What is the ANSI compliance statement on an appraisal?
Published August 27, 2026

Where it appears
Appraisal software adds an ANSI field to the improvements section of the standard forms. The appraiser selects that the standard was used, or selects the exception and adds a comment. Fannie Mae's reviewers check that this field agrees with the reported square footage and the sketch.
The exception
Fannie Mae allows an appraiser to skip ANSI when it is impossible to comply: the appraiser is not allowed inside, the property is a type the standard does not address, or the layout defeats the rules. The report must say so and give the reason. The exception is not for "the MLS number is bigger" or "the seller disagrees."
What the statement does not do
It is not a guarantee of accuracy. It says which rulebook was used, so a reviewer, a buyer, or a court can check the measurement against a known method. How close two measurements have to be is covered under rounding and precision.