Technically reviewed by Maximilian Fromm, independent vehicle expert (B.Sc. in Mechatronics) · Last updated: October 2026
For accidents that were not your fault, the other party's liability insurance usually pays for the damage report (Unfallgutachten). The report is part of the cost of establishing the damage. This is also called a liability report (Haftpflichtgutachten). With shared fault (Teilschuld), the insurer pays only its share, based on the liability share (Haftungsquote). For a claim under your own vehicle insurance (Kaskoschaden), your insurer pays for an expert you hired yourself in two cases only. Either your contract says so, or the insurer asks for the report. For very small damage, a repair estimate (Kostenvoranschlag) can be enough.
A vehicle report (Kfz-Gutachten) has no fixed price. The fee depends on the amount of damage and the effort of the inspection. The BVSK fee survey 2024 is a common guide. Additional costs come on top. This page explains how the costs of an independent vehicle expert are made up. It also explains who pays in four cases: an accident that was not your fault, shared fault, a claim under your own vehicle insurance, and minor damage (Bagatellschaden).
Maximilian Fromm
Founder and Mechatronics Engineer (B.Sc.)
The base fee for a vehicle report mostly depends on the amount of damage to the vehicle. This means the calculated repair costs or the replacement value (Wiederbeschaffungswert). There is no nationwide fee schedule for vehicle experts. Each office sets its own prices.
Many offices use the BVSK fee survey as a guide. The BVSK is a German association of independent vehicle experts. The survey regularly asks which fees are common on the market. Courts often use it for comparison when the amount of an expert's fee is disputed. It is still not a binding price list. Each office sets its own fee.
The BVSK survey shows that about 50 to 60% of the surveyed member offices charge a base fee in fee corridor V. This is the most common price range. For repair damage, the basis is the net repair cost (excluding VAT) plus any diminished value (merkantile Wertminderung). For a total loss (Totalschaden), the basis is the gross replacement value (including VAT).
The BVSK publishes the exact corridor values for each damage level in the 2024 fee survey. The higher the damage, the higher the corridor. The usual additional costs from the next section come on top.
Testing organizations such as ADAC, DEKRA or TÜV also offer vehicle reports. Their fees follow similar principles, mainly the amount of damage and the effort. No provider has a uniform, nationwide price list.
Besides the base fee for the inspection itself, many offices also charge additional costs, for example for the photo documentation of the damage.
Usual items are photos for the damage documentation, travel costs to the inspection location, and writing and postage costs for sending the finished report. If needed, a follow-up inspection after the repair has started can also be charged. Each office decides how to calculate the individual items. Here too, many offices use the BVSK fee survey as a guide.
According to case law, the base fee and the usual additional costs together count as costs of establishing the damage. Who bears these costs in the end depends on the type of accident. The next sections explain more.
Insurers check the claimed expert costs. In some cases they then pay only part of the invoice amount. This is a reduction (Kürzung).
Whether a reduction is justified depends on the individual case. The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has confirmed several times that people whose car was damaged may hire an expert of their choice. They do not have to search the market for the cheapest provider first (BGH, judgment of January 23, 2007, case no. VI ZR 67/06). According to the BGH, an insurer cannot reduce an expert's invoice based only on a fee survey of an expert association (BGH, judgment of February 11, 2014, case no. VI ZR 225/13).
If you were not at fault in a traffic accident, it is a liability claim (Haftpflichtschaden). Under § 249 of the German Civil Code (BGB), the costs of the damage report are then part of the damage. The other party must pay for it, because the report is needed to restore the vehicle to its condition before the accident.
So the costs are part of the damage that the other party's liability insurance must bear. After an accident that was not your fault, you do not pay in advance. The other party's liability insurance usually pays the costs of the report.
This applies whether you decide to repair the car or to have the amount paid out based on the report. You can find more about the steps after the accident in the checklist for after an accident and in the service description for the damage report.
If you share the blame for the accident, the other party's insurer no longer pays the expert costs in full. It pays only its share, based on the respective liability share.
With a shared liability (Mithaftung) of 50%, for example, the other party also pays only about half of the expert costs. You generally pay the rest yourself. If you also use your own vehicle insurance (Kaskoversicherung), the priority right (Quotenvorrecht) can offset certain items first in your favor.
To see how different liability shares affect the cost split, with worked examples, read the article Accident with shared fault: who pays for the report?
For damage to your own car, the situation differs from the other party's liability insurance. Examples are an accident you caused yourself or a claim such as theft or a collision with a wild animal.
Under § 85(2) of the Insurance Contract Act (VVG), your own vehicle insurance generally does not have to pay for an expert you hired yourself. An exception applies if your contract covers this or the insurer itself asks for a report.
So for a claim under your own vehicle insurance, check your policy terms or call your insurer with a quick question before you order a report. For claims under your own vehicle insurance, accidents you caused yourself and valuation reports, we tell you the price in advance. The same applies to a valuation report (Wertgutachten) outside of an accident: the price is fixed before you place the order.
