Homeowner Resources

What Happens After Your Appraisal Is Complete

The report is delivered — here's what typically happens from there, and what's within your control.

Homeowner Resources5 min read

Getting the completed report is rarely the end of the story — what happens next depends heavily on who ordered the appraisal, and for what purpose.

After Delivery

Report Delivery

The completed report is delivered to the client who ordered it and to any other party identified as an intended user in the engagement — for example, a lender in a purchase or refinance transaction.

Reviewing Factual Information

It's reasonable to review the report for factual accuracy — the address, legal description, square footage, room count, and listed improvements — since a factual error is something that can be raised and corrected.

Lender-Controlled Next Steps

In a lender-ordered appraisal, the lender (not the borrower) controls what happens next — underwriting review, any reconsideration of value request, and how the report is used in the loan decision.

Private-Client Next Steps

In a privately ordered appraisal (estate, divorce, tax appeal, or pre-listing), the client who ordered the report generally decides how it's used — shared with an attorney, submitted to a county board, or kept for personal records.

Intended Users Matter

Every appraisal assignment identifies who's allowed to rely on the report — the intended users. This determines who receives a copy, who can ask the appraiser follow-up questions directly, and who controls how the report gets used afterward. A borrower in a lender-ordered appraisal, for instance, is typically not the party who requests changes directly from the appraiser — that request flows through the lender.

Report Retention and Reuse

Keeping a copy of a completed report is common — for insurance conversations, a future property tax appeal, or estate planning reference. Whether it's still useful for a new purpose later depends on how much time has passed, whether the market has moved, and what the new purpose specifically requires. See our related guide on how long an appraisal stays useful for a closer look at that question.

What This Does Not Mean

Delivery of the report doesn't mean the appraiser is obligated to revisit or change the opinion of value simply because a party disagrees with it. Any request to reconsider factual information or the appraiser's analysis follows a defined process — not an open-ended renegotiation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The client who ordered the appraisal, plus any additional intended users specifically identified in the assignment (such as a lender). People outside the identified intended users generally aren't entitled to a copy directly from the appraiser.

Yes — asking clarifying questions about what a section of the report means, or pointing out a factual discrepancy, is a normal and appropriate step after delivery.

In a lender-ordered appraisal, the reconsideration of value (ROV) process runs through your lender, not directly with the appraiser. See our dedicated ROV guide for the objective steps involved.

Many homeowners keep a copy for their records — it can be a useful reference for insurance conversations, future tax appeal comparisons, or estate planning, though its usefulness for a new purpose depends on how much time has passed and what that purpose requires.

If a meaningful amount of time has passed, the market has shifted, or a new purpose requires a current effective date, a new assignment or an appraisal update is typically the appropriate path rather than relying on the original report indefinitely.

Continue Learning

Provided for general educational purposes. Last reviewed: August 2026.

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