When an appraiser comes to your home, expect a structured inspection that runs 30 minutes to an hour for a typical single-family house, and up to two hours for larger or unusual properties. The appraiser measures the home, photographs the interior and exterior, confirms that major systems work, and later compares everything to recent sales of similar nearby homes. Your role during the visit is mostly to stay out of the way and make sure every room, system, and crawl space is accessible.
The appraiser is working for the lender, not for you and not for the seller. Their job is to produce an independent opinion of value the lender can rely on when deciding how much to loan against the property. They are not inspecting the home the way a buyer’s home inspector would, and they are not grading your housekeeping.
The Exterior Walkthrough
The appraiser usually starts outside by measuring the perimeter of the home to calculate the gross living area. Only heated, finished space counts toward that total. Garages, unfinished porches, and detached structures are measured separately or excluded. That square footage figure becomes one of the most important numbers in the final report, because comparable sales get adjusted on a price-per-square-foot basis.
While outside, the appraiser examines the roof for missing shingles, sagging, or visible wear. They check the foundation for cracks, note the condition of siding and gutters, and look at the overall grading and drainage. This is not as thorough as a full home inspection. They are looking for obvious problems that affect value or habitability, not testing every component.
Inside the Home
Inside, the appraiser moves through each room and photographs the living areas, kitchen, bathrooms, and any basement or attic. They are documenting the home’s condition, layout, and functional utility so the lender can confirm the property supports the loan amount.
They also run a basic check of major systems. They confirm the HVAC turns on, run water to check pressure and drainage, look at the electrical panel, and note the age and condition of the water heater. If the home relies on a private well or septic system, the appraiser may ask for proof of a recent water quality test or septic inspection, so have those reports handy if they apply.
Clear a Path to Every Space
The appraiser needs to enter every room, including the attic, basement, and crawl space. A crawl space packed with boxes creates a real problem, because the appraiser has to visually observe the entire area to check for moisture, structural issues, and adequate clearance. Clear a path before the visit. The same applies to attic hatches blocked by furniture or storage. If the appraiser cannot reach an area, they may have to return for a second visit, and that delays your closing.
What to Have Ready for the Appraiser
You are not required to hand over paperwork, but the right documents help the appraiser credit improvements they might otherwise miss. The most useful items are receipts or invoices for major upgrades: a new roof, HVAC system, kitchen remodel, solar panel installation, and the dates each project was finished. An appraiser walking through a renovated kitchen can see it looks nice, but without documentation they cannot tell whether the work happened last year or ten years ago.
If your home sits in a homeowners association, know the fee amount and whether the HOA charges a transfer or disclosure fee at closing. For properties with unusual boundaries, shared driveways, or easements, a recent land survey or the plat map from your purchase can save time and prevent boundary confusion.
Permits and Unpermitted Work
Appraisers pay attention to whether renovations and additions were done with proper building permits. Work completed without permits is viewed negatively because it may not meet current code, and it creates a liability for the next owner. An appraiser who spots unpermitted work may reduce the home’s value by estimating the cost to bring it up to code, or simply discount the addition’s value compared to a permitted equivalent. If you have permits for past projects, keep copies accessible. If you know certain work was done without permits, be honest rather than hoping the appraiser will not notice.
Extra Items on FHA and Government-Backed Loans
Appraisals for FHA loans carry health and safety requirements beyond a conventional appraisal. The appraiser must confirm the property is “safe, sound, and secure” under HUD’s Minimum Property Requirements, which means flagging specific issues a conventional appraiser might simply note without requiring repair.
Common FHA appraisal flags include:
- Missing or loose handrails on stairways.
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that are missing or not functional.
- Peeling paint, particularly in homes built before 1978, where lead-based paint is a concern.
- Crawl space clearance of less than 18 inches between the ground and the bottom of the floor joists.
- Standing water, excess moisture, debris, or signs of pest damage in crawl spaces and basements.
If the appraiser identifies any of these issues, repairs typically have to be completed and re-inspected before the loan can close. Knowing what triggers a flag gives you a chance to handle inexpensive fixes, like installing a handrail or replacing a dead smoke detector, on your own timeline rather than scrambling before closing.
What the Appraiser Does After Leaving
Once the site visit ends, the appraiser compiles everything into a standardized document called the Uniform Residential Appraisal Report, known as Form 1004 for single-family homes.1Fannie Mae. Uniform Residential Appraisal Report Form 1004 The core of the report is a comparison between your home and at least three recently sold properties nearby that are similar in size, condition, age, and location. These are called comparable sales, or comps.
The appraiser adjusts each comp’s sale price to account for differences. If a comp has a two-car garage and your home has a one-car garage, the appraiser subtracts value from the comp. If your home has a finished basement and the comp does not, the appraiser adds value to the comp. After running those adjustments across the comparables, the appraiser arrives at a value opinion for your property. This is where your documentation matters most, because an upgrade the appraiser can verify with a receipt gets credited more confidently than one they have to guess about.
The full process from site visit to delivered report typically runs one to two weeks, faster in a slow market and slower in a busy one. Once the report is finished, it goes to the lender’s underwriting team for an internal review before anyone shares the results with you. Federal law requires the lender to send you a copy of every appraisal and written valuation connected to your loan application, either promptly after completion or at least three business days before closing, whichever comes first.2Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR 1002.14 Rules on Providing Appraisals and Other Valuations
If the Number Comes In Low
A low appraisal is one of the more stressful surprises in a home purchase, because the lender will only finance up to the appraised value. Read the report carefully first. Appraisers occasionally use the wrong square footage, miss a bathroom, pick a comp from a less desirable neighborhood, or overlook a major renovation. If you find a factual mistake or a questionable comparable sale, you can submit a Reconsideration of Value request through your lender. For FHA loans, HUD requires the lender to give you clear written instructions on how to initiate a borrower-requested ROV, and the lender cannot charge you for processing it.3HUD. Appraisal Review and Reconsideration of Value Updates You can submit up to five alternative comparable sales, but you only get one borrower-initiated ROV per appraisal.
If the report is accurate and the value is simply lower than the purchase price, your options are to renegotiate with the seller, cover the gap with additional cash at closing, or walk away if your contract includes an appraisal contingency. The contingency protects your earnest money deposit if you choose to exit, but most contingency clauses include a notification deadline, so act before that date passes.