Home Appraisal Cost: VA Fees by State, Who Pays and When You Can Skip It

A home appraisal is an estimate of the home's value that your lender orders before it makes a mortgage loan. No federal agency publishes a national average appraisal fee for all loans. The one public fee schedule comes from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): for VA loans, as of May 1, 2026, the fee for a single-family home is $650 to $1,100, depending on the state, and $700 in 19 states. The VA itself says its fees are not a benchmark for other lenders, so treat them as one reference point, not a price list for every loan.

How Much a Home Appraisal Costs

The fee depends on the loan program, the property type and where the home is. What the rules say about the price:

• VA loans have a posted fee. The VA sets the fee its panel appraisers may charge for each state, and for some counties. For a single-family home the state fee runs from $650 (in 10 states, including Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania) to $1,100 in Alaska. Some counties are higher: the top single-family fee in the table is $1,500, in Valdez Cordova, Alaska.
• The VA says its fees are not a benchmark. In its words, "VA posted fees are not considered customary and reasonable for other agencies or lenders to follow."
• Other loans: the fee must be customary and reasonable. For a consumer loan secured by your principal dwelling, Regulation Z requires the lender and its agents to pay a fee appraiser at a rate that is customary and reasonable for appraisal services in the market where the home is (12 CFR 1026.42(f)).
• Other property types cost more under the VA schedule. In each state, the fee for a manufactured home or a 2 to 4 unit property is higher than for a single-family home. For a proposed or under-construction home, the appraiser may charge $50 more than the posted fee.

For the other fees you pay to buy a home, see closing costs.

VA Appraisal Fees by State

The VA fee for a single-family home, by state, effective May 1, 2026, and the number of business days the appraiser has to complete it. Counties named in the VA table can have a different fee or time limit; the figures below are each state's default row.

Source: VA, VA Appraisal Fees and Timeliness, effective May 1, 2026. Timeliness starts the first business day after the assignment date, and weekends and federal holidays do not count.

Other VA fee rules from the same page:

• Rush or priority fees are negotiated between the appraiser and the lender and cannot be charged to the veteran.
• A $150 re-inspection fee is allowed only when the appraiser physically visits the property.
• Late fees cannot be charged to the veteran.

Who Pays for the Appraisal?

• You usually reimburse the lender. Under Regulation B, a lender may require you to pay a reasonable fee to reimburse it for the cost of the appraisal, unless otherwise provided by law (12 CFR 1002.14).
• Your copy is free. The same rule says the lender cannot charge you for providing a copy of the appraisal. For a first-lien home loan, the lender must give you the copy promptly upon completion or three business days before closing, whichever is earlier.
• VA loans: VA rules let the veteran pay reasonable and customary amounts for the fees of the VA appraiser (38 CFR 36.4313).
• A second appraisal on a flipped home is not on you. For a higher-priced mortgage loan that is not exempt (a qualified mortgage, for example, is exempt), the lender must get two appraisals if the seller bought the home 90 or fewer days earlier and your price is more than 10 percent above what the seller paid, or 91 to 180 days earlier and more than 20 percent above. The lender may charge you for only one of the two (12 CFR 1026.35(c)(4)).

A higher-priced mortgage loan is one whose annual percentage rate exceeds the average prime offer rate for a comparable loan by set margins. For a first-lien loan within the Freddie Mac loan limit, the margin is 1.5 or more percentage points.

When a Loan Needs No Appraisal

• Bank rule: under the federal bank regulators' appraisal rule (the OCC's version is 12 CFR 34.43), a residential transaction of $400,000 or less does not need a state certified or licensed appraiser. The bank must still get an "appropriate evaluation" of the property.
• Fannie Mae value acceptance: Fannie Mae may offer value acceptance, which lets a loan close without an appraisal, on some loans that receive an Approve/Eligible recommendation from its Desktop Underwriter system. Eligible transactions include one-unit homes and condos, principal residences and second homes, and certain purchase and refinance loans.
• Not eligible for value acceptance: two- to four-unit properties, co-op units and manufactured homes, proposed construction and construction-to-permanent loans, among others.

