Terms of Service
Last updated: September 2, 2026
These terms are an agreement between you and AppraisalBackstop ("we," "us") and govern your use of appraisalbackstop.com and the services offered on it. By using the site or booking a scan, you agree to these terms and to our Privacy Notice.
1. What we offer
AppraisalBackstop is an early-access service. The Appraisal Backstop Scan — a professional interior visit by an Appraisal Backstop Pro — may be booked by the seller or by the seller's listing agent. After the scan we deliver a Protected Price for the property, listing content including a floor plan, and a personalized quote for optional appraisal protection that the seller can activate on the listing. We are rolling out market by market; if we are not yet active in your area, your booking is a reservation and you will be notified when we activate.
2. Bookings, fees, and cancellation
- The scan fee is shown at checkout. Nothing is charged when you reserve. You are charged only once your visit is confirmed on the schedule.
- You may cancel free of charge any time before the Pro arrives at the property.
- If we cannot serve your area, we don't charge you anything, and your reservation creates no obligation for you or for us.
- Prices are set per property by our models and may differ between properties and over time.
3. The seller protection program
Appraisal protection is a separate, optional program that is currently in development, and it is purchased by the seller of the listing. Quotes and estimates shown on this site or delivered after a scan are indications of expected pricing, not a binding offer; the full program terms will be published before your market activates, and protection attaches only when the seller accepts those terms and pays for the protection. Protection must be activated before an offer is accepted and before any lender appraisal is ordered. When the program is active and a qualifying shortfall occurs, AppraisalBackstop pays the seller within 5 business days after closing, once the lender's appraisal and the adjusted purchase price are documented.
AppraisalBackstop is not an insurance product or an insurance policy, and we are not an insurance company. It is a contractual guarantee to the seller, tied to the Protected Price we set for the home. When the program is active and protection has been activated on a listing, if a lender's appraisal of the property comes in below the protected purchase price, the purchase price adjusts down by the protected shortfall under the AppraisalBackstop addendum, and we pay that amount to the seller, up to the stated protection amount, on the published program terms.
AppraisalBackstop pays the seller only. It does not pay the buyer, and it does not provide buyer financing or buyer down-payment funds; the buyer's benefit is the reduced purchase price. Any shortfall above the protection amount is handled by the buyer and seller under their own purchase contract. Protection applies to an accepted price at or below the Protected Price. Nothing here is a promise that any home will appraise at, or sell for, any particular price.
AppraisalBackstop is not a party to, and has no role in, any listing agreement or brokerage compensation arrangement between a seller and a real estate brokerage.
4. Your responsibilities
- You must be at least 18 and provide accurate information, including a property address you are authorized to book a visit for (as owner, listing agent, or with the owner's permission).
- You will use the site only for lawful purposes and won't interfere with its operation, probe or scrape it, or misrepresent your identity.
- The Protected Price and any materials we deliver are for your use in your transaction; they are not a lending appraisal and may not be represented as one.
5. Intellectual property
The site, brand, and content are ours or our licensors'. Scan deliverables (floor plan and listing content) are yours to use for marketing the scanned property. If you send us feedback, we may use it without restriction or obligation.
6. Disclaimers
The site and all pre-launch materials are provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, express or implied. Estimates, Protected Prices, and quotes are informational and are not lending appraisals, brokerage services, or legal, tax, or investment advice.
7. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for lost profits or lost opportunities, arising out of or relating to the site or these terms. Our total liability for any dispute arising out of the site or a scan booking is limited to the amounts you actually paid us in the twelve months before the event giving rise to the dispute. Nothing in this section limits obligations under the published protection program terms once they take effect for the seller.
8. Governing law and disputes
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Before filing any formal proceeding, you agree to contact us and attempt in good faith to resolve the issue within 30 days. Any proceeding must be brought in the state or federal courts located in Delaware.
9. Changes and termination
We may update these terms as the service evolves; the current version will always be posted here with its date, and material changes will be flagged on the site. We may suspend or end the early-access program, or decline a booking, at our discretion — if we do, any unfulfilled amounts you paid are refunded.
10. Contact
Questions about these terms? Reach us through the contact form on our homepage — leave your details and we'll get back to you.