Skip Trace Recovery Calculator

Skip trace finds ex-tenants for collection. This calculator sizes ROI net of vendor cost.

Cases handed to vendor

Average balance per case

Vendor fee % of recovered

Recovery rate %

Net recovery

$12,870

Gross recovery

$19,800

Vendor fee paid

$6,930

How the math works

Net = gross recovery − vendor fee. Vendor gets paid on recovery only (contingency model).

Send to skip trace within 60 days of charge-off. Recovery rates drop 50% beyond 6 months. Don't let charged-off balances sit — work them fast through a vendor.

How to Use

Enter cases handed to vendor.
Enter average balance per case.
Enter vendor fee % of recovered.
Enter recovery rate %.
Read net recovery and ROI.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recovery rates?

10-25% of balances on old charge-offs. Higher on fresher cases (30-40% in first 6 months). Lower on very old (<10%). Timing matters more than vendor choice.

Vendor pricing?

Contingency: 30-50% of recovered amount. Fixed fee per case: $50-$200. Contingency aligns incentives; fixed fee lets you keep upside on high-balance wins.

DIY vs vendor?

Smaller portfolios: vendor. Larger (100+ cases/year): hire collector. Hybrid: DIY for under-$2k balances; vendor for bigger cases.

What documentation matters here?

Written leases, move-in/move-out inspections with photographs, ledger entries showing every payment and charge, served notices with proof of service, and contemporaneous emails or texts. Courts weigh written evidence heavily; informal understandings rarely stand. Institutional operators run a monthly file audit to catch gaps before they matter. Good paper trails recover most of what's owed.