YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) under diagnostic code 7801, in 38 CFR § 4.118 (skin conditions), and the schedule provides four evaluation levels for it: 40%, 30%, 20% and 10%.
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A CLEARER PATH FORWARD
Make sense of your next step.
01Understand the rating02Know what to gather03Plan your preparationTHE ESSENTIALS
How the VA rates Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck)
DC 7801 covers burn scars, and scars from any other cause, that are not on the head, face, or neck and that are associated with underlying soft tissue damage. That association with the tissue beneath the scar is what places a scar under this code rather than DC 7802 — not how deep the scar looks and not whether it runs in a straight line. The rating is then set by area: how much of the body the qualifying scar or scars cover, starting at 6 square inches (39 sq. cm.).
The percentage comes entirely from area. DC 7801 assigns 10 percent for an area or areas of at least 6 square inches (39 sq. cm.) but less than 12 square inches (77 sq. cm.); 20 percent for at least 12 square inches (77 sq. cm.) but less than 72 square inches (465 sq. cm.); 30 percent for at least 72 square inches (465 sq. cm.) but less than 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.); and 40 percent for 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater. Where that area sits matters as well. Note (1) defines six zones of the body — each extremity, the anterior trunk, and the posterior trunk, with the midaxillary line dividing anterior from posterior — and Note (2) allows a separate evaluation for each affected zone, combined under § 4.25, or alternatively a single evaluation adding the areas from multiple zones if that produces the higher result. Nothing in this code turns on pain or instability: a scar evaluated here may also receive an evaluation under DC 7804 when it is unstable or painful (DC 7804, Note (3)), and DC 7805 directs any disabling effect not considered under DCs 7800-7804 to an appropriate diagnostic code.
- Diagnostic code
- 7801
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.118
- Schedule levels
- 40%, 30%, 20% and 10%
How does the VA choose a rating level?
Which level applies is set by the criteria the evidence meets, not by the diagnosis. Where there is a question as to which of two evaluations applies, 38 CFR § 4.7 assigns the higher one if the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating.
This code prints no 0% row. Under 38 CFR § 4.31, a 0% evaluation is assigned where the requirements for a compensable evaluation are not met.
EXPLORE THE PERCENTAGES
Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) VA rating criteria (DC 7801)
Choose a percentage to see what that level means. Open the full comparison to read all the criteria in one place.
These are published rating criteria. Selecting a level does not predict your VA decision.
IN THE REGULATION’S OWN WORDS
What 38 CFR also says about Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck)
The notes 38 CFR Part 4 prints with these criteria, quoted. They govern how the evaluation is made without being a rating level themselves.
- “Note (1): For the purposes of DCs 7801 and 7802, the six (6) zones of the body are defined as each extremity, anterior trunk, and posterior trunk. The midaxillary line divides the anterior trunk from the posterior trunk”DC 7801
- “Note (2): A separate evaluation may be assigned for each affected zone of the body under this diagnostic code if there are multiple scars, or a single scar, affecting multiple zones of the body. Combine the separate evaluations under § 4.25. Alternatively, if a higher evaluation would result from adding the areas affected from multiple zones of the body, a single evaluation may also be assigned under this diagnostic code”DC 7801
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) claim
A long list feels easier when you have a place to start. Use this checklist to see what you have and what still needs gathering.
Check off what you’ve gathered. Progress stays on this page until you leave or refresh.
THE EXAM FORM
Which DBQ is used for Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck)?
VA's page says: “You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers.”
Source: VA: Public Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs), read September 18, 2026.
SMALL DETAILS. BETTER PREPARATION.
Preparing your Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) claim
Start with the practical tips, then explore the common oversights. You don’t need to work through everything at once.
Practical tips for your claim4 tips
- 01
Get every claimed scar measured in square inches or square centimeters rather than described. All four tiers of this code are area thresholds, and a record that gives only a length or a general impression cannot be placed on them.
- 02
Make sure the record states whether the scar is associated with underlying soft tissue damage. That single finding is what separates DC 7801 from DC 7802, where the only evaluation is 10 percent and only at 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater.
- 03
Note which body zone each scar falls in. Note (1) treats each extremity, the anterior trunk, and the posterior trunk as separate zones, and Note (2) allows either a separate evaluation per zone combined under § 4.25 or one evaluation adding areas across zones — whichever is higher. An undifferentiated body-wide total supports only the second of those; the per-zone option needs zone-by-zone measurements.
