weather events
- Validating reported values during underwriting and renewals
- Comparing repair, rebuild, and replacement scenarios for major units
Turnaround & Restructuring
Turnaround consultants and restructuring professionals rely on equipment appraisals when they’re stabilizing a distressed business, negotiating with lenders, or planning an orderly wind-down. They need a grounded view of what the iron is really worth under different scenarios, not just optimistic book numbers.
How turnaround teams use our reports:
- Assessing collateral coverage for existing and proposed credit facilities
- Prioritizing which assets to keep, idle, sell, or scrap
- Supporting negotiations with lenders, investors, and key vendors
- Modeling outcomes under fair market, orderly liquidation, and forced-sale assumptions
Testimonials & Case Results
Our reports don’t just check a box, they get used in real decisions. Community banks, local governments, contractors, and donors have used our equipment appraisals to support lending, purchases, and charitable contributions. Here are a few examples of how our work has been put to use:
Community bank lending
“I was very pleased with the speed and thoroughness of your work and will recommend you to others needing appraisal services.”
Case result: Desktop appraisal of ~90 pieces of equipment and trucks for Locust Lane Farms, used to support a loan modification where collateral coverage exceeded the loan by ~300% and satisfied internal audit, credit, and appraisal review requirements.
Local government finance
“The information provided was timely and assisted tremendously in our decision on the machine. We will look to Heavy Equipment Appraisal for future needs of our organization.”
Case result: Series of desktop appraisals on landfill compactors and a dozer to document fair market value under Tennessee Code Annotated, giving the Solid Waste Committee confidence to purchase used Bomag compactors within the 5% price tolerance required by state law.
SBA / business lending
“I was very pleased with the speed and thoroughness of your work and will recommend you to others needing appraisal services.”
Case result: Rush, on-site appraisal of a 100+ unit excavation fleet for an excavating company, delivered by a hard deadline after a prior desktop review was rejected by the SBA, so CRF could satisfy SBA requirements and close the loan before month end.
Construction contractor
“I am looking to buy another machine & NEED your equipment appraisal services again.”
Case result: Two desktop appraisals: a 2005 Ingersoll-Rand ZX-75 midi excavator and a 1995 Cat D3C LGP dozer. Used with his credit union to finance purchases where his negotiated prices came in thousands below supported fair market value, reinforcing his buying decisions.Non-profit & tax documentation
“Their staff is very professional, responsive and detailed. We couldn’t be more pleased and highly recommend their services.”
Case result: Desktop appraisal of a low-hour 2007 Case 580M II loader backhoe, including a completed IRS Form 8283, used to document a like-kind charitable contribution to a religious non-profit for income tax reporting.Turnaround / partner buyout
“The report looks good to everyone. Thank you for being so professional and accommodating throughout the process.”
Case result: On-site appraisal of ~150 trucks, trailers, loaders, tractors, and lifts in New Mexico, used to price a partner buyout and shared with the owners’ attorney, accountant, and financial institutions as a USPAP-compliant, third-party valuation.
Let’s Find Out What Your Equipment is Worth Today!
Tell us what you own, where it’s located, and why you need an appraisal. We’ll respond within one business day with pricing and next steps.