What is included in probate inventory?

A probate inventory is a comprehensive list of everything the decedent owned at death, each item described and assigned a date-of-death fair market value, and in many jurisdictions it also notes outstanding debts against the estate.

The exact categories required vary by court, but a probate inventory typically covers:

• Cash and bank accounts: checking, savings, money market accounts, and CDs, listed with the institution and balance as of the date of death.
• Investments: brokerage accounts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and estate-owned retirement accounts.
• Real estate: homes, land, rental property, or commercial property, identified by legal description and valued as of the date of death.
• Vehicles and titled property: cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, and trailers.
• Personal property and household contents: jewelry, art, antiques, collectibles, firearms, furniture, and other valuable household goods.
• Business interests: ownership stakes in a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or closely held corporation.
• Receivables and intangible assets: money owed to the decedent, royalties, or intellectual property.

Higher-value personal property, art, jewelry, antiques, and furniture usually need to be individually described and assigned a supportable value rather than grouped as "household goods." This is where a professional appraisal matters most: courts and executors need an independent, defensible fair market value for these items, not a rough estimate. Probate Appraisal Group prepares USPAP-compliant valuations of personal property and estate contents for exactly this part of the inventory, covering fine art, jewelry, antiques, collectibles, and household goods.

If you're trying to sort out which specific belongings actually require a formal valuation, our guide on what possessions need to be valued for probate breaks that down in more detail, and our related answer on how to value household goods for probate covers the methodology for everyday contents.