Chaparral 270 Signature
The Chaparral 270 Signature is a 27-foot boat, with model years from 1999 to 2017 in the listings we track. Across 24 listings we have observed (model years 1999–2017), the median asking price is $30,000, with most boats asking $20,000 to $55,500. The engine we see most often on this model is Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400) and Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop).
BoatVerdict market snapshot
These are asking prices. No free or public source publishes US used-boat transaction prices, so nobody — us included — can honestly show you what these boats sold for. What we can show you is what 24 sellers are asking, which is the number you are actually negotiating against.
23 priced listings across 10 states. Enough for a range, not enough to be precise about any single year.
Method: Asking prices from active listings, de-duplicated so a re-posted boat counts once (58 raw listings collapsed to 24 distinct boats). Quartiles, not averages, so one outlier cannot move the band. Rounded to $500.
Coverage: Model years 1999–2017, 10 states, 14 metro areas. New-boat listings excluded.
Sources: BoatVerdict market observations (craigslist + rightboat + boatcrazy) · US state vessel registries (9,763 registered Chaparral hulls)
Looking at a Chaparral 270 Signature for sale?
Paste the listing and we will score that specific boat against everything on this page: asking price versus our observed range, engine and hours risk, the known issues for its model year, and a negotiation position. The verdict is free.
Get the free verdict →No account needed. The paid Deal Report is optional and comes after.
The BoatVerdict take
- BoatVerdict listing data
Asking prices vary widely: the middle half of listings runs $20,000 to $55,500, a 2.8x spread. On this model the year and the condition matter far more than the badge, so a headline price tells you very little until you place the specific boat on the year table below.
- Recall (USCG/CPSC)
3 federal recall campaigns on file touch this builder. Check the specific hull against the recall list below before you put money down; remedies are free but only if the work was actually done.
Each point is tagged with the evidence behind it. Nothing here is a claim we cannot trace back to a counted listing, a federal record, or a named analyst judgement.
Chaparral 270 Signature prices by model year
Show the numbers by model year
| Model year | Boats | Middle half of asks | Median ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 2015 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 2014 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 2012 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 2010 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 2007 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 2005 | 5 | $27,000 to $33,000 | $29,500 |
| 2003 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 2000 | 1 | too few to show | - |
| 1999 | 1 | too few to show | - |
14 distinct boats, listed now or since taken down, re-posts counted once. Years with fewer than 3 boats show a count only. Asking prices, not sale prices.
What a used Chaparral 270 Signature is worth
We have seen 14 distinct Chaparral 270 Signature boats for sale between Jun 17, 2026 and Nov 14, 2026, model years 1999 to 2017, in 8 states. The median ask is $31,500 and half of all asks sit between $25,500 and $52,500. Asking prices fall about 8% for each year of age (34% over five years), measured on these 14 boats and steadied with the 7.5% rate we measure for the class.
Of the 11 listed now, 46% have been for sale for 60 days or more, counting re-posts as one boat. A boat that has sat that long usually has room to negotiate.
Engine brands named: Volvo 3, Mercury 2. Median engine hours on the 6 boats that stated them: 375.
What moves the price of a 270 Signature
- Horsepower. Doubling the power for the same class and length adds about 16% to the ask.
- Engine hours.Higher hours than typical for the age lower the ask.
- Region.West +12%, Midwest +5%, South +2%, Northeast -1% against the national level.
- Brand.Chaparral boats in this class ask about 19% less than the class average for the same age and length.
Fitted on 2,234 distinct boats in this class (log asking price on age, length and brand; refit nightly, last on 2026-11-14). These are effects on asking prices.
