What a contingency fee is & Why you should care. First, let's define what a contingency fee is in the appraisal world: Any appraiser, who receives compensation based on their final value conclusions, is charging their clients a contingency fee. That is, instead of charging per hour/per item for their research, report writing and professional assessment, the appraiser is charging their client based on the final reported value. The practice of charging a contingency fee raises