About IADA

Our Mission Statement:
"To maintain the highest standards of conduct, integrity, and proficiency amongst independent automotive damage appraisers"

Membership Standards:

All IADA members must successfully pass a background investigation and business review.
Investigative screening verifies education/training, work experience, financial responsibility, past or present criminal activity, existence of conflicts of interest, and client service satisfaction.
The review focuses on the applicant’s automotive damage assessment and administrative skills.
There are several requirements mandated to maintain membership in the organization, including abiding by its Code of Ethics and Bylaws, and compliance with the 20-point Appraisal Program.
As members of the most elite damage appraisal organization in the industry, IADA members are held to the highest of standards. Reported breaches in ethics, professionalism, education standards, or service quality are immediately investigated by IADA's Board of Directors, Membership Committee, and Ethics Committee.

IADA's Code of Ethics:

This is a pledge taken by every IADA member to ensure complete objectivity, fairness, and integrity. Each IADA member shall:

Conduct himself or herself personally and professionally as an automotive property damage appraiser in such a manner as to inspire public confidence by fair and honorable dealings;
Approach the appraisal of damaged motor vehicles or other property without prejudice against or favoritism toward any party involved for the purpose of making fair and impartial appraisals;
Disregard any efforts on the part of owners, repairers, insurance personnel, third party administrators, attorneys, or others to influence his or her appraisals in any way in the interest of parties involved;
As a general practice, prepare an independent appraisal of damage;
Uphold the integrity of the Association, and be in every way consistent with honest policy to enhance its position with the public, the insurance industry, and the automotive repair business;
Employ only the most competent assistance available in carrying on the independent automotive damage appraisal profession;
At all times maintain a fiduciary relationship with clients.

IADA's History:

Birth of IADA
When the war ended in 1945, civilian registrations for cars and trucks hit a new high. Accident frequency increased. Auto body repair costs skyrocketed 134 percent over pre-war prices. The body shop bonanza soon began costing consumers plenty. Rising auto body repair claim payments were passed on in higher auto insurance premiums.
During 1946 the insurance industry surveyed the problem and found many auto body garagemen who recklessly inflated their repair estimates, consumers who exaggerated damages to insured vehicles, and insurance agents and adjusters who did not have the automotive technical skills needed to avoid paying inflated auto repair claims.
Founded in 1947 as the Independent Appraisal Plan, its mission was “to protect insurance consumers from overpaying for auto body repairs.” This was done by having an unbiased automotive specialist “appraiser” assess vehicle damage and establish a fair cost of repair instead of relying on body shop estimates or estimates prepared by unqualified personnel. The Independent Appraisal Plan was approved in 1947 by the Association of Casualty and Surety Companies and the National Association of Mutual Companies. The Plan reorganized in 1964 as the Independent Automotive Damage Appraisers Association (IADA), a national not-for-profit organization.
The IADA is a nationwide network of appraiser specialists with the knowledge and experience to assess vehicle damage and to make unbiased repair decisions based on the manufacturer’s specifications, accepted industry procedures, and safety concerns. Having the expert knowledge to make these important decisions without favoritism toward the insurance company, auto body shop, or vehicle owner is what sets the IADA appraiser apart.
For over 75 years, the IADA has been setting the standard of excellence for vehicle appraising.
Today, the vigor and forward-looking spirit of this association of independently-owned companies is exemplified by the rapid strides being made by the IADA in implementing the latest technology to continue to reduce the cost of vehicle repair without sacrificing repair quality or customer service. IADA is dedicated to the goal of highly professional, unbiased appraisals to protect our customers against unrealistic repair methods, inadequate or faulty repair procedures, and fraudulent practice.

IADA in the Modern Day

Today, IADA is stronger than ever with the membership encompassing a network of over 80 firms and over 400 of the most highly skilled, dedicated appraisers in the industry.
IADA continues to set the standard for automotive damage appraisal excellence, and thanks to IADA's forward looking leadership, IADA is now set on the path to ensure future generations of our profession continue to enjoy the same standards of excellence and success that IADA's members have enjoyed in the past.
In late 2019, IADA's leadership created the IADA Education Program. Ever since, the association's staff has been engaged in working with our education partners to build a comprehensive catalogue of specialized courses for automotive damage appraisers which cover all of the core knowledge areas in automotive damage, and beyond.
As of the end of 2021, IADA's Education Program has brought several cutting-edge training courses to IADA's members, as well as hundreds of other appraisers throughout our professional community, including topics such as:

Fuel Contamination Claims
Advanced Structural Damage Repair
Airbags and Supplementary Restraint Systems
Electric and Hybrid Vehicles
ADAS Systems
Advanced Refinishing
Electrical Repairs
Aluminum Panel Repair