Whether your loan qualifies is decided by the lender and the loan program. Skipping the appraisal does not tell you anything about the home's condition: HUD says an appraisal "does not replace a home inspection."

How Long an Appraisal Is Good For

For a Fannie Mae loan, the property must be appraised within the 12 months before the date of the note and mortgage. If the appraisal's effective date is more than four months but less than 12 months before the note date, the appraiser must do an appraisal update. That means inspecting the exterior of the property and reviewing current market data. Other loan programs set their own limits.

If the Appraisal Comes In Low

You can ask for a reconsideration of value (ROV). FHA's Mortgagee Letter 2024-07 added borrower-initiated ROV requirements for FHA loans, required for case numbers assigned on or after September 2, 2024. The lender's disclosure must specify the process for submitting the request. Under the letter:

• You can submit up to five alternative comparable sales for the appraiser to consider.
• Only one borrower-initiated ROV request is permitted per appraisal.

The lender's disclosure must also explain the expected ROV processing times and how to ask for clarifications or corrections unrelated to the value conclusion. Other loan programs have their own ROV processes, so ask your lender for its rules.

Sources & Methodology

• VA fees and fee rules: VA, VA Appraisal Fee Schedules and Timeliness Requirements (page last updated May 27, 2026) and its fee and timeliness table, effective May 1, 2026. The state table above is each state's default single-family row, copied from the PDF. The count of states at each fee and the low and high figures are our tally of those 51 rows (50 states and the District of Columbia).
• Veteran may pay the appraisal fee: 38 CFR 36.4313.
• Appraisal reimbursement and copy: Regulation B, 12 CFR 1002.14. Second appraisal and higher-priced loan definition: Regulation Z, 12 CFR 1026.35. Customary and reasonable fees: 12 CFR 1026.42.
• $400,000 threshold: OCC, 12 CFR 34.43.
• Value acceptance: Fannie Mae Selling Guide B4-1.4-10, Value Acceptance. Appraisal age: B4-1.2-04, Appraisal Age and Use Requirements (Guide published November 4, 2026).
• Appraisal vs inspection: HUD/FHA form HUD-92564-CN, For Your Protection: Get a Home Inspection.
• Reconsideration of value: HUD, Mortgagee Letter 2024-07, Appraisal Review and Reconsideration of Value Updates.
• All sources retrieved November 8, 2026. We did not find a government source for a national average appraisal fee across all loan types, so this page does not give one.

FAQ

How much does a home appraisal cost?
For VA loans, the VA's 2026 fee for a single-family home is $650 to $1,100 by state, and $700 in 19 states. The VA says these fees are not a benchmark for other lenders, and no federal agency publishes an average for all loans.

Who pays for the appraisal, the buyer or the seller?
The lender orders it, and Regulation B lets the lender charge you a reasonable fee to cover its cost. For VA loans, VA rules allow the veteran to pay the VA appraiser's fee.

Do I get a copy of the appraisal?
Yes, for a first-lien home loan, and the lender cannot charge you for the copy. You get it promptly upon completion or three business days before closing, whichever is earlier.

Can I get a mortgage without an appraisal?
Sometimes. Fannie Mae may offer value acceptance on some loans, and federal bank rules do not require a licensed appraiser for residential transactions of $400,000 or less, though the bank must still get an evaluation.

How long is an appraisal good for?
For Fannie Mae loans, 12 months before the note date, with an appraisal update needed if the appraisal is more than four months old.

What can I do if the appraisal is too low?
Ask your lender for a reconsideration of value. For FHA loans you can submit up to five alternative comparable sales, and one borrower-initiated request is allowed per appraisal.

Is an appraisal the same as a home inspection?
No. The appraisal estimates value for the lender. HUD says an appraisal "does not replace a home inspection," which checks the home's physical condition.