How much does it cost to appraise a house in Birmingham?

What about our fee?

Your fee depends on the house and what the report is for, so we work it out with you by phone, and you will have it before anything is scheduled. There is no number on this page because a fee quoted before we hear about the house would be a guess.

The VA's table, for reference

For a VA home loan, the Department of Veterans Affairs sets the fee its appraisers are paid, county by county. Birmingham is in Jefferson County, which the VA's table lists with Baldwin, Madison, Mobile, Montgomery and Lee. From the VA appraisal fees and timeliness table, effective May 1, 2026:

Property type	VA fee, Jefferson County, Alabama
Single-family home	$700
Individual condominium	$700
Manufactured home	$750
Two- to four-unit property	$850

The VA's appraisal timeliness for those counties is 7 business days.

This is the VA's program fee, not our private price. It applies to appraisals ordered through a VA home loan. It does not set the fee for a private appraisal for an estate, a divorce, a date-of-death return, a cash sale or a conventional loan.

What sets a private appraisal fee

The things that move it are:

• What the report is for. An estate or divorce report that may be read by attorneys is more work than a routine one.
• The date. Looking back to a date in the past takes more records than a value for today.
• The property: size, age, condition, a sloping lot, a second building, more than one parcel.
• How soon you need it.

What to ask any appraiser

• What does the fee include: the visit, the comparable-sales research, the written report, a follow-up question afterward?
• Who will receive the report, and who is allowed to rely on it?
• What date will it be delivered, and what happens if the date moves?

Keep the appraisal fee separate from a home inspection, a pest inspection or loan costs. They are different services.

For more on what an appraiser looks at, read what an appraiser checks at the house.