How to use the expert witness cost calculator
Expert evidence is usually the largest single line item in a contested case. Enter the rate and hours from the expert's engagement letter, any flat retainer, deposition time and out-of-pocket expenses, and the tool totals the estimate and applies the percentage you expect to bear.
There is no fixed statutory appraisal fee in the United States. Under Federal Rule of Evidence 706 a court may appoint its own expert and direct how the compensation is apportioned among the parties, while Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(4)(E) requires the party seeking discovery to pay a retained expert a reasonable fee for time spent responding. Taxable costs after judgment are governed by 28 U.S.C. §1920, which generally reimburses only the §1821 witness fee rather than full expert charges. This reflects the rules in force as of September 2026.
Because the amounts depend entirely on the expert's own rate card and the scope of work, treat the output as a budgeting estimate rather than a court-set figure. State courts and many arbitration rules have their own cost-sharing provisions that may differ.
This calculator is for reference only and is not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
Frequently asked questions
Usually only in part. Under 28 U.S.C. §1920 and Crawford Fitting Co. v. J.T. Gibbons, taxable costs for a retained expert are normally limited to the statutory witness fee unless a fee-shifting statute or contract provides otherwise.
Federal Rule of Evidence 706(c) lets the court set the expert's compensation and apportion it among the parties, often equally at first, with the allocation revisited when costs are taxed at the end of the case.