Auto Physical Damage Appraisal Worksheet

It covers the core items an auto appraiser needs to document a damaged vehicle: inspection details, pre-inspection safety, exterior damage, structural and mechanical findings, repair estimates, and the final repair-versus-total-loss recommendation. It is designed to capture both visible damage and the notes that justify estimate decisions. The photo section helps support the written appraisal and reduce back-and-forth during review.

Use it after a collision, weather event, theft recovery, or any loss where a vehicle needs a physical damage appraisal. It is also useful when a supplement is likely and you need a clean baseline before teardown or parts ordering. If the vehicle is already fully repaired or the issue is purely administrative, this worksheet is not the right fit.

An auto appraiser, claims adjuster, collision estimator, or other qualified vehicle damage evaluator should complete it. The person filling it out should be able to identify visible damage, note likely hidden damage, and decide when a diagnostic scan or supplemental teardown is needed. If a shop technician contributes findings, the worksheet should still show who made the final appraisal call.

It is typically used once per inspection, then updated if supplemental damage is found or the repair plan changes. In a repairable claim, the worksheet may be revisited after teardown, parts review, or a second look at structural areas. For total loss evaluations, it may be completed once and then attached to the valuation and settlement file.

Yes. It includes a dedicated section for comparing estimated repair cost to vehicle value and recording the recommendation. That makes it easier to show why the vehicle should be repaired, supplemented, or declared a total loss. It also helps keep the decision tied to documented damage rather than a verbal summary.

Common mistakes include skipping pre-existing damage notes, failing to photograph the vehicle before teardown, and under-documenting structural or mechanical concerns. Another frequent issue is listing parts and labor without stating the repair method or parts source, which makes the estimate harder to defend. The worksheet works best when the inspector records observable damage and avoids vague statements like "front end damage" without detail.

Yes. You can add fields for EV battery inspection, ADAS calibration, heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles, or fleet-specific approval steps. You can also tailor the parts sourcing options, estimate approval thresholds, and photo requirements to match your carrier, shop, or internal claim rules. The structure is flexible as long as the core damage, estimate, and sign-off sections stay intact.

It can be used as a standalone worksheet or as the inspection layer that feeds a claims system, estimating platform, or document repository. Many teams use it to standardize field notes before transferring the results into a repair estimate or claim file. If your workflow includes digital photos, VIN lookup, or supplemental approvals, this template gives you a consistent place to capture the source data.