We calculate the fee for a valuation report separately from the damage report. The effort depends on other factors, such as vehicle type, market situation and how much research is needed. We cannot name one flat price for all valuation reports.
For very small damage, people often ask from what amount of damage a full report is worth it. They also ask when a repair estimate from the repair shop is enough.
There is no legal limit for so-called minor damage. In its decision of November 30, 2004 (case no. VI ZR 365/03), the Federal Court of Justice made clear that there is no fixed limit. Instead, what counts is how the person whose car was damaged judged the damage when ordering the report. This is called the ex-ante view.
In practice, a rule of thumb is still common as a guide. Damage below about €750 in repair costs is often treated as minor damage, where a repair estimate can be enough. There is no fixed limit. The assessment at the time of ordering counts.
Some offices offer a so-called condensed report (Kurzgutachten) for this range instead of a full report. It is a reduced form with less effort than the full damage report. The comparison Repair estimate or vehicle report explains in detail how long this time until payment actually takes, which deadlines usually apply and what can speed it up.
What a repair estimate does, what it lacks and when the full report is worth it.
View topic Shared faultThree liability shares worked out, plus what the priority right does when you use your own vehicle insurance.
View topic Fee checkEight reduction arguments and the technical answers to them in the report.
View topic DurationFrom appointment, inspection and repair cost calculation to delivery, plus how you can make it faster.
View topic GuidanceThe job title is not protected. You can check these features in any report.
View topic Knowledge hubThe overview of all topic pages about vehicle damage.
Go to overviewThe fee depends on the amount of damage and the effort of the inspection. Many offices use the BVSK fee survey 2024, which shows a usual corridor for the base fee for each damage level. Additional costs come on top. After an accident that was not your fault, the other party's liability insurance usually pays these costs. There is no fixed, nationwide price list for vehicle reports.
Usual items are costs for photos, travel costs to the inspection location, and writing and postage costs for the finished report. Each office decides how to calculate these items.
There is no fixed limit. The assessment at the time of ordering counts (BGH, case no. VI ZR 365/03). As a common guide, damage from about €750 in repair costs often justifies a full report. A repair estimate names the expected repair costs. A report also determines, for example, the diminished value, the replacement value and the repair time as a basis for loss-of-use compensation (Nutzungsausfall). You can find the detailed comparison under Repair estimate or vehicle report.
There is no uniform, binding table. The BVSK fee survey gives a common market guide by amount of damage. It is not binding, because each office calculates its fee on its own.
Billing usually uses a base fee by amount of damage plus additional costs for items such as photos, travel costs, and writing and postage costs. Independent vehicle experts have no legal fee schedule like lawyers do. Each office calculates on its own and often follows the BVSK fee survey.
A valuation report is calculated separately from the damage report, because the effort depends on vehicle type, market situation and how much research is needed. We cannot name one flat price for all valuation reports. For valuation reports outside an accident, the price is fixed before you place the order.
After an accident that was not your fault, you do not pay in advance. The other party's liability insurance usually pays the costs of the report, because under § 249 BGB they count as costs of establishing the damage.
With shared liability, the other party's insurer pays the expert costs only in part, based on the respective liability share. You generally pay the rest yourself. If you use your own vehicle insurance, the priority right can offset certain items first in your favor.
Not automatically. Under § 85(2) VVG, your vehicle insurance pays for an expert you hired yourself in two cases only. Either your contract says so, or the insurer asks for the report. For claims under your own vehicle insurance, it is best to clarify first with your insurer whether it will cover the costs.
Minor damage is very small damage where the cost of a full report is hard to justify compared with the damage. According to the Federal Court of Justice (case no. VI ZR 365/03), there is no fixed limit. The assessment at the time of ordering counts. In practice, a value of about €750 is often used as a guide. Below this threshold, a repair estimate can be enough.
Give us a quick call. In a few minutes, we agree with you on the appointment and the location of the inspection.
After an accident that was not your fault, you do not pay in advance. For claims under your own vehicle insurance, accidents you caused yourself and valuation reports, we tell you the price in advance.
Maximilian Fromm
Founder and Mechatronics Engineer (B.Sc.)
Note: CleverCrash does not give legal advice. For legal questions about your individual case, we can refer you, on request, to specialized traffic law firms from our network.
Last updated: October 21, 2026. This page reflects the law and case law known at that time.
Legal information, not legal advice. The content of this page is general information only. It covers the costs of vehicle reports and existing case law. It is not a legal service under § 2 of the Legal Services Act (RDG). It does not replace individual advice from a traffic law lawyer.
Maximilian Fromm
Independent vehicle expert, B.Sc. in Mechatronics
Maximilian Fromm is an independent vehicle expert and the founder of CleverCrash in Erlangen. He studied mechatronics. Since August 2025, he has written damage reports (Unfallgutachten) for private customers, repair shops and lawyers in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region. He supports his customers until the insurer pays out.
