How to get a house appraised for probate?

How to Get a House Appraised for Probate

Have the estate's executor hire a licensed, certified real estate appraiser to determine the home's fair market value as of the decedent's date of death, then submit that appraisal report as part of the probate inventory filed with the court.

The Process

The executor or personal representative, not an individual heir, is responsible for engaging the appraiser. Look for someone experienced in retrospective, date-of-death valuations, since probate values the home as it stood on the date the owner died, not on the day the appraiser walks through it. The appraiser will inspect the property, document its condition and features, and analyze comparable sales from around that earlier date to arrive at a supportable fair market value.

Some states add a wrinkle: California, for example, requires a court-appointed probate referee to value most non-real estate assets, though real estate typically still goes through a licensed appraiser. Confirm your state and county's specific requirement with the probate attorney handling the estate, since local rules vary on who can perform the appraisal and how it must be documented for the court.

Before the inspection, gather the deed, tax assessor records, any prior appraisals, and the court paperwork naming the executor. Give the appraiser full access to the interior, exterior, and any outbuildings, and avoid making cosmetic changes purely for the appraisal since the report needs to reflect the home's actual condition around the date of death, not a staged version of it.

The real estate appraisal is only one piece of the estate inventory. Household contents, personal property, vehicles, and other belongings typically require separate probate appraisal services to establish their fair market value for the same estate filing. If you're working through what else needs to be valued alongside the house, our guide on how to inventory household items for probate covers the broader estate contents process.