Instant resale estimate
Owner planning, offer screening, listing checks, and closure triage before you choose a sale channel.
Category, age, condition, working status, certification, accessories, urgency, brand, and original or replacement cost.
Restaurant equipment appraisal
Instant estimate or professional appraisal?
Use the value checker when you need a resale planning range before listing, negotiating, or liquidating equipment. Use a professional appraisal when the number must stand up to a lender, insurer, partner, court, trustee, tax adviser, or audited asset process.
Estimate firstDocument testability and tagsFormal reports need appraisers
Instant estimate vs professional appraisal
A resale estimate helps an owner decide whether to sell privately, accept a dealer offer, consign, auction, or scrap an asset. A professional appraisal starts with the same equipment facts, but also defines the valuation purpose, report audience, scope, and evidence file.
Dealer or liquidator quote
Fast removal, whole-kitchen buyouts, and equipment that needs cleaning, transport, or reconditioning.
Pickup access, testability, repair exposure, freight, resale margin, asset mix, and the deadline to clear the space.
Professional appraisal
Lending, insurance, estate, divorce, bankruptcy, tax, partnership, and audited asset schedules.
Identified assets, serial plates, photos, condition notes, valuation purpose, intended user, and report scope.
Liquidation math to check before accepting an offer
Liquidation value reflects who removes the unit, how quickly it must leave, whether it can be tested, and how much margin a buyer needs for cleaning, repair, freight, warranty exposure, and resale risk.
| Equipment type | Private-sale reference | Dealer buyout | Auction / liquidation | Why it moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial fryers | $450-$3,800 | $200-$2,575 | $125-$2,100 | Gas fryers with missing tags or unsafe controls can fall to parts value quickly. |
| Planetary mixers | $650-$9,500 | $325-$6,850 | $225-$5,700 | Missing attachments can cost hundreds to replace and should reduce the estimate. |
| Reach-in refrigeration | $900-$6,800 | $350-$4,225 | $225-$3,400 | Non-working refrigeration often drops below dealer interest because repairs can exceed resale value. |
| Commercial dishwashers | $1,500-$12,000 | $525-$6,950 | $350-$5,750 | Voltage, phase, booster requirements, and plumbing code mismatches can limit the buyer pool. |
| Ventilation hoods | $1,000-$10,500 | $275-$5,250 | $200-$4,400 | Installed hoods are discounted for removal labor, code uncertainty, and missing fire suppression parts. |
Documentation checklist before an appraisal call
Step 1
Data-plate photos showing make, model, serial number, voltage, gas type, phase, and NSF, UL, or ETL marks.
Step 2
Working proof such as temperature logs, heat-test photos, mixer speed checks, dishwasher cycle notes, or ice harvest evidence.
Step 3
Purchase invoice, repair history, recent service tags, warranty transfer notes, and known replacement parts.
Step 4
Accessory inventory for shelves, pans, baskets, bowls, hooks, guards, filters, racks, casters, hoses, and manuals.
Step 5
Removal context: floor level, loading dock access, utility disconnects, hood or fire-system components, and pickup deadline.
Hire a professional appraiser when value becomes evidence
- A bank, insurer, court, trustee, tax adviser, partner, or buyer requires a written valuation file.
- The kitchen has multiple high-value assets, leased equipment, liens, or ownership disputes.
- Installed hoods, refrigeration systems, conveyor dish machines, or other code-sensitive assets dominate value.
- The values will support loan collateral, estate inventory, divorce schedules, bankruptcy filings, or audited books.
Start with the calculator
Run an estimate for each major asset, then save the category, working status, condition, certification, accessories, urgency, and sale-channel assumptions beside your photos.
Open value checkerUse category guides for risk notes
Category pages explain the buyer checks that change value for fryers, mixers, refrigeration, dish machines, slicers, ranges, and hoods.
View used price bandsRestaurant equipment appraisal FAQ
Is this a certified restaurant equipment appraisal?
No. The value checker gives planning estimates for resale, offer review, and liquidation triage. A certified appraisal is a formal report prepared for a defined purpose and intended user.
What documents improve an equipment appraisal?
Data plates, serial numbers, invoices, service records, working-status proof, accessory lists, photos, and removal details all reduce uncertainty and make the valuation easier to defend.
Why is liquidation value lower than private-sale value?
Liquidation buyers discount for speed, uncertain buyer turnout, removal labor, cleaning, repair risk, freight, and resale margin. The tradeoff is faster exit and less owner coordination.
When should I hire a professional appraiser?
Hire one when a lender, insurer, court, trustee, tax adviser, partner, or audited financial process needs a defensible written value rather than a planning range.