Condemnation & Eminent Domain Appraisals

What this service involves

A condemnation appraisal is a market-value appraisal with additional analysis specific to a taking. When only part of a property is acquired, the appraiser must value the part taken and then analyze whether the taking damages or benefits the remainder — a calculation that goes well beyond a simple before-and-after comparison. The assignment scope, the rights being acquired, and the highest and best use of the property all shape the analysis.

This is distinct from a building being declared unsafe or uninhabitable, which is a code-enforcement matter, not an eminent domain acquisition. We do not opine on structural safety or habitability; we opine on value.

When someone may need it

Owners typically need a condemnation appraisal when a public agency — a city, county, utility, or transportation authority — has notified them of a taking for a road widening, utility easement, pipeline, or similar public project. Attorneys representing owners, and the acquiring agencies themselves, also order these appraisals to support negotiation or litigation.

What the analysis considers

Condemnation valuation considers the standard residential value drivers plus taking-specific factors:

• The estate or rights acquired: fee simple, an easement, or a temporary construction easement.
• Highest and best use: the use that produces the greatest value and is legally permissible, physically possible, and financially feasible.
• Damages to the remainder: loss in value to the part the owner keeps, such as changed access, shape, or utility.
• Benefits to the remainder: any increase in value the project brings to the remainder, where applicable under governing law.
• Comparable sales and takings data: sales of similar properties and evidence from comparable easements or acquisitions.

Information that may help

Helpful items include the property address, the agency's acquisition plan or offer, a survey or legal description of the area to be taken, the type of easement or interest being acquired, and any correspondence describing the project. If a partial taking is involved, the survey showing the remainder is especially useful.

How the assignment works

We confirm the scope and the interest being appraised, inspect the property and the area affected, research comparable sales and easement data, develop the before-and-after or part-taken analysis as the scope requires, and deliver a report suitable for negotiation or litigation. These assignments are often time-sensitive; share any deadlines up front.