What Professional Art Appraisal Really Costs (and When You Need It)
By The ArtCollect Desk · 26 June 2026 · 1 min read
Kenya doesn't have a published standard appraisal-fee schedule for art — here's what's actually knowable about cost, and the four situations where paying for one is worth it regardless.
This desk isn't going to invent a specific shilling figure for what an appraisal costs in Kenya — no published, checkable fee schedule for art appraisal exists here the way it might for, say, real estate. What's genuinely knowable is when paying for one is worth it regardless of the exact fee.
Why there's no clean number to quote
Art appraisal in Kenya isn't a licensed, fee-regulated profession the way some other valuation services are — fees vary by appraiser, by the complexity of the piece, and by whether it's a single work or a collection. Any specific number this article quoted would be a guess dressed up as a fact, which is exactly what this desk has committed not to do.
The four situations where it's worth paying for one anyway
Donating an in-kind gift of real value, where the valuation directly affects what you can claim under Kenya's donation rules. Insuring a work, where the insurer will want an independent figure, not your own estimate. Settling an estate, where a documented professional valuation protects the estate and its beneficiaries from later disputes. And selling through any channel — private sale, consignment, or auction — that asks for a stated value or reserve before listing.
How to actually shop for one
Ask directly: what's included (a written report versus a verbal estimate), what comparables they're drawing on, and whether they have relevant experience with the type of work in question — a specialist in East African modernist painting isn't necessarily the right appraiser for contemporary photography or sculpture. Get the fee in writing before committing, the same way you'd want any other professional service quoted upfront.
— Otieno Odhiambo