USPAP-compliant appraisals by best-in-class appraisers
.avif)
Joe Kattan
Jason Dolph, CAGA
Tim Roy, ASA, CEA
Marnie Erkelens, CAGA
Aron Blue
About AppraiseItNow's Beverage Equipment Appraisal Services
AppraiseItNow provides fast, fully online or onsite appraisals for commercial and industrial beverage equipment used across brewing, distilling, winemaking, coffee production, soft drink manufacturing, and foodservice operations. Our appraisals support a wide range of purposes including insurance coverage and claims, asset-based lending, estate and gift tax reporting, charitable donations under IRS Form 8283, financial reporting, and business transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, and bankruptcy filings. Beverage equipment appraisals are a specialized subset of our broader equipment and machinery appraisal services, delivered with the same rigor and USPAP compliance. Our mission is to deliver defensible, USPAP-compliant valuations with exceptional speed, professionalism, and client service.
Our appraisers serve brewery and distillery owners, winery operators, coffee roasters, beverage manufacturers, restaurant and bar operators, lenders, CPAs, estate attorneys, and insurance professionals who require independent, credentialed valuations. Many beverage equipment appraisals can be completed remotely using photographs, specifications, and purchase records, though onsite inspections are coordinated when asset complexity, operating condition, or lender requirements make physical inspection necessary. We offer Fair Market Value (FMV), Orderly Liquidation Value (OLV), Forced Liquidation Value (FLV), and Replacement Value appraisals for various intended uses.
What Types of Beverage Equipment Do We Appraise?
Beverage equipment spans a wide range of specialized production, processing, and dispensing assets. AppraiseItNow appraises:
- Brewing systems including fermentation tanks, bright beer tanks, and brite tanks
- Distillation equipment such as pot stills, column stills, and condensers
- Winery equipment including crush pads, destemmer-crushers, presses, and barrel storage systems
- Canning and bottling lines including fillers, seamers, labelers, and conveyors
- Kegging and packaging equipment
- Commercial espresso machines, roasting equipment, and coffee brewing systems
- Carbonation and blending systems for soft drink and beverage manufacturing
- Glycol chilling systems and temperature-controlled fermentation vessels
- Draft beer dispensing systems and tap room equipment
- Commercial refrigeration units specific to beverage storage and service
Who Does AppraiseItNow Serve?
AppraiseItNow serves brewery, winery, and distillery owners, beverage manufacturers, and foodservice operators alongside professional advisors including CPAs, estate attorneys, lenders, and insurance adjusters who require credentialed, independent valuations for tax, legal, and financial purposes.
How much does a Beverage Equipment appraisal cost?
Appraisal Type
Standard Fee Range
Pricing By Volume
What Drives Cost?
.svg){kind=icon}
5-Star Valuation Services, Loved by Hundreds
{{sectionName}}
{{sectionName}}
{{sectionName}}
{{sectionName}}
Machinery & Equipment valuations for commercial and personal clients
Servicing Commercial & Industrial Businesses
AppraiseItNow serves major businesses and commercial clients, including:
- Banks and lenders
- Construction companies
- Infrastructure contractors
- Inudstrial & manufacturing companies
- Internal finance teams
- CPAs
- Attorneys
Servicing Individuals & Households
AppraiseItNow also serves individual consumers with projects large and small. These clients often include:
- Machinery & Equipment owners or estate inheritors
- Individuals making non-cash charitable donations
- Couples going through marital divorce
- Families dealing with estate planning or post-death estate matters
- Individuals dealing with insurance or other third-party claims
- Individuals going through major financial or other life events
.svg)
View all Locations
How our Valuation Process Works
Written USPAP-compliant equipment appraisals for when defensibility matters.
Given the USPAP-compliant nature of AppraiseItNow’s appraisal reports, we prepare our deliverables for major legal, tax, and financial reporting purposes for individual and commercial clients.
