QUICK ANSWER
Total acquisition cost is the bid plus all fees, transport, insurance, taxes, repair work and other costs. A repair reserve should be shown separately rather than hidden inside an optimistic bid.
Create a quote-based worksheet
Use a single currency throughout the worksheet. If a supplier quotes in another currency, convert the amount using your chosen rate and include conversion charges explicitly. Record the date and assumptions behind each quote.
Auction fees can depend on the transaction and the buyer’s account. Copart’s published fee information illustrates why a single fixed percentage is not a universal answer. Use the schedule relevant to your purchase and include broker charges separately where applicable.
Work through an example
These are invented planning inputs, not a tariff or a quotation. Suppose the bid is $5,000, fees $900, transport $1,200, cargo insurance $100, taxes and registration $700, repairs $2,000 and other costs $300. The subtotal is $10,200. A 15% reserve on the repair estimate adds $300, giving $10,500.
The reserve applies only to repairs in our calculator. It does not automatically protect against transport changes, exchange-rate movement or higher auction fees.
| Component | Example amount |
|---|---|
| Bid | 5,000 USD |
| Fees + transport + insurance | 2,200 USD |
| Taxes + repairs + other | 3,000 USD |
| Repair reserve: 2,000 × 15% | 300 USD |
| Total | 10,500 USD |
Calculate a ceiling, then check the assumptions
With a $12,000 budget and the same non-bid costs, the provisional bid ceiling is $6,500. It is provisional because increasing the bid may change fees or taxes. Recalculate those inputs at the new price before treating the ceiling as a bidding limit.
Compare at least a base scenario and a higher-cost scenario. Increase the repair allowance for a specific unresolved job, or replace a provisional transport figure with a written quote. This shows which unknown changes the decision most.
Use the calculator deliberately
Open our auction-cost calculator, enter the amounts you have, and keep a list of items still missing. Zero is a number, not a substitute for “unknown”. The result is arithmetic based on your assumptions, not an appraisal or an automatically current customs calculation.
If the worksheet already exceeds the budget before the bid is included, the viable bid is not zero: the proposed project does not fit that budget. Reconsider the car, scope or destination costs.
Before you decide
- Use one currency and dated quotes.
- Include buyer, broker and payment costs.
- Price collection, shipping and possible handling.
- Separate repairs from the repair contingency.
- Recalculate variable fees at the intended bid.
Common questions
Does the calculator retrieve current auction fees?
No. You enter your relevant fee quote or schedule amount.
Are customs and registration automatically calculated?
No. Enter a verified estimate for your destination; the calculator does not infer legal rates.
Sources & scope
Primary sources checked on October 9, 2026. Platform rules and jurisdiction requirements can change; verify the conditions applicable to your transaction. Examples and checklists are editorial suggestions.
Start with a specific VIN
Apply the guide to the vehicle records available in our archive.
