Frequently Asked Questions

The free tool gives a reliable estimate within ±20% of the certified value in most cases. It uses the same five-pillar formula as our certified reports. For binding use in insurance, estate, or legal matters, you need a certified appraisal from a RICA appraiser — but for getting a sense of value quickly, the tool is the best free option available.

The tool produces four values: Resale Value (fair market value for private sale), Insurance Value (full replacement cost including dealer premium — 2.6× resale), Retail Replacement (what it would cost to replace at a retail dealer — 2.2× resale), and Auction Estimate (expected hammer price at public auction — 0.75× resale).

This is correct and expected. Insurance value reflects the cost to replace the rug at a retail dealer, including dealer markup, sourcing time, and the risk premium. If your rug was destroyed tomorrow and you tried to replace it at a dealer, you would pay significantly more than another private seller would accept for the same rug. Most insurance policies for rugs should be written at the insurance replacement value, not the resale value.

Select "Medium — 80–199 KPSI" as the default for most hand-knotted rugs. If your rug is very fine silk (like a Qom or Hereke), select Ultra-fine. If it's a coarser tribal piece you can feel the knots on the back of, select Coarse or Tribal. When in doubt, Medium is the right default for Persian, Turkish, and Indian workshop rugs.

A RUG Index certified appraisal is a written appraisal report prepared by a RICA-certified appraiser using the RUG Index five-pillar grading standard. It includes a physical inspection of the rug, all five pillar scores with multipliers, the full calculation, and four certified value outputs. It is signed and sealed by the appraiser and accepted by insurance carriers, estate courts, and financial institutions.

The physical inspection takes 60–90 minutes depending on the number of rugs. Reports are delivered as certified PDFs within 3–5 business days of the inspection. Estate/Legal reports with priority scheduling are available within 1–2 business days.

No — the appraiser comes to you. Physical inspections are conducted at your home, office, storage facility, or any location where the rug is kept. For very small rugs (under 3×5), shipping to the appraiser may also be arranged.

Yes — RUG Index reports are formatted specifically for insurance use. They include the insurance replacement value and retail replacement cost that underwriters need to set coverage limits. We are actively working with regional carriers to list RICA appraisers as preferred providers. If your carrier has a question about our methodology, contact us and we'll speak with them directly.

Our Estate/Legal reports ($250) are formatted for IRS compliance, including the qualified appraisal requirements for Form 8283 (used for charitable contributions over $5,000). Always consult your CPA or tax attorney regarding specific deductibility questions.

Yes. All RICA-certified appraisers are required to maintain current USPAP compliance as a condition of their certification. USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice) compliance is verified at initial certification and at each annual renewal.

Every listing on the RUG Index marketplace is reviewed and approved by our team before going live. We verify that the listing description is accurate, the photos are genuine, and the asking price is reasonable relative to the certified value. Sellers who have a RICA appraisal for their rug can display it alongside the listing for additional buyer confidence.

Click any listing on the marketplace, then click "Make an Offer." Enter your offer amount and an optional message to the seller. We review all offers and connect the buyer and seller once an offer is accepted. You do not need to pay anything to make an offer.

Listings are typically reviewed and approved within 1 business day of submission. You'll be notified by email when your listing is approved and live on the marketplace.

There is a $25 listing fee charged at time of submission. This covers the cost of review and ensures that only serious, genuine listings appear on the marketplace. A 7% success commission is also charged on the final sale price when a listing sells. If you prefer not to pay upfront, consider our consignment option, which has no upfront fee but charges a higher success fee of 20–25%.

Self-listing ($25 + 7% on sale): You list the rug yourself, upload photos, and manage inquiries. We approve the listing and it appears on the marketplace. Lower total fee if it sells.

Consignment (20–25% on sale, no upfront): We handle everything — we come to you, photograph the rug professionally, grade it, list it, handle all buyer inquiries, and manage the sale. No upfront cost. Better service, higher success fee.

The fee is a percentage of the final sale price: 20% for rugs under $5,000, 22% for $5,000–$15,000, and 25% for rugs over $15,000. There are no other fees — no photography fee, no storage fee, no listing fee.

Funds are sent to you within 3–5 business days after the buyer confirms receipt of the rug and the sale is considered final.

If your rug hasn't sold within 6 months, we'll contact you to discuss options — price reduction, returning the rug to you, or extending the listing period. We never sell a rug below your agreed floor price without your consent.

Origin & Region, Material Quality, Age & Provenance, Condition Grade, and Knot Density (KPSI). Each pillar is a multiplier applied to the base square-footage value. The full formula is: sqft × $12 × origin × material × age × condition × kpsi = resale midpoint. See the full standard for all multiplier tables.

Because without a standard, every appraiser uses their own judgment. One appraiser might weight condition heavily while another focuses on age. The RUG Index standard eliminates this by specifying exact multipliers for every variable. Two RICA appraisers examining the same rug should produce values within the ±20% confidence range of each other.

The $12/sqft base rate represents the average cost of a basic hand-knotted rug before any quality or origin premiums are applied. It was derived by analyzing hundreds of documented rug transactions across condition grades, origins, and ages, then back-calculating the base rate that produces the most accurate midpoints when the multipliers are applied.

RICA stands for RUG Index Certified Appraiser. It is the only credential that qualifies an appraiser to issue official RUG Index certified reports. RICA requires USPAP compliance, completion of our training course, passing our certification exam, and submission of a practice report. Annual renewal with CE credits is required.

Yes — USPAP compliance is required before applying for RICA. If you are not yet USPAP certified, we can refer you to approved training providers. All other aspects of RICA training are specific to our standard and methodology.

$595 for initial certification (includes training, exam, and first year). $195/year for annual renewal (includes required CE credits and continued access to all RICA tools and referral network).

Your coverage should be at the insurance replacement value — not the resale value. For a rug with a resale value of $10,000, the insurance replacement value is approximately $26,000 (2.6× multiplier). This reflects the cost to source and purchase a comparable rug from a retail dealer, including dealer markup and sourcing time. Under-insuring at resale value is one of the most common mistakes rug owners make.

Yes. RUG Index reports are formatted specifically for insurance use and include all the information underwriters need: the insurance replacement value, the appraiser's USPAP credentials, the RICA number, physical description, condition documentation, and photographs. If your carrier has a specific form they require, contact us and we'll work with your appraiser to format accordingly.

All payments are processed securely through Stripe. We do not store credit card information. You can pay with any major credit card, debit card, or Apple/Google Pay where available.

Appraisal fees are refundable in full if you cancel before the inspection is scheduled. Once the inspection has been scheduled and confirmed, the fee is non-refundable. If we fail to deliver a report within the stated timeframe, a full refund will be issued.

Yes — if your listing is rejected by our review team, the $25 listing fee will be refunded in full. Rejections are rare and typically result from incomplete information or photos. We'll always tell you why a listing was rejected and give you the opportunity to resubmit.

The 7% commission is invoiced after a sale is confirmed. It is not automatically deducted. We'll send you an invoice once the buyer confirms receipt of the rug and the sale is final. Payment is due within 7 business days.