When the insurance company's offer doesn't feel right, it usually isn't. California Auto Appraisers produces IACP-certified independent valuations for diminished value, total loss, property damage, auto accident, and insurance bad faith matters — backed by real local-market dealer research, not algorithms. Statewide California coverage. Reports start at $500+, with final pricing based on your vehicle's make and year.
What We Do · IACP Certified
After a collision and repair, your vehicle is worth less — even when the repair was flawless. A bad Carfax is a bad Carfax. Our diminished value reports quantify the inherent loss in market value using six verified dealer quotes in your local market, giving you the probative evidence you need for a third-party claim against the at-fault driver's insurance carrier.
Your vehicle was declared a total loss — but is the insurer's actual cash value (ACV) offer fair? Our independent total loss valuations document the real local-market value of your vehicle and stand up in Appraisal Clause negotiations, challenging CCC One, Mitchell, and Autosource reports with verified dealer evidence.
When an insurer's repair estimate is too low to actually fix your vehicle correctly — or when proper supplements are being denied — our detailed property damage appraisals document what real repair costs. The same reports that resolve disputes in negotiation hold up in arbitration and court.
Complete documentation for vehicles involved in accidents — total loss, repair-cost, and diminished value reports for both first-party (your own carrier) and third-party (at-fault driver's carrier) claims. We work with your attorney, body shop, and adjuster to build the case for the settlement your vehicle actually warrants.
When a carrier unreasonably denies, delays, or underpays a valid claim, independent appraisals are the foundation of a bad faith case. Our reports establish what the carrier should have offered and document the gap between fair market value and what was actually paid. We coordinate directly with your attorney when litigation is on the table.
Transparent Pricing
Appraisal reports start at $500, with final pricing determined by vehicle make and year. Standard domestic and mainstream imports fall at the base of the range; luxury, exotic, classic, RV, and diesel vehicles are priced higher to reflect the additional dealer research required.
Insurance carriers price your vehicle using software. We price it the way the market actually does — by talking to the people who buy and sell cars every day.
Our standing principle
Recent Work
Representative work. Vehicle owner identities and case specifics kept confidential.
About California Auto Appraisers
The appraisal process is broken. Carriers run your vehicle through a CCC One, Mitchell, or Autosource algorithm, pull comparables that conveniently skew low, and present the result as a fact. It isn't a fact. It's an opening position — and California consumers are entitled to push back through the Appraisal Clause in their policy.
No formulas, no scraped ads, no shortcuts. Every valuation we produce is grounded in six verified dealer quotes from new and used dealerships in your local California market. Those quotes become probative evidence — the kind that holds up in Appraisal Clause negotiations, umpire proceedings, and superior-court litigation.
"Compensation for damages to personal property can include the reasonable cost of repair or restoration with due allowance for any difference between the original value and the value after repairs." — Tort Law
We work for vehicle owners — only vehicle owners. We do not accept retainers from insurance companies, and we never will. That independence is the entire point.
How It Works
Call (818) 253-4254 or email your insurer's CCC, Mitchell, or Autosource worksheet to yadegariesq@gmail.com. We review the carrier's valuation at no charge and tell you honestly whether their offer is in range.
An IACP-certified appraiser inspects the vehicle on-site and documents pre-loss condition with photographs, records, and verification of trim, mileage, and equipment.
We pull six verified dealer quotes in your local California market — never national averages — accounting for trim, mileage, condition, and specialty features like diesel engines or factory packages.
We present the report to the insurance adjuster. If they refuse to budge, we represent you through the Appraisal Clause process — appraiser negotiation through umpire award.
Frequently Asked Questions
A diminished value claim recovers the difference between your vehicle's pre-accident value and its market value after repair. Even a flawlessly repaired vehicle is worth less because of its accident history on Carfax and AutoCheck, which dealers and private buyers use to discount the price. In California, you can pursue diminished value against the at-fault driver's insurance carrier as a third-party claim.
Appraisals start at $500+, with the final fee determined by the make and year of the vehicle. Standard domestic and mainstream imports fall at the base of the range; luxury, exotic, and specialty vehicles (Tesla, Porsche, Mercedes-AMG, BMW M, Range Rover, classics, RVs, diesel trucks) are priced higher to reflect the additional dealer research required. Call (818) 253-4254 with your year, make, and model for an exact quote.
Most California auto insurance policies contain an Appraisal Clause that lets the policyholder dispute the carrier's total loss valuation. Each side hires an independent appraiser; the two appraisers negotiate, and if they can't agree, a neutral umpire decides. The umpire's decision is non-binding, so you retain the right to litigate if the result is unsatisfactory.
Insurance bad faith occurs when a carrier unreasonably denies, delays, or underpays a valid claim. Independent appraisal reports are critical evidence in bad faith disputes — they establish what the carrier should have offered and document the gap between fair market value and what was actually paid. Our reports hold up in carrier negotiations, arbitration, and litigation. We coordinate directly with your attorney when bad faith is on the table.
We're based in Los Angeles and serve all of California — including Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, and the Bay Area. We perform on-site vehicle inspections statewide and prepare written appraisal reports for clients nationwide. Call (818) 253-4254 to confirm coverage for your location.
Most appraisal reports are completed within five business days of intake. Urgent claims with carrier acceptance deadlines can be expedited — call (818) 253-4254 for priority handling. We can typically get a written hold-letter to your adjuster within hours of engagement.
Send your insurer's CCC One, Mitchell, or Autosource valuation worksheet, the body shop estimate (if applicable), photos of the vehicle, your declarations page, and any related correspondence to yadegariesq@gmail.com. The initial phone review is always free of charge.
Service Coverage
We provide on-site vehicle inspections throughout California and prepare certified written appraisal reports for clients nationwide. Our home turf:
Counties we cover statewide
When We're Open
| Monday | 8:00 AM — 7:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 8:00 AM — 7:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 8:00 AM — 7:00 PM |
| Thursday | 8:00 AM — 7:00 PM |
| Friday | 8:00 AM — 7:00 PM |
| Saturday | 9:00 AM — 4:00 PM |
| Sunday | By Appointment |
Phone consultations are always free of charge and available throughout business hours. After-hours messages are returned the next business day. On-site inspections are scheduled within 24-48 hours of intake, anywhere in California.
Send the insurer's CCC, Mitchell, or Autosource worksheet, plus your body shop estimate, and we'll review it free of charge. Most appraisals are completed within five business days. Reports start at $500+ depending on vehicle make and year.
California Auto Appraisers is an independent IACP-certified auto appraisal company based in Los Angeles, California, serving all of California — including Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Oakland, Fresno, Long Beach, Bakersfield, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Riverside, Stockton, Irvine, Chula Vista, Ventura, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Kern, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Placer, El Dorado, Yolo, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Tulare, and Imperial counties. Our five core service areas are diminished value appraisals, total loss and ACV appraisals, property damage appraisals, auto accident appraisals, and insurance bad faith appraisal support, with full Appraisal Clause representation available. We challenge CCC One, Mitchell, and Autosource valuations using real verified local-market dealer research — not algorithms. Appraisal reports start at $500+, with the final fee determined by vehicle make and year (luxury, exotic, classic, RV, and diesel priced higher). Common carriers we deal with include State Farm, GEICO, Allstate, Progressive, Farmers, USAA, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Travelers, and AAA. We work for vehicle owners — only vehicle owners. On-site inspections throughout California; certified written appraisal reports available nationwide. Call (818) 253-4254 for a free phone consultation.