Probate valuation costs

Last reviewed 18 August 2026

Before a penny can be applied for or paid, the estate must be counted — and some of that counting the law will not take on trust.

What must be valued, and how

Everything the person owned must be valued at the date of death: property, bank and investment accounts, shares, and possessions of real worth, less debts. Bank balances and quoted shares are matters of record. Property usually needs a proper valuation — two or three estate-agent appraisals may suffice for a modest estate, but where inheritance tax is in issue a surveyor’s valuation (commonly £400–£800) is safer, as HMRC can challenge a casual figure.

Keeping the cost down

You can gather much of the valuation yourself — statements, share prices, agent appraisals — and pay only for what needs a professional: usually the property, and occasionally valuable chattels such as jewellery or art. Keep all the evidence; it supports the inheritance-tax account and protects the executor if the figures are later questioned.

Sources. HMRC, How to value an estate for Inheritance Tax; typical surveyor valuation fees (cited at build).