The VA Appraisal: How It Works, What It Costs, and What Can Go Wrong

The VA appraisal scares a lot of buyers and a lot of sellers. Most of that fear comes from bad information. Here is how the VA appraisal really works, straight from the VA Lender’s Handbook. Who orders it. What it costs. How long it takes. And what happens when the number comes in low.

Last updated: September 24, 2026

Who Orders It

Your lender orders the VA appraisal through VA’s online system. VA then picks the appraiser from its own list. Your lender does not get to choose. Your agent does not get to choose. That is on purpose. It keeps the value honest.

The appraiser must reach out to set up a visit within two business days of getting the order.

What the Appraiser Does

Two jobs. First, the appraiser sets the home’s value. They follow the same rules every licensed appraiser follows. Second, the appraiser looks for anything that does not meet VA’s Minimum Property Requirements. Those are basic safety, soundness, and sanitation standards. If something fails, the appraiser lists it as a repair.

What It Costs

VA sets a maximum appraisal fee for each area of the country. The appraiser cannot charge a veteran more than they charge anyone else for the same work. A rush fee can be worked out between your lender and the appraiser, but it can never be charged to you. A large or unusual home can cost more, but only with VA’s okay. The full fee table is below. The VA fee list is posted here by state.

You pay the fee to your lender up front. The lender must promise VA it is holding that money before VA will even assign an appraiser.

How Long It Takes

VA sets a time limit for each area based on how long regular appraisals take there. The limits run from 6 to 21 business days. The goal is to be as fast or faster than a normal appraisal. If the appraiser runs into a delay, like no access to the home, they have to log it in VA’s system. Once they get in, the report is due within three business days of the visit.

VA Appraisal Fees by State (Effective May 1, 2026)

VA posts one fee table for the whole country. It lists the most an appraiser can charge for a VA appraisal, and how many business days they have to finish. The table below shows the base fee for each state. Some counties are set higher or lower. The full county list is on VA’s fee schedule page.

Colorado detail. El Paso County, along with Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson, is $800 for a single family home and the appraiser has 6 business days. Mountain and rural counties run $800 to $1,100 with 12 to 15 business days.

Extra Fees VA Allows, and Who Pays

The table is not the whole story. VA allows a few add-ons. Some can be passed to you. Some cannot.

• New construction: Up to $50 more than the posted fee for a home that is proposed or still being built.
• Re-inspection: $150 when the appraiser has to go back out to the home, such as to confirm repairs.
• Mileage: Allowed only when the appraiser covers a property outside their normal area, at the federal mileage rate.
• Rush fee: The lender and the appraiser can agree on one. It can never be charged to you.
• Late payment fees: If a lender pays the appraiser late, any late fee is on the lender. Never on you.
• Cancelled order: Up to $50 if no visit was set. Up to $175 if a visit was set. Half the fee if the appraiser already went inside. The full fee if the report was finished.

How VA Counts the Days

The clock starts the first business day after VA assigns the appraiser. Weekends and federal holidays do not count. So a 6-day limit on a Monday assignment runs to the following Tuesday. If the appraiser cannot get in, they must log the delay in VA’s system, and the report is due three business days after the visit.

The Notice of Value

Here is the step most people never hear about. The appraisal does not go straight to you. It goes to a reviewer at the lender. VA calls this person a Staff Appraisal Reviewer, or SAR. The SAR checks the report and issues a Notice of Value, or NOV. The NOV is the official number. It also lists every condition that must be met before the loan can close.

• The SAR must issue the NOV within five business days of getting the appraisal.
• You get a copy of the NOV and the full appraisal the same day it is issued.
• The NOV is good for six months.
• The NOV can only list repairs VA requires. A lender cannot add its own repair demands to it.

Source: JD.Mortgage Team at PRMG, The VA Appraisal: How It Works, What It Costs, and What Can Go Wrong, updated September 2026, https://jd.mortgage/va-loan-appraisal/

What If the Value Comes In Low

You have options. More than most people think.

1. Before the report is done. If the appraiser expects the value to land under the sale price, VA requires them to tell your lender first, through VA’s online system. Your agents then get two business days to send in up to three closed sales. The comps come from the agents, not the buyer. This is the Tidewater process.
2. After the NOV. You sign a short written request saying you disagree with the value and why. Your lender submits it to VA. VA calls this a Reconsideration of Value. VA reviews it within five business days. If they send someone out to look, that takes up to 20 business days.
3. Renegotiate. The seller can drop the price. Or the seller can cover part of the gap through seller concessions.
4. Pay the difference. You can bring cash to cover the gap. VA’s escape clause means you are never forced to. You can also walk away and keep your earnest money.

What If Repairs Are Required

The NOV will list them. Most get fixed before closing. VA also lets the lender hold money in escrow so some repairs can be done after closing. And you can ask VA to waive a repair if the home is safe and livable without it. Here is how the repair rules and waivers work.

Switching Lenders After the Appraisal

The appraisal belongs to you, not the lender. If you switch lenders, the old lender must transfer the case when you ask in writing. Email counts. The new lender’s reviewer then issues a new NOV. You do not pay for a second appraisal.

When You Do Not Need One

A VA IRRRL usually skips the appraisal. Every VA purchase and every VA cash-out refinance requires one.

Sources: VA Lender’s Handbook M26-7, Chapter 10 (Appraisal Process, Topics 1, 2, 7, 8, 22, 23, 24, 26) and Chapter 13 (Notices of Value, Topics 1, 5, 7, 8). VA Pamphlet 26-7 as published on KnowVA, updated July and August 2026. VA Appraisal Fees and Timeliness Table, effective May 1, 2026, and the VA Appraiser Fee Schedule page at benefits.va.gov.

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