RICA-certified appraisers serving Chicago and the entire metro area. Appraisals are conducted remotely from photos and measurements — nothing to schedule, nothing to transport. Valuation Snapshot from $35 and RICA Certified Appraisals from $175, formatted to meet documentation requirements commonly requested by U.S. insurance carriers; acceptance is subject to individual carrier requirements. Delivered in 3–5 business days.
Chicago has one of the most active fine rug markets in the Midwest, driven by a large base of Persian, South Asian, and Eastern European communities who brought significant rug collections with them, and by decades of antique rug trading along the North Shore and in the city's historic antique districts. The city holds a substantial number of pre-Revolution Persian rugs, Caucasian pieces, and Central Asian tribal rugs imported between 1950 and 1980 — many of which are now antique-grade and severely under-insured.
The most common problem we encounter in Chicago is insurance valuation. A rug purchased for $8,000 in 1985 may have an insurance replacement value of $60,000–$125,000 today, but the owner's policy still covers it at the original purchase price — or less. A physical appraisal corrects this and protects the actual asset.
Illinois estate law requires a qualified appraisal for personal property over $5,000 in an estate inventory. For collections accumulated over decades, the total often requires documentation for equitable distribution, estate tax purposes, or charitable donation. Our Legal, Estate or Tax Appraisal report ($295) is formatted for potential use in Illinois probate filings and for IRS Form 8283 charitable-donation submissions; admissibility and acceptance are determined by the relevant court or agency.
If you're considering selling through a Chicago auction house or dealer, a current certified appraisal establishes your reserve price and protects you from lowball offers. Dealers will always negotiate harder against an unappraised seller. A $175 comprehensive report typically pays for itself many times over in a negotiation.
The entire process is convenient — you never need to transport your rug.
Remote, photo-based appraisals for clients anywhere in the metro. No transport needed.
Outside the metro? We appraise rugs remotely anywhere in the US. Contact us.
All prices include remote review by a RICA-certified appraiser. No travel required.
Collection of 5+ rugs? Contact us for collection pricing.
If you have been searching for a rug appraisal near you in Chicago, you can skip the in-person visit. The RUG Index appraises Chicago rugs entirely online — submit photos and measurements, and a RICA-certified appraiser returns a signed report in 3–5 business days. It is the simplest way to get an oriental, antique, or Persian rug appraised in Chicago without leaving home. Compare coverage in other metros on our rug appraisers near me directory, or start a certified rug appraisal now.
Certified reports in 3–5 business days; Legal, Estate or Tax Appraisal in 5–7. Rush turnaround available, quoted on request.