On-Site Equipment Appraisal
Send the equipment list and location. Get a CMEA on-site equipment appraisal quote in 1 business day.
Nationwide since 2009. Built to stand up to review.
Priority quote request: fill out the form and we’ll confirm scope / pricing within 1 business day (usually faster). Prefer phone? Call (844) VAL-UATE.
Typical response within 1 business day.
On-Site, Field, or Physical Inspection: The Same Scope of Work
“On-site equipment appraisal,” “field equipment appraisal,” “physical-inspection equipment appraisal,” and “in-person equipment appraisal” refer to the same scope of work.
This page covers what an on-site scope is, when it makes sense, what an inspection actually involves, and the files Heavy Equipment Appraisal has completed under this scope since 2009.
What Is an On-Site (field) Equipment Appraisal?
An on-site equipment appraisal, also called a field equipment appraisal, physical-inspection appraisal, or in-person equipment appraisal, is a USPAP-compliant heavy equipment valuation report completed after the appraiser personally inspects the equipment at its location. The appraiser documents the inspection with photos, serial-number verification, hours-meter readings, attachment identification, condition observations, and any operational checks the assignment specifically scopes.
The deliverable is the same report a lender, SBA reviewer, attorney, CPA, IRS examiner, or insurer would receive from a desktop assignment: equipment identification, condition documentation, market support, and a signed value conclusion under the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.
What the on-site scope adds is an independent inspection record:
- Photos taken by the appraiser
- Identifiers verified at the equipment
- Condition rated against a defined scale
- An inspection date that anchors the report
Roughly 56% of Heavy Equipment Appraisal’s recent engagements have been on-site.
When Does an On-Site Inspection Make Sense?
An on-site equipment appraisal is the right scope when condition is disputed or materially drives value, when photos and identifiers cannot be verified remotely, when attachments or modifications need direct inspection, when the equipment is unusual or specialty, or when the intended reviewer requires physical verification.
The most common reviewers requiring on-site scope are the SBA, federally insured lenders, contested courts, IRS examiners on high-value or complex donations, and insurance teams investigating claims.
In practice, the reviewer audience is the most common trigger. SBA collateral review above SBA SOP thresholds routinely requires physical inspection. Contested matters such as divorce, estate, and partner buyouts expose desktop scope to cross-examination on whether the appraiser personally verified the asset’s existence and condition. Qualified appraisals for IRS charitable contributions on high-value equipment carry the same expectation.
The second trigger is condition uncertainty. Equipment with gaps in maintenance history, undocumented rebuilds, aftermarket modifications, or deferred maintenance presents a condition risk that documentation alone cannot resolve.
What Does an On-Site Inspection Actually Involve?
An on-site equipment appraisal inspection is a visual examination at the equipment’s location, with the appraiser recording serial numbers, hours or miles, attachment configuration, condition of structural and high-stress components, evidence of fluid leaks or corrosion, modifications, and missing or substituted parts. Standard practice does not include starting, operating, or load-testing the equipment.
Heavy equipment is typically inspected where it operates, not on a showroom floor. Recent inspections have included:
- A 330 Ammco dredge barge reached by boat near Lamar, Colorado
- An active sand-and-gravel pit behind a locked gate
- An excavation fleet across multiple Front Range jobsites
- A 3 AM drive from northern Colorado to Roswell, New Mexico to reach equipment ahead of a buyer’s closing schedule
Access is part of the assignment. Logistics, scheduling around production hours, and field coordination determine whether the inspection actually happens on the date the report needs to ship. Heavy Equipment Appraisal scopes access constraints into the quote so timelines reflect what the site actually requires.
What On-Site Appraisal Files Has the Firm Completed?
On-site appraisal files at Heavy Equipment Appraisal span SBA and commercial lending rush assignments, partner buyouts and turnaround support, specialty and marine asset valuation, contested divorce and estate proceedings, insurance investigations, and high-value charitable contribution support.
Representative on-site files:
- On-site appraisal of approximately 150 trucks, trailers, loaders, tractors, and lifts for a partner buyout at Halo Services, Inc. in Bloomfield, New Mexico, shared with the owners’ attorney, accountant, and lenders.
- Rush on-site appraisal of a 100-plus-unit excavation fleet for E-Z Excavating, used to close an SBA loan through Community Reinvestment Fund after a prior desktop review was rejected by the SBA.
- On-site appraisal of a 330 Ammco dredge barge with a Cat 398 800-hp main engine, 65-foot ladder, and 16-inch intake / 14-inch discharge configuration for Carder, Inc. near Lamar, Colorado, with the inspection conducted by boat.
Each file required scope, evidence, and inspection access that desktop work could not have produced.
How Is an On-Site Appraisal Different from A Desktop Appraisal?
An on-site equipment appraisal is completed after the appraiser personally inspects the equipment in the field. A desktop equipment appraisal, also called an online or remote appraisal, is completed remotely from the equipment list, photos, identifiers, and documentation the owner provides, without physical inspection.
Both produce USPAP-compliant reports; the scope decision turns on documentation strength, condition certainty, and what the report’s intended audience will accept.
For the full side-by-side covering USPAP scope-of-work rules, how value type (FMV, OLV, FLV) interacts with inspection level, what each report discloses, and a four-step method-selection process, see Desktop vs On-Site Equipment Appraisal: Key Differences.
How Do I Request an On-Site Appraisal Quote?
To request an on-site equipment appraisal, submit the equipment list, location, and intended use through the appraisal quote form, or call (844) 825-8283.
Heavy Equipment Appraisal will confirm scope, fee, scheduling, and turnaround within one business day. If the file is better handled with desktop scope, the firm will recommend that instead.