Recent Chaparral 270 Signature asking prices
| Year | Model | Length | HP | Hours | State | Asking | Seen | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 270 signature | 27 ft | - | - | SC | $39,999 | Jun 22, 2026 to Nov 14, 2026 | listed (2 posts) BoatCrazy |
| 2007 | 270 Signature | 27 ft | - | 239 | NC | $30,000 | Jun 22, 2026 to Nov 14, 2026 | listed (2 posts) BoatCrazy |
| 2015 | 270 Signature | 27 ft | - | 590 | MO | $61,200 | Nov 14, 2026 | listed BoatCrazy |
| 2017 | 270 Signature | 27 ft | - | - | NY | $67,900 | Sep 10, 2026 to Nov 14, 2026 | listed (2 posts) Craigslist |
| 2005 | 270 Signature | 27 ft | - | 350 | NH | $24,995 | Jun 17, 2026 to Nov 14, 2026 | listed (8 posts) Craigslist |
| 2012 | 270 Signature | 27 ft | - | - | GA | $70,500 | Jul 16, 2026 to Nov 14, 2026 | listed (7 posts) Craigslist |
| 2014 | 270 Signature | 27 ft | - | 199 | CA | $55,500 | Oct 26, 2026 to Nov 14, 2026 | listed Craigslist |
| 2005 | 270 Signature | 29 ft | - | - | NY | $42,900 | Nov 14, 2026 | listed BoatCrazy |
| 2005 | 270 Signature | - | - | 650 | MN | $32,800 | Nov 14, 2026 | listed BoatCrazy |
| 2005 | 270 Signature | - | - | - | MN | $26,990 | Nov 14, 2026 | listed BoatCrazy |
| 2000 | 270 Signature | - | - | - | MN | $19,800 | Nov 14, 2026 | listed BoatCrazy |
| 1999 | 270 Signature | 27 ft | - | 400 | NY | $14,000 | Aug 30, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026 | taken down Craigslist |
| 2003 | 270 Signature | 27 ft | - | - | CA | $15,000 | Jul 31, 2026 to Sep 14, 2026 | taken down (8 posts) Craigslist |
| 2005 | 270 Signature | 27 ft | - | - | NY | $29,500 | Jul 9, 2026 to Aug 23, 2026 | taken down (6 posts) Craigslist |
The 14 most recently seen of 14 distinct boats. These are asking prices, not sale prices: no free source publishes US used-boat sale prices. A boat re-posted several times counts once, at its latest ask. "Taken down" means the ad disappeared; that can be a sale, a seller who gave up, or an expired post.
Chaparral recalls and accident record
Of 895Chaparral boats in USCG accident records: fire or explosion 5%, flooding or swamping 5%, capsizing 2%, total loss 5%, at least one death 6%. The rate counts accidents in Texas and New York waters from 2014 to 2023 (38) against 9,749 Chaparral boats registered in those two states, the only states that publish boat-level registrations. Accident records reflect how and how much boats are used, not only how they are built. Only accidents above the USCG reporting threshold are recorded. Personal watercraft are left out.
These numbers are for the builder, not this model. Check the specific hull with a HIN lookup for recalls and reported accidents.
Recalls affecting Chaparral
3 federal recall campaigns on file. Recalls are issued against hull-identification ranges, so a campaign listed here may or may not cover the specific boat you are looking at — check the HIN. Remedies are free from the builder, but only if the work was actually performed, and there is no central database that proves it was.
- ⚠ Recall
990058T8/30/1999ELECTRICAL UNFUSED WIRE; IN CO MONITORING SYSTEM
- ⚠ Recall
950161T11/1/1995FUEL FILL FITTING CRACKS; FUEL FILL FITTING CRACKS
- ⚠ Recall
060065T10/25/2006FUEL FILL FITTING CRACKS
Method: Matched to the builder by normalized company name and MIC. A campaign is shown when it touches this builder; the model and year columns say how narrowly it applies.
Sources: US Coast Guard recall database · CPSC recalls
Engines we actually see on the 270 Signature
- Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400)
Modern Mercury V8/V10 FourStroke and supercharged Verado are strong, smooth, and well-supported, a clear step up from the OptiMax era. Slightly behind Yamaha on resale trust but closing fast, and often better integrated (joystick, digital throttle).
Service reality: 100-hour service; supercharged Verado adds the supercharger oil interval. Check for corroded battery cables and the SmartCraft harness on saltwater boats.
Full Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400) reliability profile →
- Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop)
Smooth, strong drives — the Duoprop in particular handles and holds beautifully. The catch is parts cost: Volvo Penta components run materially higher than MerCruiser equivalents, so service and repair budgets are larger.
Service reality: Same wear items as MerCruiser (bellows, gimbal, impeller) but pricier parts. Verify drive-oil condition (milky = water intrusion = seal failure).
Full Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop) reliability profile →
- MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L)
The most common inboard/outboard in US bowriders and cruisers. The engine itself (GM-based) is reliable; the maintenance burden is the drive and exhaust. Bellows, gimbal bearing, U-joints, and — in any saltwater service — exhaust manifolds and risers are the recurring costs.
Service reality: Bellows/gimbal every ~5 years; manifolds/risers every ~6–8 years (or 3–4 in salt) at $2.5–4K. Pull the drive on inspection — deferred drive service is the classic hidden cost.
