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This page is a translation for orientation only. The German version is legally authoritative. All decisions and provisions named on this page refer to German law. This translation was produced automatically/editorially and has not yet been reviewed by a native speaker for accuracy.

The Sachverständigenhonorar (the vehicle appraiser's fee) consists of a Grundhonorar (base fee, usually scaled to the damage amount) plus Nebenkosten (incidental costs) such as photos, travel, and writing costs. Insurers often cut it by citing their own Honorartableau (fee schedule) — that is not a valid benchmark. Relying on a professional association's fee survey is recognized as a basis for estimation, even without membership. The at-fault party bears a risk here comparable to the Werkstattrisiko (repair-shop risk). The appraiser must warn you only where the fee is clearly, objectively excessive.

Sachverständigenhonorar: What the Insurer Must Pay and Where It May Legitimately Ask Questions

The Sachverständigenhonorar (appraiser's fee) must be reimbursed if it falls within recognized Honorarkorridore (fee corridors) or — where the invoice has been paid — the payment itself indicates that the cost was necessary.

Does This Apply to You? The Key Fork

For this item, what matters is less whether you have had the vehicle repaired, and more whether you have already paid the Sachverständigenrechnung (the appraiser's invoice).

You Have Already Paid the Invoice

An invoice actually paid by the injured party has an Indizwirkung (indicative effect) for the necessity of the Sachverständigenkosten (appraiser's costs) (BGH VI ZR 225/13 of 11.02.2014). This indicative effect no longer applies if you concealed prior damage known to you from the appraiser and thereby contributed to making the report unusable (OLG Saarbrücken 3 U 7/24 of 15.03.2024).

In this case, use the wording template for the paid invoice further below.

You Have Not Yet Paid the Invoice

Even then you are not unprotected: the principles of the Werkstattrisiko (repair-shop risk — the rule that shields you from an unreasonably high repair-shop bill) apply by analogy to an inflated Sachverständigenhonorar as well. You do not bear the risk that the appraiser billed too much (BGH VI ZR 280/22 of 12.03.2024). Exception: if the appraiser sues the insurer directly under an assigned claim, they cannot rely on this principle.

Kaskoversicherung (comprehensive/collision cover): under a Kaskoversicherung, a separate cost rule applies under your policy's AKB (the German motor insurance conditions); many Kasko policies reimburse appraiser costs only to a limited extent or not at all, regardless of the third-party liability case law described here.

Under contract law (Werkvertrag, a contract for work and services), the Sachverständige (appraiser) is entitled to charge you, the client, a Sachverständigenhonorar (appraiser's fee) scaled to the amount of damage. Under the law of damages, the insurer only has to reimburse what was necessary to restore the vehicle — insurers' deduction letters like to blur these two levels together. A blanket reference to an insurer's own Honorartableau (fee schedule) is no substitute for reviewing the individual case.

Is It a Conflict of Interest That the Operator Is Himself an Appraiser?

Disclosure: the operator of this portal is himself a licensed Kfz-Sachverständiger (motor vehicle appraiser); the fee described here is, as is standard in the industry, also his own. This page describes the general legal position based on published case law, not an assessment of any specific fee of his own.

When Must the Appraiser Warn Me Before Billing?

The appraiser has an Aufklärungspflicht (duty to advise you in advance) only once the fee is objectively, clearly above what is customary in the local market; in the case decided by the Bundesgerichtshof (BGH, the Federal Court of Justice), the fee exceeded that level by around 60 percent. Exactly where, between 20 and 60 percent of exceedance, the threshold for this duty lies has not been conclusively settled.

To be honest about it: the Indizwirkung (indicative effect) of a paid invoice is not a blank check. The OLG Saarbrücken (Higher Regional Court) limited it in cases where the injured party themselves contributed to making the report unusable.

Also known as

  • Sachverständigenhonorar
  • insurer won't pay full appraiser fee Germany
  • car damage assessor invoice cut by insurer
  • German insurance fee schedule appraiser dispute
  • Kfz-Sachverständigenhonorar not fully reimbursed
  • expert report fee reduced by insurance company Germany

The numbers

ValueMeaningSourceAs of
60 percentThe margin above the local customary rate that the Bundesgerichtshof (BGH), in the case it decided, considered "clear" enough to trigger an Aufklärungspflicht (duty to advise) on the part of the appraiserBGH VII ZR 95/1601.06.2017
Honorarkorridor HB V (fee corridor V, at least 55 percent)The BVSK-Honorarbefragung (the BVSK professional association's fee survey) shows a bracket within which at least 55 percent of surveyed appraisers bill. This page deliberately does not name specific Grundhonorar (base fee) amounts, because they were not retrieved from a documented, verifiable edition of the surveyBVSK-Honorarbefragung 2024, honorarrechner.bvsk.de2024
no fixed threshold between 20 and 60 percentExactly where, between 20 and 60 percent of exceedance, the threshold for the Aufklärungspflicht (duty to advise) lies has not been conclusively settledown review of case law28.08.2026

All figures and court decisions above concern German law.

