Conditions / Skin
38 CFR 4.118, diagnostic code 7804 · checked 2026-10-20
VA rating for Painful or unstable scars
VA rates Painful or unstable scars under diagnostic code 7804 (Scar(s), unstable or painful) at 3 levels from 10% to 30%. The lowest paid level, 10%, is worth $180.42 a month and the highest, 30%, $552.47 to a veteran alone at the rates effective December 1, 2025.
- 1Diagnostic code DC 7804
- 2Highest level 30% · $552.47
- 3Lowest paid level 10% · $180.42
Rating criteria for DC 7804
| Rating | What the schedule requires |
|---|---|
| 30% | Five or more scars that are unstable or painful. |
| 20% | Three or four scars that are unstable or painful. |
| 10% | One or two scars that are unstable or painful. |
Summarized from eCFR, 38 CFR 4.118 Schedule of ratings, skin, diagnostic code 7804, checked 2026-10-20. The regulation's own wording governs.
Notes in the schedule
- An unstable scar is one where, for any reason, there is frequent loss of covering of skin over the scar.
- If one or more scars are both unstable and painful, 10% is added to the rating based on the total number of scars.
- Scars rated under 7800, 7801, 7802 or 7805 may also receive a 7804 rating when applicable.
What each level pays
| Level | Alone | With spouse | With tinnitus 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | 37 → 40% |
| 20% | $356.66 | $356.66 | 28 → 30% |
| 10% | $180.42 | $180.42 | 19 → 20% |
1 of the 3 compensable levels is 30% or higher, where dependents raise the payment; below that the rate is flat. The spread from the lowest paid level to the highest is $372.05 a month. The last column shows the combined rating if this condition is joined by a 10% tinnitus rating.
How this rating fits a claim
No level of this code reaches the 40% that 38 CFR 4.16(a) looks for in one disability, so it adds to a combined rating rather than anchoring one. A rating under DC 7804 is combined with every other rating by Table I, never added; the calculator shows the result with your other ratings and dependents.
The rating is set from the evidence at the time of the decision, usually including a VA examination. If the condition has worsened since, VA accepts a claim for an increase on VA Form 21-526EZ; see how to request an increase.
Related conditions
- Scars of the head, face or neck (DC 7800)
- Deep scars (not head, face or neck) (DC 7801)
- Eczema (dermatitis) (DC 7806)
Pay at the top level: 30% VA pay. At the lowest paid level: 10% VA pay.
Rating Ledger is not part of VA and does not file or decide claims. Amounts are VA's published monthly rates effective December 1, 2025 for a veteran, before any deduction or special monthly compensation; ratings follow 38 CFR 4.25 and 38 CFR 4.26 and 38 CFR 4.118, diagnostic code 7804. Last checked 2026-10-20. Only a VA rating decision sets a rating or a payment. See the methodology.