What is a normal appraisal fee on a Loan Estimate?

Updated November 2026 · Every dollar figure is an illustrative example, not a quote

The appraisal fee pays a licensed appraiser to value the home for the lender, and roughly $400 to $900 is common for a single-family house, with larger, rural or high-value homes costing more. It sits in Section B because the lender picks the appraiser, which also means the fee cannot go up at closing.

Where it is on the form

Page 2, Section B, Services You Cannot Shop For, as a line named Appraisal Fee. On a refinance with an appraisal waiver there may be no line at all, or a small property-data fee in its place. Page 3's Other Considerations box also promises you a copy of the appraisal.

Illustrative rangeOften $400–$900 for a single-family home; more for large, rural or high-value properties

The fee tracks the appraiser's time: a standard house in a city with plenty of comparable sales is at the low end, while acreage, a rural address with few comparables, a multi-unit property or a very high-value home can run well past $1,000. FHA and VA appraisals have their own schedules and often cost a little more. Rush orders cost extra.

Paid toThe appraiser, usually through an appraisal management company the lender uses

Can you shop for it?No

Can it change at closing?Zero tolerance: It cannot go up at closing

This is the one fee you commonly pay before closing. Lenders usually collect it when the appraisal is ordered, after you have received the Loan Estimate and said you intend to proceed, and it is generally not refunded if the loan does not close. That makes it the real cost of walking away from a lender late, so it is worth settling your choice of lender before the appraisal is ordered.

A low appraisal is a separate problem from the fee. If the home appraises below the price, the loan amount or the down payment changes, and that is a legitimate reason for a revised Loan Estimate. The appraisal fee itself does not change because of the value.

Can you shop for it?

No. Federal rules require the lender to choose the appraiser independently, so that neither you nor the loan officer can lean on the value. That is why it is in Section B. You can decline to pay for a second appraisal a lender orders for its own reasons; ask who is paying before one is ordered.

Can it change between the Loan Estimate and closing?

Zero tolerance. Because you could not shop for it, the fee on the Closing Disclosure cannot exceed the fee on the Loan Estimate unless something changed, such as the appraiser discovering the property is a multi-unit or needs a second visit, and the lender issued a revised estimate within three business days of learning it.

Questions to ask the lender

When do you collect the appraisal fee, and is any of it refunded if the loan does not close?
Is this a full appraisal, a desktop or hybrid appraisal, or an appraisal waiver?
If the appraiser needs a second visit after repairs, who pays for the re-inspection?

Red flags

An appraisal fee collected before you have received the Loan Estimate and said you want to proceed.
A fee far above the local norm for a plain single-family home, with no explanation.
A second appraisal ordered at your cost because the lender did not like the first value.

Questions people ask

Why is the appraisal fee in Section B and not Section C?

Because the lender chooses the appraiser, by federal rule, to keep the valuation independent. Section B is for required services you cannot shop for. That placement gives the fee zero tolerance, so it cannot rise at closing.

Do I get a copy of the appraisal?

Yes. The lender must give you a copy promptly after it is complete and at least three business days before closing. Page 3 of the Loan Estimate says so in the Other Considerations box, and you can waive the three-day timing but not the copy.

Is the appraisal fee refundable?

Usually not once the appraiser has done the work. If you back out before the appraisal is ordered, there is nothing to pay. Ask the lender for its policy in writing before you authorize the order.

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Every dollar figure on this page is illustrative. Fee ranges are general observations, not a survey or a quote, and are not a loan offer, approval, commitment to lend, or Loan Estimate. Your actual rates and fees depend on qualification with lenders, your state and county, and your closing date. The tolerance rules described are the federal TRID rules in general terms; the rule itself and your own Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure decide how it applies to your loan. comparemyloan does not negotiate with lenders, lock rates, or take loan applications.