Worked example

Routine expert report after a rear-end collision, net vehicle damage of 4.500 Euro
ItemAmount
Grundhonorar (base fee) per invoice650.00 €
Nebenkosten (incidental costs: photos, travel, and writing costs)180.00 €
Invoice total830.00 €
Payment made by the insurer700.00 €

Result: 130.00 € difference. The insurer is deducting by pointing to its own Honorartableau (in-house fee schedule), without demonstrating any specific overcharge. If the invoice falls within the recognized Honorarkorridore (fee corridors), such a blanket deduction is open to challenge.

What the insurer typically writes

These are paraphrased summaries of typical settlement-letter reasoning, not verbatim quotes from one specific letter.

The bracketed English text is a translation aid only.

„Das berechnete Honorar überschreitet unser Honorartableau. Wir erstatten nur den dort ausgewiesenen Betrag.“ (English: "The fee charged exceeds our fee schedule. We will only reimburse the amount shown there.")
„Die Anzahl der Lichtbilder bzw. die Schreibkosten sind nicht erforderlich und werden nicht erstattet.“ (English: "The number of photographs and/or the writing costs are not necessary and will not be reimbursed.")
„Ihr Sachverständiger hätte für dieses Gutachten nur wenige Stunden benötigt. Wir kürzen auf einen Zeitaufwand von drei Stunden.“ (English: "Your appraiser would only have needed a few hours for this report. We are reducing this to three hours of work.")
„Das Honorar ist objektiv überhöht. Der Sachverständige hätte Sie darüber aufklären müssen.“ (English: "The fee is objectively excessive. The appraiser should have informed you of this.")

How you can respond

You Have Already Paid the Invoice

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

Sie haben das Sachverständigenhonorar in Höhe von … Euro gekürzt. Ich habe die Rechnung vom … vollständig beglichen; die Zahlung indiziert nach der Rechtsprechung des Bundesgerichtshofs die Erforderlichkeit der Kosten (BGH, Urteil vom 11.02.2014, VI ZR 225/13). Ein eigenes Honorartableau Ihres Hauses ist kein Maßstab für die Erforderlichkeit. Ich bitte um Ausgleich des offenen Betrages bis zum …

English translation (for your understanding only — send the German text above, not this one):

Dear Sir or Madam,

You have deducted an amount of … euros from the Sachverständigenhonorar (appraiser's fee). I have paid the invoice of … in full; under the case law of the Bundesgerichtshof (BGH, the Federal Court of Justice), that payment indicates the necessity of the cost (BGH, judgment of 11.02.2014, VI ZR 225/13). Your company's own fee schedule (Honorartableau) is not a valid benchmark for necessity. I ask that you settle the outstanding amount by …

You Have Not Yet Paid the Invoice

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

zu Ihrer Kürzung des Sachverständigenhonorars weise ich auf Folgendes hin: Die Grundsätze des Werkstattrisikos gelten sinngemäß auch für das Sachverständigenhonorar (BGH, Urteil vom 12.03.2024, VI ZR 280/22). Ich trage nicht das Risiko, dass der Gutachter zu viel berechnet hat. Ich halte den Rechnungsbetrag daher aufrecht und bitte um Ausgleich bis zum …

English translation (for your understanding only — send the German text above, not this one):

Dear Sir or Madam,

Regarding your deduction from the Sachverständigenhonorar (appraiser's fee), please note the following: the principles of the Werkstattrisiko (repair-shop risk) apply by analogy to the appraiser's fee as well (BGH, judgment of 12.03.2024, VI ZR 280/22). I do not bear the risk that the appraiser billed too much. I therefore maintain the invoiced amount and ask that you settle it by …

This reflects German law and German court practice.

Note: this is general guidance on wording, not legal advice for your individual case. Adapt the text to your own situation or seek advice from a lawyer for your specific matter.