- 04
If a scar evaluated here is also unstable or painful, DC 7804's Note (3) permits an evaluation under that code in addition to this one.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind3 tips
- 01
An exam that records scar length, or a general description, but never the area — the four tiers of DC 7801 are area thresholds and an unmeasured scar cannot be placed on any of them.
- 02
An exam that never addresses whether underlying soft tissue damage is present. Without that finding the scar reads as a DC 7802 scar, where the only available evaluation is 10 percent at 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater.
- 03
Measurements taken without noting the body zone. Note (2)'s separate-evaluation-per-zone option, combined under § 4.25, cannot be applied to an undifferentiated total, even though that total still supports the alternative of adding areas across zones.
Common filing mistakes3 tips
- 01
Describing the scar as deep or irregular in shape and stopping there. Depth and shape are not what DC 7801 measures; the association with underlying soft tissue damage, and the area covered, are.
- 02
Submitting only the operative report from the original injury with no current measurement of the resulting scar.
- 03
Leaving instability and pain out of the claim entirely. DC 7804 evaluates unstable or painful scars by count and its Note (3) allows that evaluation alongside this one, while DC 7805 sends any other disabling effect to an appropriate diagnostic code.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
The code's title reaches burn scars and scars due to other causes alike, so the scar dates from the burn, wound, or surgery that produced it. What places it under DC 7801 is the state of the healed scar — specifically, whether it is associated with damage to the soft tissue underneath.
YOUR SERVICE STORY
Military jobs associated with Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck)
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THE BROADER PICTURE
Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) by the numbers
- Veterans service-connected
- ~5,600 veterans
- Typical rating awarded
- ~20%
Vetrify editorial estimates informed by VA published claims data (VBA Annual Benefits Report) and the VA rating schedule, not official VA statistics.
LET’S CLEAR A FEW THINGS UP
Common questions about Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck)
Is Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) under VASRD diagnostic code 7801 (Skin Conditions). DC 7801 covers burn scars, and scars from any other cause, that are not on the head, face, or neck and that are associated with underlying soft tissue damage. That association with the tissue beneath the scar is what places a scar under this code rather than DC 7802 — not how deep the scar looks and not whether it runs in a straight line. The rating is then set by area: how much of the body the qualifying scar or scars cover, starting at 6 square inches (39 sq. cm.).
What VA disability rating can I get for Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck)?
Possible VA ratings for Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) are 40%, 30%, 20%, 10%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 40%: Area or areas of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater; 30%: Area or areas of at least 72 square inches (465 sq. cm.) but less than 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.); 20%: Area or areas of at least 12 square inches (77 sq. cm.) but less than 72 square inches (465 sq. cm.).
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck)?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) at around 20%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 5,600 veterans are service-connected for Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck).
What evidence helps prove Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck) claim includes: An exam or dermatology note giving the measured area of each scar in square inches or square centimeters; A finding in the record stating whether the scar is associated with underlying soft tissue damage, which is this code's threshold question; Operative, burn-unit, or wound-care records from the original injury describing what the wound involved beneath the skin; Photographs identifying where each scar sits on the body, so the affected zones under Note (1) are clear.
Which DBQ is used for Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck)?
VA's Scars Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) is on its public list of DBQs. VA's page says: "You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers."
What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck)?
Common pitfalls when filing for Scars With Underlying Soft Tissue Damage (Not of the Head, Face, or Neck): Describing the scar as deep or irregular in shape and stopping there. Depth and shape are not what DC 7801 measures; the association with underlying soft tissue damage, and the area covered, are; Submitting only the operative report from the original injury with no current measurement of the resulting scar; Leaving instability and pain out of the claim entirely. DC 7804 evaluates unstable or painful scars by count and its Note (3) allows that evaluation alongside this one, while DC 7805 sends any other disabling effect to an appropriate diagnostic code.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.118, Schedule of ratings, skin conditions (Diagnostic Code 7801)
- 38 CFR § 4.7, higher of two evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.31, zero percent evaluations
Criteria in quotation marks are the regulation’s own words; everything else on this page is Vetrify’s summary of it. The eCFR text is authoritative. See how Vetrify derives its numbers.
How these figures are checked: our methodology and the open dataset.
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