What it costs
Every engagement is quoted as a fixed fee before the work starts. The table below sets out where each kind of property sits. Where it says quoted individually, that is not evasion — the variables genuinely move the number, and quoting a range we could not stand behind would be worse than telling you to ask.
All figures include GST. Fees current at 15 September 2026.
The five things that move a quote
A valuation fee is a research budget, not a price per page. These are the variables that change how much research the report needs, in roughly the order they matter.
Property type and complexity
A three-bedroom house in an established suburb has hundreds of comparable sales. A rural holding, a mixed-use building or a strata-titled commercial suite has few, and each one needs analysing and adjusting individually.
How much evidence exists at the effective date
This is the single biggest driver on retrospective work, and it is the one you can influence. Old contracts, rate notices, agent appraisals, building approvals or dated photographs shorten the research materially. Where nothing survives, the property as it stood has to be reconstructed from title and planning records.
The number of effective dates
Some positions need two or more values — a pre-CGT date and a later trigger, or a date of death and a date of sale. Additional dates on the same property cost less than a second valuation because the inspection and the property research are shared.
Location and inspection access
Metropolitan inspections are routine. Regional and remote properties carry travel, and a tenanted or disputed property can take several attempts to access. Where a full internal inspection is not possible, a kerbside assessment is sometimes appropriate — your accountant should confirm it will satisfy the provision.
What the report has to withstand
A report supporting a straightforward cost base is scoped differently from one going into a court bundle under an expert witness code, or one already the subject of an ATO review. The evidentiary standard sets the scope, and the scope sets the fee.
What the fee includes
The same evidence file whichever service you engage. Nothing below is an extra.
- A signed report prepared by a Certified Practising Valuer
- Physical or kerbside inspection as the provision requires
- Full comparable sales schedule with addresses and adjustments
- Title and planning research
- Statement of methodology, assumptions and limiting conditions
- Delivery to you and to your accountant or solicitor
- Phone support after you receive the report
- Professional indemnity cover held by the signing valuer
Why the fee is fixed, and not a percentage
A valuer paid a percentage of the figure they report has an interest in that figure. A valuer paid by the hour has an interest in the hours. Neither survives a question from a reviewer about independence, and independence is the entire value of the report — so the fee is fixed at the point of quoting and does not move with the result.
It also means the fee is knowable before you commit. You send the address, the CGT event and the date; a valuer replies within 2 business hours with the fee, the scope and a delivery date. If the matter turns out to be more complex than described, we say so before starting rather than invoicing the difference afterwards.
"We don't outsource, we don't use desktop estimates, and we don't rely on automated valuation models."
Questions about fees
How much does a CGT property valuation cost?
Fixed fees start from $440 incl. GST for a standard metropolitan residential property with a single effective date. Commercial, rural, specialised and multi-date assessments are quoted individually. Every quote is fixed before we start, so the figure you accept is the figure you pay.
Is the quote free?
Yes. Quotes are obligation-free and there is no charge for one. Send the property address, the CGT event and the relevant date, and a valuer replies within 2 business hours during business hours with a fixed fee and a delivery date.
Do you charge by the hour or as a percentage of the valuation?
Neither. The fee is fixed before the engagement begins and does not vary with the value of the property. A valuer whose fee moves with the figure they report is not independent, which is the first thing a reviewer looks at.
Does a retrospective valuation cost more than a current one?
Sometimes, and it depends on evidence rather than on the age of the date. Where contemporaneous records exist the fee is often the same. Where the property at the effective date has to be reconstructed from limited records, the research adds to it.
What does the 48-hour urgent service cost?
It is quoted case by case, because it depends on inspection access and the valuer's schedule in that location. Ask for it when you request the quote and the urgent fee will be stated alongside the standard one.
Is the valuation fee tax deductible or part of the cost base?
It depends on why the valuation was obtained, and it is a question for your accountant rather than your valuer. A valuation fee incurred in working out a capital gain is commonly treated as an incidental cost under the cost base rules — confirm the treatment with your tax agent before relying on it.
Sources
- Market valuation for tax purposes — Australian Taxation Office, the valuation fundamentals a report is scoped against
- Australian Property Institute — Professional Practice Standards and the CPV designation
Fees on this page are current at 15 September 2026 and include GST. They are general information, not a quote, and not tax advice. Your accountant or tax agent should confirm which provision applies to your circumstances.
Written and reviewed by
Jarrad Khoury
Head of Valuations at Asset Valuations Group, where he leads the Business Valuation Services division. Over 10 years in property and business valuation. Registered Valuer in Queensland (Not Limited), Licensed Valuer in Western Australia (Not Limited), CPV through the Australian Property Institute (Not Limited), CPV and CBV through the Australian Valuers Institute, and Registered Business Valuer through the AIBB.
Last reviewed 15 September 2026 · About the practice · Editorial policy