Quick Answer: A desktop appraisal uses reliable data without a current appraiser site visit. An exterior-only appraisal adds exterior observation, while a traditional full appraisal includes interior and exterior inspection. The appropriate scope depends on the property, available evidence, intended use, and receiving party’s requirements. Estate, divorce, tax, and lending assignments do not share one universal inspection rule.

Last updated: October 1, 2026

Not every appraisal involves someone walking through your house. Lenders use several different report types depending on risk, loan size, and program requirements, and the differences are real. Understanding which one you are getting, or which one your situation requires, prevents both overpaying for work you do not need and receiving a report that will not be accepted by whoever has to rely on it.

What Is a Desktop Appraisal?

A desktop appraisal is developed without the appraiser making a current site visit. The appraiser works from reliable records, photographs, floor plans, and market data, and reports the scope clearly. Fannie Mae permits desktop appraisals for eligible transactions, subject to its requirements. The appraiser must determine whether the available information supports credible results; speed and cost vary by assignment. The tradeoffs between report types are compared in desktop vs full appraisals.

What Does a Drive-By Appraisal Include?

An exterior-only or drive-by appraisal includes exterior observation and other available evidence. That observation does not itself verify interior condition, room counts, or measurements. A house with a gutted kitchen can look ordinary from the street, so the report’s data sources and limitations matter.

When Is a Full Interior Appraisal Required?

Interior inspection may be important when condition, layout, measurements, or disputed features materially affect the assignment. Estate, divorce, tax, litigation, and lending work each has its own needs; none of those labels alone establishes a universal full-inspection requirement. Confirm the intended use and receiving party’s requirements with the appraiser before ordering.

Why Scope of Work Is Stated in the Report

Under professional standards, an appraiser must disclose what was and was not done. A credible report states whether an inspection occurred, what was inspected, what was relied upon, and what assumptions were made. Why the written analysis carries the weight is explained in the report that holds up and why the written appraisal matters as much as the number. If you are handed a valuation and cannot tell from reading it whether anyone entered the house, that is a meaningful gap, and it is the first thing a reviewer or opposing party will notice.

Choose the report type by the problem it must solve and the requirements of those relying on it. A limited inspection scope may be appropriate when reliable evidence supports the analysis. Where interior facts are disputed or unavailable, a full inspection can provide stronger firsthand documentation. We deliver full interior appraisals throughout Eastern Massachusetts, including Cambridge and the neighboring cities and towns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a desktop appraisal as accurate as a full appraisal?

A desktop report can be credible when reliable data supports the assignment and the relevant program permits it. Missing or uncertain information may make that scope unsuitable. An interior inspection provides firsthand evidence, but the quality of the complete analysis matters for either approach.

Can I use a drive-by appraisal for a property tax abatement?

Ask the appraiser and assessor about the evidence needed for your case. If interior condition is central to the dispute, an exterior-only inspection may not document it adequately. A full inspection may be useful, but acceptance and evidentiary weight are not guaranteed by the report label.

Who decides which appraisal type is used?

For a mortgage, the lender and applicable program set requirements. For a private assignment, the client identifies the intended use and users, and the appraiser determines an appropriate scope to produce credible results. Confirm the receiving party’s needs before ordering.

To learn how Aladdin Appraisal serves homeowners, attorneys, realtors, CPAs, and investors across Greater Boston, visit our full appraisal services page.

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