Estimate your total landing cost for Insurance Auto Auctions vehicles
Public (Non-Licensed)
Licensed Business
I-Bid Live / Internet (Most Common)
Proxy Bid (Pre-Bid)
In-Person (If available)
Winning Bid:$0.00
Buyer Fee:$0.00
Internet/Connection Fee:$0.00
Service Fee:$0.00
Environmental Fee:$0.00
Gate/Load Fee:$0.00
TOTAL ESTIMATED COST:$0.00
Understanding IAA Auction Fees
Purchasing a vehicle through Insurance Auto Auctions (IAA) involves several cost layers beyond the final hammer price. Whether you are a public buyer looking for a rebuilder project or a licensed dealer stocking inventory, understanding the fee structure is critical to determining your actual "out-the-door" price.
Breakdown of Standard Fees
The total cost estimates generated by this calculator are based on the standard fee components typically applied to IAA invoices:
Buyer Fee: This is the primary auction fee charged on every vehicle. It is a tiered fee based on the final sale price. Public buyers generally pay higher tiered rates compared to licensed business buyers.
Internet Bid Fee (I-Bid Live): If you bid online (which encompasses the majority of modern transactions), an additional fee applies. This is also tiered based on the sale price of the vehicle.
Service Fee: A flat administrative fee charged per unit to cover the processing of paperwork and auction services (typically around $79).
Environmental Fee: A nominal mandatory fee covering the handling of hazardous materials (typically around $10).
Gate/Load Fee: A fee charged for the physical movement of the vehicle from the yard to your transporter (typically around $59).
Public vs. Licensed Buyers
One of the most significant factors in your total cost is your buyer status. Public buyers do not hold a dealer, dismantler, or exporter license. IAA charges public buyers significantly higher "Buyer Fees" to account for the additional administrative burden and risk. For example, on a $3,000 car, a public buyer might pay $100-$200 more in fees than a licensed buyer.
Tips for Bidding at IAA
1. Calculate Before You Click: Use this calculator to determine your maximum bid. If your budget is $5,000 total, you likely cannot bid more than $3,800 on the car itself once fees are added.
2. Account for Storage: This calculator does not include storage fees. Once a vehicle is won, you usually have a small window (2-4 days) to pay and remove the vehicle before daily storage fees accrue.
3. Check Regional Differences: While this tool uses standard national fee tables, specific IAA branches (e.g., in California or Florida) may have slight variations in their fee schedules or additional local taxes.
function calculateIAAFees() {
// 1. Get Inputs
var bidInput = document.getElementById('bidAmount').value;
var buyerType = document.getElementById('buyerType').value;
var biddingMethod = document.getElementById('biddingMethod').value;
var unitsInput = document.getElementById('units').value;
// 2. Parse and Validate
var bid = parseFloat(bidInput);
var units = parseInt(unitsInput);
if (isNaN(bid) || bid < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Bid Amount.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(units) || units < 1) {
units = 1;
}
// 3. Define Logic Variables
var buyerFee = 0;
var internetFee = 0;
var serviceFeePerUnit = 79;
var envFeePerUnit = 10;
var gateFeePerUnit = 59; // Sometimes called Load Fee
// 4. Calculate Buyer Fee (Standard Tiered Logic Approximation)
// Note: These tiers are based on standard industry schedules for IAA/Copart style auctions
if (buyerType === 'public') {
if (bid < 100) buyerFee = 1; // Minimums
else if (bid < 200) buyerFee = 50;
else if (bid < 500) buyerFee = 125;
else if (bid < 1000) buyerFee = 185;
else if (bid < 1200) buyerFee = 230;
else if (bid < 1500) buyerFee = 275;
else if (bid < 2000) buyerFee = 325;
else if (bid < 2500) buyerFee = 375;
else if (bid < 3000) buyerFee = 425;
else if (bid < 3500) buyerFee = 475;
else if (bid < 4000) buyerFee = 550;
else if (bid < 5000) buyerFee = 600;
else {
// Public fees often switch to percentage or larger steps above $5k
// Approx 15% – 20% cap for public
buyerFee = bid * 0.15;
}
} else {
// Licensed Buyer (Typically cheaper)
if (bid < 100) buyerFee = 1;
else if (bid < 200) buyerFee = 25;
else if (bid < 500) buyerFee = 65;
else if (bid < 1000) buyerFee = 115;
else if (bid < 1200) buyerFee = 150;
else if (bid < 1500) buyerFee = 180;
else if (bid < 2000) buyerFee = 210;
else if (bid < 2500) buyerFee = 250;
else if (bid < 3000) buyerFee = 300;
else if (bid < 4000) buyerFee = 400;
else if (bid < 5000) buyerFee = 500;
else {
// Licensed usually caps or has lower %
buyerFee = bid * 0.08;
// Cap adjustment for realism (e.g. min $600 at high value)
if(buyerFee < 600) buyerFee = 600;
}
}
// 5. Calculate Internet Bid Fee (Tiered)
if (biddingMethod === 'internet') {
if (bid < 100) internetFee = 0;
else if (bid < 500) internetFee = 29;
else if (bid < 1000) internetFee = 39;
else if (bid < 1500) internetFee = 59;
else if (bid < 2000) internetFee = 69;
else if (bid < 4000) internetFee = 79;
else if (bid < 6000) internetFee = 89;
else if (bid < 8000) internetFee = 99;
else internetFee = 119;
} else if (biddingMethod === 'proxy') {
// Proxy bidding (pre-bidding) usually has lower or no internet fee,
// but for safety in calculation, we assume a small connection fee or 0 if pure kiosk.
// Let's assume $0 for pure proxy/kiosk, but usually people bid via internet proxy.
// We will set to 0 to differentiate the options.
internetFee = 0;
}
// 6. Aggregate Totals
// All fees are per unit
var totalBuyerFee = buyerFee * units;
var totalInternetFee = internetFee * units;
var totalServiceFee = serviceFeePerUnit * units;
var totalEnvFee = envFeePerUnit * units;
var totalGateFee = gateFeePerUnit * units;
var totalBid = bid * units;
var grandTotal = totalBid + totalBuyerFee + totalInternetFee + totalServiceFee + totalEnvFee + totalGateFee;
// 7. Update UI
document.getElementById('displayBid').innerHTML = '$' + totalBid.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('displayBuyerFee').innerHTML = '$' + totalBuyerFee.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('displayInternetFee').innerHTML = '$' + totalInternetFee.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('displayServiceFee').innerHTML = '$' + totalServiceFee.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('displayEnvFee').innerHTML = '$' + totalEnvFee.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('displayGateFee').innerHTML = '$' + totalGateFee.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('displayTotal').innerHTML = '$' + grandTotal.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
// Show results container
document.getElementById('results').style.display = 'block';
}