Full MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L) reliability profile →
Method: Engine family matched from the listing's engine fields and title text against BoatVerdict's engine-family profiles. Prevalence is share of our sample, not factory fitment rates.
Sources: BoatVerdict market observations · BoatVerdict engine-family profiles
Chaparral 270 Signature specifications
| Length (median listed) | 27.0 ft | Our listing data |
|---|---|---|
| Model years traded | 1999–2017 | Our listing data |
| Chaparral hulls in US registries | 9,763 | TX + NY open data |
Rows marked "our listing data" are measured from listings, not published by the builder, and will differ from a brochure. Rows without a source we can name are not shown at all.
What to inspect on a used Chaparral 270 Signature
- Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400): 100-hour service; supercharged Verado adds the supercharger oil interval. Check for corroded battery cables and the SmartCraft harness on saltwater boats. Seen on 3 of the 24 270 Signature listings we track.
- Get the hour meter reading and divide by the boat's age. Above 150 hours a year is heavy use for a Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400). Threshold from BoatVerdict's engine-family profile for Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400).
- Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop): Same wear items as MerCruiser (bellows, gimbal, impeller) but pricier parts. Verify drive-oil condition (milky = water intrusion = seal failure). Seen on 3 of the 24 270 Signature listings we track.
- Get the hour meter reading and divide by the boat's age. Above 100 hours a year is heavy use for a Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop). Threshold from BoatVerdict's engine-family profile for Volvo Penta sterndrive (gas, DPS/Duoprop).
- MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L): Bellows/gimbal every ~5 years; manifolds/risers every ~6–8 years (or 3–4 in salt) at $2.5–4K. Pull the drive on inspection — deferred drive service is the classic hidden cost. Seen on 2 of the 24 270 Signature listings we track.
- Get the hour meter reading and divide by the boat's age. Above 100 hours a year is heavy use for a MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L). Threshold from BoatVerdict's engine-family profile for MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L).
- Assume saltwater service unless the seller can prove otherwise: pull the engine cowling and look at the powerhead, check trim-cylinder rams for pitting, and open the battery and fuse boxes for green corrosion. 78% of the listings we observed for this model are in coastal states.
- On the older hulls, core moisture is the deal-breaker: sound the transom and the deck with a plastic mallet, and treat any soft or dull-sounding area as a survey-stopper rather than a bargaining chip. We observe listings back to 2000, so boats over 26 years old are actively traded in this model.
This list is specific to this model: analyst items for the hull, plus items driven by the engines and the regions we actually observe on 270 Signature listings. It is not a generic pre-purchase checklist, and it does not replace a surveyor.
What a 270 Signature costs to own
$4,750 – $14k per year
- 27 ft hull, the median observed length for this model
- Saltwater berth, based on where most listings we see are located (NY)
- Includes insurance, storage, routine service, fuel at moderate seasonal use, and a reserve for wear items
- Excludes loan payments, major engine replacement, and refit work
This is a modelled band, not observed spend. Real cost swings hard on where you keep the boat and how much you use it.
Method: The same ownership-cost model BoatVerdict's paid Deal Report uses: boat class and length set the base band, then saltwater berth and size adjust it.
Sources: BoatVerdict ownership-cost model
Where 270 Signatures are for sale
- NY 4
- MN 3
- FL 2
- MD 2
- NH 2
- SC 2
- NC 2
- GA 2
- CA 2
- MO 2
Counts of distinct boats we observed per state, from 24 listings in 14 metro areas. We publish the distribution, not the listings themselves.
What else buyers cross-shop
- Chaparral 256 SSI
- Chaparral 246 SSI
- Chaparral 23 SSI
- Chaparral 230SSI
- Chaparral 220 SSI
- Chaparral 21 SSI
Chosen by measured similarity — same builder first, then comparable length — and limited to models whose own page meets our evidence bar. No paid placements, no filler links.
Chaparral 270 Signature FAQ
How much does a used Chaparral 270 Signature cost?
Are there recalls on the Chaparral 270 Signature?
What engine does the Chaparral 270 Signature come with?
What does it cost to own a Chaparral 270 Signature per year?
Looking at a Chaparral 270 Signature for sale?
Paste the listing and we will score that specific boat against everything on this page: asking price versus our observed range, engine and hours risk, the known issues for its model year, and a negotiation position. The verdict is free.
Get the free verdict →No account needed. The paid Deal Report is optional and comes after.