Popular uses of our appraisal reports include:
Tax, Estate & Financial Planning
- Gift Tax - IRS Form 709
- Estate Tax - IRS Form 706
- Charitable Donations - filing of IRS Form 8283
- Estate planning, equitable distribution, and probate
Transactions, Lending & Investment
- Asset-backed Lending
- Purchase price allocation & cost segregation
- Mergers & Acquisitions (transactional due diligence)
- Investment analysis & planning
- Financial Reporting
Insurance & Risk Management
Life Events & Special Circumstances
- Divorce
- Social Security reporting or Medicaid Application Filings
- E-2 visa applications
What types of beverage equipment does AppraiseItNow appraise?
AppraiseItNow appraises a wide range of commercial and industrial beverage equipment used in bars, restaurants, hotels, breweries, and food service operations. Common items include:
- Draft beer systems and kegerators
- Commercial espresso and coffee machines
- Soda and carbonation dispensing systems
- Ice machines and ice makers
- Juice and smoothie equipment
- Wine dispensers and preservation systems
- Commercial blenders and mixing equipment
- Glycol cooling systems and walk-in cooler components
Are your beverage equipment appraisals USPAP-compliant?
Yes. All AppraiseItNow beverage equipment appraisals are developed and reported in compliance with USPAP Standards 7 and 8, which govern personal property and machinery appraisals. Standard 7 requires a defined scope of work, market analysis, and reconciliation of valuation approaches, while Standard 8 mandates clear and non-misleading reporting. Our reports are accepted by the IRS, lenders, insurers, and courts.
What are common reasons someone needs a beverage equipment appraisal?
There are many situations that call for a professional, independent appraisal of beverage equipment, including:
- Selling or acquiring a bar, restaurant, or brewery
- Securing SBA loans or asset-based financing, which require USPAP-compliant valuations
- Scheduling equipment for commercial insurance coverage
- Settling estates, divorces, or partnership disputes
- Reporting charitable donations over $5,000 to the IRS on Form 8283
- Bankruptcy filings or litigation support
- Internal planning and financial reporting
Can you appraise beverage equipment in poor condition, with unknown provenance, or with limited documentation?
Yes. Appraisers are trained to work with equipment in varying states of condition and documentation. Physical depreciation, scale buildup in ice machines, worn compressor seals in refrigeration units, and other condition factors are all accounted for in the valuation. When documentation is limited, appraisers rely on manufacturer plates, serial numbers, comparable auction sales, and inspection findings to support their conclusions.
Can you appraise large collections or multiple units of beverage equipment?
Yes. AppraiseItNow regularly appraises mixed equipment sets, full bar buildouts, and large commercial inventories with dozens or hundreds of individual items. Volume pricing is available, and for larger inventories an in-person appraiser can be coordinated anywhere in the United States. Larger collections are often completed onsite to ensure accuracy across all items.
Do you provide online or remote beverage equipment appraisals?
Most beverage equipment appraisals are completed remotely using photos, serial numbers, manufacturer specifications, and service records you provide. For larger projects, complex draft systems with built-in glycol lines, or multi-location inventories, we can coordinate an in-person appraiser anywhere in the U.S. Remote appraisals are fast, convenient, and produce the same defensible, USPAP-compliant reports as onsite inspections.
How much does a beverage equipment appraisal cost?
Pricing depends on the number of items, the complexity of the equipment, and the intended use of the appraisal. Standard appraisals for insurance, estate distribution, or internal planning start at $295, while advanced appraisals for IRS filings, charitable contributions, M&A due diligence, litigation, or asset-based lending start at $395. Volume pricing by item count is as follows:
- 1 item: $295 to $595 (single machine appraisal)
- 10 items: $995 to $3,000 (small fleet or mixed equipment set)
- 50 or more items: $5,000 to $10,000 or more (larger inventory, frequently completed in-person)
Do you offer discounted pricing for large volumes?
Yes. Per-item costs decrease as the number of items increases, making volume appraisals more cost-effective for bars, breweries, or food service operators with extensive equipment inventories. For collections of 50 or more items, pricing is customized based on scope, location, and complexity. Contact AppraiseItNow for a specific quote on larger projects.
How long does a beverage equipment appraisal take?
