Question 1

Is this a professional, certified appraisal?

Accepted Answer

No. This is a personal cost-based estimate only. It sums your documented costs (materials + labor + other costs) and applies an adjustment multiplier you choose. It does NOT calculate fair-market value, certified appraisal value, or insurance replacement value. A certified appraisal — for insurance scheduling, legal, or tax purposes — must be done by an AQS-certified or similarly credentialed appraiser who inspects the quilt in person and considers provenance, awards, maker reputation, and current market comparables.

Question 2

How is the base cost calculated?

Accepted Answer

Base cost = materials cost + (labor hours × hourly rate) + other documented costs. This is the cost-recovery floor: what it cost you in fabric, batting, thread, and other supplies plus the time you put in at your chosen hourly rate.

Question 3

What is the adjustment multiplier for?

Accepted Answer

It lets you apply your own judgment about the quilt's difficulty and condition. The default is 1.0 (no adjustment). Raise it above 1.0 for a complex, finely made, or excellent-condition quilt; lower it below 1.0 for a simple or worn quilt. There is no standard multiplier table — the value is yours to choose. Personal estimate = base cost × adjustment multiplier.

Question 4

How is this different from Price My Quilt?

Accepted Answer

Price My Quilt is a selling-pricing tool: it works out a list price from a target profit margin or markup, marketplace fees, and shipping, and reports profit, break-even, and realized wage. This estimator is a personal cost-based valuation: it totals your costs and applies your own adjustment, with no selling fees or profit target. Use Price My Quilt to set a selling price; use this estimator to reflect on what your quilt is worth to you based on its costs.

Question 5

Why are there no fixed complexity or condition multipliers?

Accepted Answer

Earlier versions of this tool published fixed multipliers (e.g. Beginner ×1.0, Advanced ×1.5, Good ×0.85) and attributed them to AQS appraisal guidelines. AQS does not publish such a fixed multiplier table — certified appraisal relies on market evidence and expert evaluation, not a formula. Those unsupported values were removed. The adjustment multiplier is now a single value you enter from your own judgment.

Quilt Cost-Based Value Estimator — Personal Value from Costs

What this calculator determines

Related calculators

Examples

$100 materials, 20 hrs @ $15, no other costs, no adjustment

$200 materials, 40 hrs @ $20, $50 other, 1.25 adjustment

Assumptions & Conventions

Frequently asked questions