How to get a painting appraised: free and paid options explained
Somewhere between “I think this might be worth something” and “I know exactly what to charge” sits a decision most artists and collectors put off for years: getting the painting properly appraised.
The confusion isn’t really about where to go. It’s about which option matches what you actually need, a quick sense of value versus a certified document that holds up for insurance, probate, or a sale. This guide walks through every real route, free and paid, and what each one is actually for.
First, what do you need the appraisal for?
This single question decides everything else. A formal, legally defensible appraisal, the kind required for insurance coverage, estate settlement, charitable donation, or divorce proceedings, must come from a credentialed appraiser and follow recognised standards. A preliminary estimate, the kind most artists need before deciding whether to sell, price, or insure a piece at all, can come from a much wider range of free and low-cost sources.
Do not use a free online estimate for insurance or legal purposes. Do not pay for a certified appraisal if all you need is a starting number. Matching the tool to the task saves both money and frustration.
Free option 1: Auction house online submission
Most major auction houses, Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Bonhams, Phillips, and a long list of regional houses, offer free online appraisal submission. You upload photos and details through their consignment portal and a specialist reviews them, typically within a few days to a couple of weeks. This is genuinely useful for gauging whether a piece has auction potential.
It’s worth being clear-eyed about why this is free: auction houses are lead-generation businesses. A free estimate exists to identify pieces worth consigning, and their incentive is to encourage a sale through their own house. That doesn’t make the estimate dishonest, but it does mean you’re getting one house’s view of one possible route to market, not an independent number.
Free option 2: Local auction house walk-in valuations
Many regional auction houses run walk-in valuation days, sometimes weekly, where you can bring a piece in person for a free, informal assessment. This works well for a quick gut check, especially for inherited or unfamiliar pieces where you’re not even sure what you’re looking at. It won’t produce a written document you can use for insurance.
Free option 3: AI-assisted online valuation
This is where a tool like Priceyourpainting fits. You upload a photo and details, dimensions, medium, year, materials cost, hours worked, and receive an estimated price range within seconds, based on comparable market data rather than a single specialist’s opinion. It’s free for the initial estimate, with a deeper, downloadable report available for a small one-off fee if you want more detail to work from.
The honest limitation: this, like every free or low-cost route, is a preliminary estimate. It’s excellent for deciding what to charge, whether a piece is worth pursuing further, or tracking how a body of work’s value moves over time. It is not a substitute for a certified appraisal when one is legally required.
Free option 4: Gallery or dealer opinion
If you already have a relationship with a gallery or dealer, many will give an informal opinion on value, particularly if there’s a chance they’d take the piece on consignment. Useful as one more data point, but subject to the same incentive question as auction houses: they benefit if you sell through them.
Paid option 1: Independent certified appraiser (USPAP-compliant)
For anything requiring a legally defensible number, insurance, estate, donation, divorce settlement, you need a written appraisal from a qualified, independent appraiser, typically credentialed through a professional body and compliant with recognised appraisal standards. Costs vary widely by region and complexity, but expect a genuine per-item or hourly professional fee rather than a flat low cost; this is specialist, accountable work, and the price reflects that.
What you get: a formal document stating fair market value or replacement value (these are different figures, used for different purposes), methodology, comparable sales cited, and the appraiser’s credentials. This is the only option on this list that will satisfy an insurer, a court, or a tax authority.
Paid option 2: Full appraisal report from an AI valuation platform
Some online valuation platforms, including Priceyourpainting’s Estimate+ report, offer a paid, detailed PDF report that goes beyond the free estimate: a fuller written description of the piece, supporting commentary, and a documented price range. This sits between the free quick estimate and a full certified appraisal, useful as a more thorough record for your own files, for a private sale, or for tracking a portfolio’s value over time, but it is not a substitute for a USPAP-style certified appraisal where one is legally required.
A quick decision guide
Insuring a valuable piece, settling an estate, or a legal matter: go straight to a certified independent appraiser. Don’t shortcut this one.
Deciding what to charge before a sale: start with a free AI estimate or auction house submission. Get a second opinion if the number surprises you.
Curious what an inherited piece might be worth: a local walk-in valuation day or a free online estimate is the fastest, lowest-friction starting point.
Building a body of work and want to track value over time: an AI valuation tool used consistently, revisited every few months, gives you a moving picture that a one-off certified appraisal can’t.
The one mistake to avoid
Don’t treat any single free estimate as gospel, and don’t assume a paid certified appraisal is overkill for a “small” painting. Value isn’t always where you’d expect it, and the cost of a wrong assumption, underinsuring a piece that turns out to be valuable, or paying for certification you didn’t need, is usually higher than the appraisal itself would have been.
Not sure which category your painting falls into?
Start with a free estimate and let the number guide your next step.
References
The Painting Advice, “How To Get A Painting Appraised For Free” - https://thepaintingadvice.com/how-to-get-a-painting-appraised-for-free/
Appraisily, “Free Art Evaluation: How to Get Your Artwork Appraised at No Cost” - https://appraisily.com/articles/free-art-evaluation/
Mearto, “How to get a free online appraisal (and why paying might be better)” - https://www.mearto.com/blog/how-to-get-a-free-online-appraisal-and-why-paying-might-be-better
Heritage Auctions, free appraisal submission service - https://fineart.ha.com/free-appraisals.s
Parker Fine Art Auctions, free auction valuations - https://www.parkerfineartauctions.com/free-valuations