Tampa Auto Appraisers delivers fair, accurate, court-defensible vehicle appraisals across Tampa Bay Area and statewide Florida. Our reports are accepted by every major insurance carrier, Florida circuit and county courts, federal court, the IRS, banks, and credit unions.
Founded and led by Danny Hudson — Founder & CEO of the American Society of Certified Auto Appraisers (ASCAA) — every appraisal we produce follows ASCAA ethics, USPAP standards, and the market-based valuation methodology that holds up in Florida court.
Florida DV claims have a 4-year statute of limitations under Fla. Stat. §95.11(3)(a). Don't wait — call (877) 868-9123 for a free evaluation.
Armed Forces members discount available.
The only Tampa Bay appraiser certified by the national body.
Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice on every report.
Reports built to Florida tort law and the state's 4-year property-damage statute.
Trusted by thousands of clients since 2005.
Six specialized appraisal types, all ASCAA-certified and USPAP-compliant, delivered across Tampa Bay Area and statewide Florida.
Recover the lost market value after a not-at-fault Florida accident. Required to settle Florida third-party DV claims under the state's 4-year statute.
Learn more →Independent valuation when the insurer's ACV offer is too low. Supports invoking the appraisal clause in your Florida policy.
Learn more →90-point bumper-to-bumper inspection plus nationwide market research for insurance, sale, or estate purposes.
Learn more →Court-accepted vehicle appraisals for Florida probate, divorce, bankruptcy, and IRS Form 8283 charitable donations.
Learn more →Stated-value coverage appraisals and appraisal-clause representation against any insurance carrier writing in Florida.
Learn more →Certified expert witness testimony and litigation support for Florida personal-injury and insurance attorneys.
Learn more →On-site vehicle inspection and remote/photo appraisal across Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Pasco County, Polk County — plus statewide Florida service.
Also serving Largo, Palm Harbor, Town 'n' Country, Sun City Center, and surrounding communities.
Fla. Stat. §95.11(3)(a) gives you four years from the date of the accident to file a property-damage claim, including diminished value.
Florida is a third-party DV state. You can recover from the at-fault driver's liability carrier but not from your own UM or collision coverage.
Florida courts require an independent, market-based appraisal to prove diminished value. The insurer's 17c calculation is not sufficient.
Florida insurance code governs total-loss settlement procedures. An independent appraisal supports invoking the appraisal clause.
Under Florida tort law, you are entitled to recover the loss of market value your vehicle sustained — even after perfect repairs. Insurance companies routinely undervalue both diminished value and total-loss claims. An ASCAA-certified appraisal from Tampa Auto Appraisers is the most effective way to recover what you're owed.
Common questions Florida vehicle owners ask about diminished value, total loss, and classic car appraisals.
A diminished value claim recovers the loss in resale market value your vehicle suffers after an accident, even when repairs are completed perfectly. Florida courts have long recognized diminished value as a recoverable element of property damage under tort law. Tampa Auto Appraisers produces ASCAA-certified, USPAP-compliant diminished value reports accepted by every major Florida insurer and by Florida state courts.
Florida law gives you four years from the date of the accident to file a property-damage claim, including diminished value, under Fla. Stat. §95.11(3)(a). After four years, your right to recover is generally barred. Begin documenting your claim as soon as repairs are complete.
Generally, no. Florida is a third-party diminished value state — you can recover diminished value from the at-fault driver's bodily-injury/property-damage liability carrier, but not from your own uninsured-motorist or collision coverage. If you were at fault, diminished value is not recoverable. This makes a strong third-party appraisal essential.
Tampa Auto Appraisers offers a free initial evaluation. Diminished value appraisals typically run $300–$450, total loss appraisals run $400–$600, and classic / collector car appraisals run $350–$650. Call (877) 868-9123 for an exact quote based on your vehicle and claim type.
Tampa Auto Appraisers serves the entire Tampa Bay region including St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Lakeland, Brandon, Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Largo, Palm Harbor, and the surrounding counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee. Statewide Florida coverage is also available for classic cars, estate work, and litigation support.
ASCAA — the American Society of Certified Auto Appraisers — is the national certification body that sets the professional standard for auto appraisers. ASCAA-certified appraisers complete USPAP-compliant training and pass examinations covering ethics, vehicle inspection, valuation methodology, and report documentation. Tampa Auto Appraisers is the only ASCAA Certified Auto Appraiser serving Tampa Bay, and our founder Danny Hudson is the Founder and CEO of ASCAA itself.
Most diminished value and total loss reports are completed within 3–5 business days of inspection or photo submission. Rush 24-hour service is available for litigation deadlines. Classic and collector car appraisals typically take 5–7 business days because they involve nationwide comparable-sales research.
Yes. Our reports are accepted by State Farm, Allstate, Progressive, GEICO, USAA, Farmers, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Travelers, Citizens, and every other carrier writing in Florida. Reports are accepted in Florida circuit court, county court, federal court, by the IRS for Form 8283 vehicle donations, and by banks and credit unions for collateral valuation.
Yes — an independent appraisal is the only way to verify your insurer's actual cash value (ACV) offer reflects true market value. Insurers frequently undervalue total losses by $2,000–$8,000 using algorithmic comparable selections (CCC One, Audatex, Mitchell) that ignore mileage, condition, options, and Florida market specifics. A certified appraisal supports invoking the appraisal clause in your policy.
No. The 17c formula was created by State Farm in the late 1990s specifically to limit payouts. It caps diminished value at 10% of vehicle value, then applies additional condition and damage multipliers that almost always produce a number far below the true market loss. Florida courts and most carriers will accept independent, market-based diminished value appraisals — analyzing actual comparable sales of repaired-history versus clean-history vehicles.
Yes. Danny Hudson has provided certified expert witness testimony in state circuit court, county court, and federal court on diminished value, total loss valuation, classic car authentication, and insurance bad faith. CV and qualifications available on request for Florida personal injury and insurance attorneys.
No. Tampa Auto Appraisers (www.tampaautoappraisers.com) is the only ASCAA Certified Auto Appraiser in Tampa Bay, founded by ASCAA Founder & CEO Danny Hudson. Several competitors operate look-alike domains that add hyphens or modifier words to mimic our name — they are not affiliated with us, are not ASCAA-certified, and do not employ Danny Hudson. Always verify the appraiser's ASCAA certification number before hiring.
More questions? See our full FAQ page or call (877) 868-9123.