Most remote beverage equipment appraisals are completed within 7 to 10 business days from the time all required information is received. Onsite inspections or larger multi-item inventories typically take 2 to 3 weeks. Rush service is available for same-day or next-day turnaround upon request, which is useful for time-sensitive financing, litigation, or transaction deadlines.
Who prepares the appraisal report?
Appraisal reports are prepared by AppraiseItNow's credentialed machinery and equipment appraisers, including professionals holding designations such as ASA (Accredited Senior Appraiser) and CEA (Certified Equipment Appraiser). Each report is reviewed for USPAP compliance and accuracy before delivery. Our appraisers have specific experience with commercial food service and beverage equipment markets.
Do you prepare appraisals for IRS Form 8283 (Noncash Charitable Contributions)?
Yes. When beverage equipment is donated to a qualifying organization and the claimed value is $5,000 or more, IRS rules require a qualified appraisal attached to Form 8283. AppraiseItNow prepares USPAP-compliant appraisals that meet this requirement, and our appraisers are qualified to sign Section B of the form. Donations under $5,000 do not require a formal appraisal, but documentation of value is still advisable.
Do you buy, sell, or broker beverage equipment?
No. AppraiseItNow is an independent appraisal firm and does not buy, sell, or broker beverage equipment of any kind. This independence is essential to producing unbiased, defensible valuations. USPAP's Ethics Rule also prohibits appraisers from accepting contingency fees tied to a percentage of value, which further ensures objectivity.
What information do you need to get started?
To begin a beverage equipment appraisal, it helps to have the following ready:
- Make, model, and serial number for each piece of equipment
- Year of manufacture or purchase date
- Photos of the equipment, including condition and any visible wear
- Service and maintenance records if available
- Purchase invoices or prior appraisals if on hand
- Description of installation type, such as built-in draft systems versus portable units
- The intended use of the appraisal, such as insurance, IRS filing, or sale
Can AppraiseItNow appraise beverage equipment located anywhere in the U.S.?
Yes. Remote appraisals are available for beverage equipment located in any state, and most assignments can be completed without an in-person visit. For larger or more complex projects, such as full brewery equipment inventories or multi-location bar buildouts, AppraiseItNow can coordinate an in-person appraiser in any state. There are no geographic restrictions on our services.
Will my appraisal be accepted by the IRS, insurers, or courts?
AppraiseItNow appraisals are USPAP-compliant, prepared by qualified appraisers, and formatted to meet the standards required by the IRS, insurance carriers, lenders, and courts. IRS-related appraisals include all required disclosures and appraiser certifications. Our reports are regularly used in tax filings, insurance claims, litigation, and financing transactions without issue.
Does the installation type of beverage equipment affect its appraised value?
Yes, and this is one of the more commonly overlooked factors in beverage equipment appraisals. Built-in systems such as glycol-cooled draft beer lines can add 20 to 50 percent to the value compared to portable equivalents, because installation costs and infrastructure are part of the asset's total value. USPAP Standard 7 requires appraisers to identify whether equipment is installed or portable and to adjust accordingly, so an appraiser without beverage-specific experience may understate value significantly.
How does water quality affect the value of commercial ice machines?
Water quality is a meaningful depreciation factor that is often missed when appraisers rely solely on age and brand. In hard-water areas, scale buildup can cut the functional life of an ice machine roughly in half compared to manufacturer estimates, which directly reduces its fair market value and orderly liquidation value. A thorough inspection of internal components, including evaporator plates and water distribution systems, is necessary to accurately reflect this type of physical depreciation in the appraisal.
What valuation approach is typically used for revenue-generating beverage equipment?
Appraisers generally rely on the sales comparison approach for most beverage equipment, using auction records from platforms such as BidSpotter, EquipNet, and restaurant equipment auction sites to establish comparable sales. However, when equipment is integral to a revenue-generating operation, such as a high-volume draft system in a bar, the income approach may also be considered to reflect the asset's contribution to pour revenue. The cost approach, which calculates replacement cost new minus depreciation, is used when comparable sales data is limited or when the equipment is highly specialized.
APPRAISEITNOW APPRAISERS ARE BEST-IN-CLASS & CREDENTIALED BY LEADING APPRAISAL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE ISA, ASA, & MORE.
