How to Read the Comparables in a Total-Loss Valuation

Bottom line

Your offer is built from a handful of comparable vehicles. For each one, check four things: is it the same trim and body, is it close to you, is it current, and is the price the real asking price? Then recheck the adjustments that turn each comparable's price into a value for your car. One distant or wrong-trim comparable can pull the average down.

What the comparables section shows

For each comparable, the report lists the vehicle (year, make, model, trim), its mileage, where it is and how far from you, the dealer or source, when it was listed, and its price. It then shows the adjustments applied and the adjusted value.

The adjusted values are combined into your car's base value. If one comparable is wrong, the base value is wrong with it.

Four questions for every comparable

Go through the comparables one at a time and ask:

Is it the same car? Same trim, body style, engine, and drivetrain. A base trim standing in for a higher one understates your car.
Is it local? Prices differ between markets. A comparable hundreds of miles away may reflect a cheaper market than yours.
Is it current? Listing dates should be close to the date of loss. An old listing may reflect an older market.
Is the price real? Check whether the listed price is the advertised price or a reduced 'projected' price, and whether any other deduction was applied to it.

Recheck the adjustments

Each adjustment should make the comparable more like your car. A comparable with more miles than yours should be adjusted up; one with options your car lacks should be adjusted down; one missing options your car has should be adjusted up.

Recompute a few adjustments yourself. If a comparable's adjusted value does not look like a fair price for your car, ask how it was reached.

Frequently asked questions

How many comparables should a valuation use?▼

There is no single number; reports usually list several. What matters more is that each one is genuinely similar and local, because a few poor comparables can outweigh the good ones.

Can I use private-party listings as comparables?▼

Dealer listings are usually the stronger evidence, because valuation methods are built around them. Private listings can still help show the market, especially for rare cars. Include the VIN and details for each.

What if there are no local comparables for my car?▼

For rare trims or older cars the search radius widens. Ask how distance was handled, and send the closest genuine matches you can find, explaining why the market is thin.

Compare the offer with market evidence before you decide; the decision is yours.

Your consultation and offer review are free. The Appointed Appraiser Service is $495. It includes the Appraisal Research, our appointment as your appraiser under the appraisal clause of your policy, if it has one, determining the amount of loss with your insurer's appraiser, and the appraisal award letter.

At least $1,000 more, or your fee is waived. This applies once we accept your consultation and serve as your appraiser. The starting point is your insurer's offer on the day we accept. If the appraisal award, or a higher offer your insurer makes instead, is less than $1,000 above it, we waive our $495 Appointed Appraiser Service fee. If an umpire is needed, the umpire's fee is separate. We pre-authorize your card only after we accept your consultation, so there's no upfront payment.

Results vary. See terms.