What the insurer typically does next

  1. The insurer pays the difference. This often happens once the fee is demonstrably within the range of a recognized Honorarbefragung (fee survey).
  2. The insurer asks for a breakdown of the Nebenkosten (incidental costs). The number of photographs, travel costs, and writing costs are matters for the appraiser's discretion, as long as there is no sign of abuse.
  3. The insurer relies on a schematic deduction program. If an insurer always deducts the same line items regardless of the individual case, that points against a genuine case-by-case review and weakens its position in a dispute.
  4. The insurer maintains the deduction. At that point it is usually a two- to three-digit euro amount, which you can pursue with a written Erwiderung (reply letter).

On the deadline: the Haftpflichtversicherer (third-party liability insurer) is usually allowed a review period of four to six weeks from the point the complete documents were submitted. Set a specific payment deadline in your letter. If the insurer fails to respond by then, it falls into Verzug (default, § 286 BGB, the German Civil Code) and owes default interest from that point on. Claims arising from a traffic accident are generally time-barred after three years, counted to the end of the year (§ 195, § 199 BGB).

Where do you find this on your invoice? The Grundhonorar (base fee) usually appears on the first page of the Sachverständigenrechnung (appraiser's invoice), with the Nebenkosten (incidental costs) listed separately below it (photos, travel, writing costs, copies, and, where applicable, a Restwertermittlung — determination of residual/salvage value). If a line item you expected is missing, ask the appraiser about it rather than accepting it as excessive without question.

All deadlines and limitation periods above are those applicable under German law.

