Enter your home appraisal date to calculate exactly when it expires for mortgage qualification purposes. Covers FHA, VA, USDA, and conventional loan appraisal validity periods.
Home appraisal validity depends on the type of mortgage you are using. The rules are set by the loan program guidelines, not by individual lenders — though lenders can impose stricter requirements. Getting this wrong is expensive: if your appraisal lapses mid-transaction, you may need to pay for a fresh one and potentially delay your closing.
| Loan Type | Standard Validity | With Extension |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional (Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac) | 120 days | Up to 12 months (with recertification) |
| FHA (Federal Housing Administration) | 120 days | Up to 240 days (with update) |
| VA (Veterans Affairs) | 180 days | Case-by-case, lender discretion |
| USDA Rural Development | 150 days | Up to 1 year (with field review) |
| Jumbo Loan | 90–120 days | Lender-specific |
If your appraisal expires before the loan closes, your lender will typically require either a full new appraisal or an appraisal update — sometimes called a recertification of value. A full new appraisal costs the same as the original (often $300–$600 for a residential property). An update, where the original appraiser revisits and confirms the value has not changed significantly, is cheaper but still adds cost and time to the deal.
In a fast-moving property market, an expired appraisal can also mean a lower value if property prices have dropped — which can affect your loan-to-value ratio and potentially the terms of your mortgage.
For FHA loans, the appraiser can complete an update of value to extend the original report by up to 120 days (bringing the total to 240 days). For conventional loans, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac allow a recertification for up to 12 months from the effective date under specific conditions. Always check with your loan officer well before the deadline — do not wait until the last week.