An online rug appraisal uses photographs, measurements, and documented provenance to produce a defensible, written valuation — usually within 1–3 business days, usually for a fraction of the cost of an in-person visit. Here is exactly how it works, what it costs, and when it is the right tool for the job.
An online rug appraisal is a formal, written valuation of a hand-knotted or hand-woven rug, produced by a qualified appraiser working from photographs, measurements, and owner-supplied history — rather than a physical inspection. For the majority of rugs in circulation today, this approach is fast, inexpensive, and accurate to within a few percentage points of an in-person valuation.
The practice is not new. Insurance companies, estate attorneys, and auction specialists have used photo-based valuations for decades. What has changed is the quality of smartphone photography, the availability of shared comparable-sales databases, and the emergence of standards like the RUG Index five-pillar formula that turn subjective judgment into a reproducible calculation.
A good online appraisal will tell you four things: what the rug is (origin, age, material, construction), what condition it is in, what it is worth in each of four standard value contexts, and why — with enough detail that an insurer, a probate court, or the IRS will accept the report at face value.
Each value is USPAP-compliant and signed by a RICA-certified appraiser. Accepted by all major U.S. insurance carriers, estate courts, and the IRS for charitable-donation purposes.
From upload to signed report, the entire process usually takes 1–3 business days. Rush service delivers in 24 hours.
The accuracy of an online appraisal depends almost entirely on the quality of the photographs. The five photos below are the minimum; a few extra shots of anything unusual will only help.
Lay the rug flat on a hard floor with natural light (open a blind, don't use flash). Stand directly over the center, or shoot from a second-floor landing. The entire rug should fill the frame with a thin margin of floor visible on all four sides.
Hold the camera 4–6 inches from the pile. The knots should be individually visible. This single photo tells the appraiser the material (wool, silk, cotton), the knot type (Turkish or Persian), and the approximate knot count.
Flip the rug over and photograph a 2×2 foot section of the back. The back reveals the true knot density, the foundation material, and whether the rug is hand-knotted or machine-made — a determination that cannot be made from the front alone.
A close photo of either end (the fringe) or either long side (the selvedge). This confirms construction technique and helps localize the origin — Caucasian, Turkish, and Persian rugs all finish their edges differently.
Be thorough and honest here. Photograph every worn area, loose fringe, moth damage, stain, patch, or reweave. Hiding damage invalidates the appraisal the moment an insurer or buyer sees the rug in person.
The formula behind each tier is identical. What changes is the depth of research, the turnaround, and whether the result is a free estimate or a signed legal document.
For the overwhelming majority of rugs in American homes, an online appraisal is accurate, fast, and inexpensive. Certain edge cases still warrant a physical inspection.
For the Chicago area, we offer in-person appraisals at our Skokie facility and on-site across the North Shore. See the Chicago appraisal guide for scheduling.
If you only want to know roughly what a rug is worth, the free valuation tool will tell you in about two minutes. If you need a document that an insurer, a court, or the IRS will accept, the Standard appraisal is $75 and delivered in a few business days.