On September 23, 2026, the TDIU (Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability) vocational providers that publish prices listed $1,350 to $1,599 in total for a consultation or intake, record review and written report, with testimony and complex or rushed cases priced separately. One provider's 2023 blog post put the typical cost at about $5,000. No VA rule requires you to buy a private report: VA weighs your work history, education and the effects of your service-connected disabilities under 38 C.F.R. 4.16.
Before you pay, check two routes that do not involve buying a report.
Two routes to check before you pay
VA's Veteran Readiness and Employment program (VR&E, also called Chapter 31). If you have a service-connected disability rating of at least 10 percent and did not receive a dishonorable discharge, you may be eligible for VR&E. After you apply, VA schedules an initial evaluation with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, who decides whether you are entitled to services. VA's claims manual tells TDIU decision makers to consider existing VR&E records when the evidence is not enough to award TDIU, however old those records are, including the counselor's narrative report and feasibility determination (VA Forms 28-1902b and 28-1902f) (M21-1, Part VIII, Subpart iv, Chapter 3, Section B). Those records can cut either way: they may show that training was not feasible or did not succeed, or that you completed training for other work.
A free accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representative. VA says the services an accredited VSO representative provides on your claim are always free (VA's accredited-representative page). Ask one to read your decision or VA's request and say whether the gap is really a vocational question before you buy anything. Claim Raven's VSO directory lists offices by state.
Published prices on September 23, 2026
These are the prices listed on provider pages that Claim Raven checked on September 23, 2026. They are published prices on that date, not an average or an endorsement. Claim Raven did not buy or test any of these services, and prices change.
| Provider page | Price listed | Included, per the page | Priced separately or not listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vision Counseling & Vocational Consulting | $1,350 across three steps: $150 consultation, $150 vocational assessment (record review), $1,050 unemployability report, which requires the assessment | Consultation, record review and an evaluation report in print or PDF | Testimony not listed |
| Honor Bound Evaluations | $1,599 flat | Record review, interview, transferable skills and labor market analysis, PDF report | Complex or expedited cases may need a custom quote |
| TDIU Vocational Services | $1,599 flat | Records review, remote interview, transferable skills and labor market analysis, written report | Expert witness quoted separately; a supplemental declaration for an appeal is a separate service; custom quote for complex or expedited cases |
| Vocemploy | $1,599 flat | Records review, interview, transferable skills and labor market analysis, written report | Testimony quoted separately; custom quote for complex or expedited cases |
| Occupational Assessment Services | No price listed | A 2023 blog post says the average cost is "around $5k," plus about $1,000 for testimony | Its own fee is not published |
The TDIU Vocational Services and Vocemploy pages name the same vocational expert, so treat them as one price point rather than two. Get the current fee and the full scope in writing before you pay.
Identify the question before shopping
Read the VA decision or evidence request first. Is the gap a missing employment date, unexplained self-employment income, a conflict about physical tasks, a finding that "sedentary" work remains possible, or a finding that your skills transfer to other work? A vocational expert can analyze work demands and transferable skills, but should rely on medical limitations stated in qualified records rather than supplying a diagnosis or making the legal decision. If VA already denied TDIU, start from its stated reason: matching the denial reason to the missing work evidence shows how.
In Ray v. Wilkie, the court said the TDIU question has economic and noneconomic parts, including education, training, work history and physical or mental ability. Withers v. Wilkie shows why a bare reference to "sedentary work" needs context in an individual record. Those decisions are reasons to ask for an explanation, not a requirement to buy a report or a prediction that one will succeed.
A written-scope checklist
Ask the provider to answer in writing before you pay:
| Question | What a useful answer specifies |
|---|---|
| Who does the work? | Name, vocational qualifications, role of any assistants, and whether the named expert signs the final opinion. |
| What is reviewed? | Decision letter, rating history, Form 21-8940, employer records, earnings, education, medical restrictions and contrary evidence, with a way to list missing items. |
| What is produced? | Interview or no interview, report length and scope, work-demand analysis, dates addressed, sources cited, and a chance to correct factual errors. |
| Which limitations are assumed? | The exact clinician or record behind each one, and how conflicting medical evidence is handled. A lay description of symptoms should not quietly become a medical restriction. |
| What does it cost in total? | Fixed or hourly fee, page limits on records, rush charges, revisions, cancellation and refund terms, and separate charges for hearings or testimony. |
| What if the opinion is not favorable? | Whether you receive an honest report, a partial analysis or a refund, and who owns the work. No provider can guarantee VA's decision. |
| Is claim representation included? | Whether the person is separately accredited by VA if offering to prepare, present or prosecute your claim; a vocational credential is not VA accreditation. |
Ask for a sample report structure with private details removed. Confirm the quote covers your exact records and issue. A large file may cost more, but page count alone does not show careful analysis.
Prepare the packet before requesting quotes
Bring the decision or pending request; the rating breakdown with effective dates; Form 21-8940 and a job timeline; employer and pay records; training history; any VR&E records; and medical records that discuss work-related limitations. Make a one-page index: issue, period, disputed work demand, supporting page, contrary page, open question. A provider who cannot explain how those items will be used may not be selling the service you need.
A clinician handles medical judgment, a vocational expert handles vocational analysis, and an accredited representative handles claim strategy. Those roles can work together, but one credential does not supply the others. The rating and employment rules any report must address are in the TDIU eligibility guide.
Claim Raven sells other claim-preparation tools and has a commercial interest in TDIU topics; it does not sell vocational assessments.
Sources and scope
Checked September 23, 2026: the five provider pages linked in the price table, VA's VR&E eligibility page, VA's accredited-representative page, the VR&E-records step in M21-1, Part VIII, Subpart iv, Chapter 3, Section B, 38 C.F.R. 4.16, Ray v. Wilkie and Withers v. Wilkie. This is a buying checklist, not a ranking of providers.
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