Case law

Case law: Sachverständigenhonorar: What the Insurer Must Pay and Where It May Legitimately Ask Questions
CourtCase numberDateKey findingSource
BGHVI ZR 50/1526.04.2016Aligning disputed appraiser Nebenkosten (incidental costs) with the JVEG rates (Justizvergütungs- und -entschädigungsgesetz, the statute setting court-expert fees) withstands review on appeal — this is also why the BVSK does not run its own separate survey of incidental costs.https://dejure.org/dienste/vernetzung/rechtsprechung?Gericht=BGH&Datum=26.04.2016&Aktenzeichen=VI+ZR+50%2F15
BGHVI ZR 137/2207.02.2023A clause assigning the appraiser's fee claim in lieu of performance (an Erfüllungs statt) must satisfy the Transparenzgebot (requirement of transparency); the economic consequences must be recognisable to the injured party.https://dejure.org/dienste/vernetzung/rechtsprechung?Gericht=BGH&Datum=07.02.2023&Aktenzeichen=VI+ZR+137%2F22
BGHVI ZR 348/2123.04.2024Opposing position. Covid-related disinfection and protective-measure costs charged by the repair shop are not automatically reimbursable in full; line items that are recognisably inflated must withstand a plausibility check (Plausibilitätskontrolle).https://dejure.org/dienste/vernetzung/rechtsprechung?Gericht=BGH&Datum=23.04.2024&Aktenzeichen=VI+ZR+348%2F21
BGHVI ZR 324/2113.12.2022On the reimbursability of an appraiser's Covid disinfection surcharge as a direct part of the necessary appraisal costs.https://dejure.org/dienste/vernetzung/rechtsprechung?Gericht=BGH&Datum=13.12.2022&Aktenzeichen=VI+ZR+324%2F21
BGHX ZR 122/0504.04.2006A reasonable flat-rate fee for routine appraisal reports, scaled to the amount of damage, does not in principle exceed the appraiser's latitude in structuring fees.https://dejure.org/dienste/vernetzung/rechtsprechung?Gericht=BGH&Datum=04.04.2006&Aktenzeichen=X+ZR+122%2F05
BGHVI ZR 225/1311.02.2014An invoice actually paid by the injured party has an indicative effect (Indizwirkung) for the necessity of the appraiser's costs.https://dejure.org/dienste/vernetzung/rechtsprechung?Gericht=BGH&Datum=11.02.2014&Aktenzeichen=VI+ZR+225%2F13
BGHVI ZR 357/1322.07.2014The necessary appraiser's costs are estimated under § 287 ZPO (German Code of Civil Procedure), covering both the Grundhonorar (base fee) and the Nebenkosten (incidental costs).https://verkehrslexikon.de/
BGHVII ZR 95/1601.06.2017The appraiser's duty to advise (Aufklärungspflicht) arises only once the fee is objectively, clearly above the local customary rate; in the decided case, the fee exceeded that rate by around 60 percent.http://lorenz.userweb.mwn.de/
BGHVI ZR 280/2212.03.2024The principles of the Werkstattrisiko (repair-shop risk) apply by analogy to inflated appraiser's fees as well; exception where the appraiser sues under an assigned claim. Flat-rate charges for Nebenkosten alongside the Grundhonorar are permissible.https://www.bundesgerichtshof.de
OLG Saarbrücken3 U 7/2415.03.2024Limitation. The indicative effect of a paid invoice no longer applies where the injured party concealed known prior damage and thereby contributed to making the report unusable.https://dejure.org/dienste/vernetzung/rechtsprechung?Gericht=OLG+Saarbr%C3%BCcken&Datum=15.03.2024&Aktenzeichen=3+U+7%2F24
LG Saarbrücken13 S 31/2111.02.2022The Grundhonorar (base fee) is calculated based on the correctly determined amount of damage; absent a price agreement, the customary remuneration is estimated under § 632 Abs. 2 BGB.https://dejure.org/2022,2607
LG Saarbrücken13 S 103/2108.04.2022Against the appraiser. A separate Covid disinfection flat fee was rejected because it was already covered by the Grundhonorar's overheads.https://dejure.org/2022,7901
LG Memmingen13 S 691/2125.05.2022Against the injured party. A still-unpaid repair shop invoice has no Indizwirkung (indicative effect); only an invoice actually paid carries the evidentiary weight (Beweiswirkung) recognised by the Bundesgerichtshof.https://dejure.org/2022,16347
LG München I17 O 13997/1930.09.2021Appraiser's costs are necessary restoration cost (Herstellungsaufwand) within the meaning of § 249 BGB.https://dejure.org/2021,51523
LG Coburg33 S 49/2028.05.2021Review of whether an assignment clause for the appraiser's fee claim withstands the review of contract terms (Inhaltskontrolle) under § 307 BGB.https://dejure.org/dienste/vernetzung/rechtsprechung?Gericht=LG+Coburg&Datum=28.05.2021&Aktenzeichen=33+S+49%2F20
AG Sondershausen1 C 196/14Beschluss vom 26.09.2014A deduction of Nebenkosten (incidental costs) without legal basis is impermissible where the line items fall within recognized fee corridors (Honorarkorridore).https://dejure.org/dienste/vernetzung/rechtsprechung?Gericht=AG+Sondershausen&Datum=26.09.2014&Aktenzeichen=1+C+196%2F14
LG Schweinfurt21 O 754/2427.10.2025The 2024 BVSK-Honorarbefragung (BVSK fee survey) is suitable as a basis for estimation under § 287 ZPO; photo and writing costs are not already covered by the Grundhonorar (base fee).Kanzleibesprechung (gp-recht.de)
AG Bautzen23 C 134/2403.07.2024An overall assessment combining the BVSK-Honorarbefragung and an insurer's own fee table is permissible as a reference point under § 287 ZPO.Kanzleibesprechung (frings-hoehne.de)

Frequently asked questions

My insurer isn't paying my Sachverständigenhonorar (appraiser's fee) in full — what now?

Check whether you have already paid the invoice. If so, point to the indicative effect of a paid invoice and set a payment deadline for the outstanding amount.

Why does the insurer cut photos, travel costs, and writing costs in the appraisal report?

Often by pointing to its own Honorartableau (fee schedule). But the number of photos and the Nebenkosten (incidental costs) are up to the appraiser's discretion, as long as there is no sign of abuse.

Do I have to pay the appraiser's fee myself first?

No, that isn't mandatory. But if you do pay, it indicates the cost was necessary. If the invoice is unpaid, a principle comparable to the Werkstattrisiko (repair-shop risk) applies instead.

May the appraiser rely on the BVSK-Honorarbefragung (fee survey) without being a member of the association?

Yes. Relying on a recognized fee survey is permissible as a basis for estimation, regardless of the appraiser's own membership in the professional association.

When must the appraiser warn me before billing?

Only once the fee is objectively, clearly above the local customary rate — around 60 percent in the decided BGH case. Exactly where the threshold lies has not been conclusively settled.

Is the fee described on this page the same as the operator's own fee?

The operator is himself a Kfz-Sachverständiger (motor vehicle appraiser). This page describes the general legal position, not an assessment of any specific fee of his own.

Sources

Next step

Describe your case using the form, or call us — both ways reach the office responsible for you. Report a claim or call: 02232 941994.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-29