Vehicle Appraiser
Insurance valuation with comparable evidence — total-loss threshold, settlement range, and CPO premium built in
Purpose
Insurance adjusters need a valuation that does two jobs simultaneously: establish the pre-loss fair market value with enough comparable evidence to withstand dispute, and apply the total-loss threshold to determine whether a repair decision or a settlement decision is warranted. Book values fail at the first job; manual comp pulls fail at the second because they lack the algorithmic prediction to anchor the range.
Vehicle Appraiser for insurers runs the full three-source valuation (algorithmic prediction + active comparables + sold transactions) against a 100-mile radius to ensure sufficient comparable evidence for dispute resolution. The total-loss threshold is automatically calculated from the condition-adjusted FMV and the insurer's configured threshold percentage. CPO vehicles get separate certified and non-certified valuations with the premium quantified. Regional price variance is available when settlement disputes involve geographic pricing arguments.
How It Works
Execution flow. MCP tool calls are shown inline on each step.
Reads marketcheck-profile.md for ZIP, state, total_loss_threshold_pct, and default_comp_radius. US-only. Extracts role (adjuster/underwriter/claims_manager) to frame output appropriately.
decode_vin_neovinCalls decode_vin_neovin to lock year, make, model, trim, body type, drivetrain, engine, and transmission. Assumed trims lose credibility in appraisal disputes — the decode is mandatory for defensible insurance valuations.
predict_price_with_comparablesCalls predict_price_with_comparables with dealer_type=franchise (retail replacement cost) and dealer_type=independent (wholesale proxy). For CPO vehicles: additional call with is_certified=true to quantify the certified premium. Settlement anchor = franchise retail replacement cost.
↔ Parallel Execution
search_active_carsCalls search_active_cars with YMMT, ZIP, radius=100mi (wider than trade appraisals — insurance disputes require broader comparable evidence), mileage band ±15K, sorted by price ascending, rows=20.
search_past_90_daysParallel call to search_past_90_days with the same YMMT and location filters. Sold transactions are the most defensible evidence type — they reflect completed market transactions, not asking prices.
Combines the three data sources into a condition-adjusted FMV range (low/mid/high). Condition adjustment: Clean = high end of comp range, Average = midpoint, Rough = low end minus condition discount.
Repair cost threshold = FMV × total_loss_threshold_pct. If repair cost was provided, outputs TOTAL LOSS or NOT TOTAL LOSS determination. If not provided, outputs the threshold figure for the adjuster to apply against the actual repair estimate.
Delivers: vehicle ID summary, valuation table (franchise/independent/condition-adjusted FMV/comp ranges/confidence), total-loss threshold and determination, settlement range (low/mid/high), comparable data tables, and methodology notes with condition adjustments and caveats.
MCP Tool Calls
| Tool | Calls | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
decode_vin_neovin | 1 | Exact spec confirmation — mandatory for dispute-defensible valuations |
predict_price_with_comparables | 2–3 | Franchise retail and independent wholesale predictions; third call for CPO vehicles |
search_active_cars | 1–2 | Active comparables within 100mi; second call for CPO comparables if applicable |
search_past_90_days | 1 | Sold transaction evidence for the last 90 days |
get_car_history | 1 (optional) | Historical listing trajectory for pre-loss value documentation |
Example Output
INSURANCE VALUATION REPORT ════════════════════════════════════════════════ Vehicle: 2021 Ford F-150 XLT 4WD SuperCrew VIN: 1FTFW1E53MFC12345 Odometer: 44,200 miles | Pre-loss condition: Clean Purpose: Total-loss determination | Claims Location: Denver, CO (ZIP 80201) | Radius: 100 mi VALUATION SUMMARY Franchise (Retail) Predicted: $38,200 (based on 19 comps) Independent (Wholesale) Predicted: $34,100 (based on 12 comps) Active Comparable Range: $35,100 – $43,400 (24 comps) Sold Transaction Range: $33,400 – $40,900 (16 sales, 90 days) ────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Pre-Loss FMV (Clean condition): $38,200 (franchise retail — replacement cost) Settlement Range — Low: $35,100 (25th pct sold) Settlement Range — Mid: $38,200 (FMV) Settlement Range — High: $41,800 (75th pct sold) Confidence: HIGH (24 active comps, 16 sold) TOTAL-LOSS THRESHOLD Pre-Loss FMV: $38,200 Threshold (75%): $28,650 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────── This vehicle is a total loss if repair costs exceed $28,650. Estimated repair cost: $31,400 → ⚠ TOTAL LOSS CONFIRMED (+$2,750 above threshold)
Cost Estimate
300 claims appraisals/month ≈ $24–66
Limitations
- US-only — VIN decode, ML prediction, and sold history are US-only.
- 100-mile comp radius is wider than trade appraisals — by design, to ensure sufficient dispute-defensible evidence. May be expanded to 150-200 miles for rural markets.
- CPO detection requires either VIN history pull or user confirmation; adds one additional API call.
- The 75% total-loss threshold default may differ from state-specific or insurer-specific thresholds — always verify against the profile or state regulations.
More in the Insurer Plugin
Same Capability, Different Plugin
These skills share the same underlying methodology but are tuned for a different audience.
Independent appraisers use the same methodology to produce the comparable-backed FMV that claimants present in disputes — the insurer's and appraiser's methodologies are structurally identical, which is by design.
View in Appraiser →When a total-loss claim is filed on a vehicle with an outstanding loan, the insurer's FMV determines whether the settlement covers the loan balance — lenders and insurers are looking at the same market data but making different decisions from it.
View in Lender →Dealers purchasing total-loss vehicles at salvage auctions use the same comparable methodology to assess acquisition value — the insurer's comp set is directly relevant to the dealer's reconditioning-and-resell calculation.
View in Dealer →