5 Signs Your Firm’s Art Collection Needs an Appraisal and a Collection Cataloguing System
A quick guide for law, accounting, and finance firm leadership
The Gap Most Firms Overlook
Decades of art, no record of its value.
Most professional service firms start their art collection almost by accident — a partner’s gift, a lobby purchase, a piece inherited through a merger — and it grows for decades without ever being formally valued. That gap creates real exposure at renewal, at exit, and at tax time. Firms just beginning to build a collection face the same risk in reverse: getting documentation and valuation practices right from the start makes it far easier to protect and grow the collection over time.
Under-insurance means a loss isn’t fully covered. Over-insurance means you’re paying premiums on inflated values.
A Few Signs Worth a Second Look
Is it time to take stock?
Your insured value for art is based on an old invoice or a rough estimate, not a current appraisal.
No one at the firm can say with confidence what the collection is actually worth today.
Pieces have moved between offices, been inherited through a merger, or sat in storage with no updated documentation.
A partner who selected or donated key pieces is nearing retirement, with no succession record for those assets.
The firm is relocating, merging, or renovating — and no one has decided what happens to the collection.
Why It Matters
The cost of not knowing
Under-Insured
A loss isn’t fully covered. A single piece lost to fire, theft, or damage costs the firm far more than expected.
Over-Insured
You’re paying premiums on inflated values — money spent year after year for coverage the collection doesn’t need.
For law and accounting firms specifically, firm-owned art can factor into partner buy-sell agreements, estate planning, and tax filings — the same issues you already help clients navigate.
Why Work With Us
What sets Roux apart
ISA-accredited, USPAP-compliant appraisals recognized by insurers, courts, and tax authorities in both Canada and the U.S.
A boutique approach: direct access to Veronika and a small, specialized team, with professional, timely communication and discretion throughout.
Deep expertise in modern, contemporary, Canadian, and European art, so valuations reflect real market knowledge.
ArtVault International, our proprietary system, keeps your collection catalogued and current long after the appraisal is delivered.
Bilingual and trilingual service (English, French, Czech) with an established network across Canada, the U.S., France, and the Czech Republic.
Handling suited to firms managing sensitive client and partner relationships.
What a Professional Appraisal Provides
The deliverables
A current, defensible valuation for insurance renewal or claims
Documentation suitable for partner buy-sell agreements, estate, and tax purposes
A clear record if the collection needs to move, be divided, or be sold
ISA-accredited reporting recognized by insurers, courts, and tax authorities
Ongoing collection management and cataloguing, so every piece is documented and easy to track over time
Beyond the Appraisal
Ongoing Collection Management
Once a collection is appraised, it still needs to be tracked — condition, location, valuation updates, insurance schedules, provenance. We manage this through ArtVault International, our proprietary collection management system, so your firm always has a current, centralized record.
Centralized Record
Every piece documented: valuation, condition, provenance, location.
Automatic Flags
Alerts when insurance values fall out of date.
Built to Scale
Designed for firms managing pieces across multiple offices or cities.
Who We Are
Roux Appraisals is a Montreal- and Paris-based art appraisal and collection management boutique founded by Veronika Roux-Vlachova, a member of the International Society of Appraisers (ISA), covering modern and contemporary art with a strong knowledge in Canadian and European artists.
Veronika brings an analytical foundation from her early career on Wall Street and as a Stock Photography industry executive, holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and an MBA in International Business, and has completed a Modern Art certificate at Oxford. Reports are fully USPAP-compliant and valid for use in both Canada and the United States.
Trusted by trust & estate firms, law practices, accounting offices, and wealth management professionals
English, French, and Czech, with an international network across Canada, the US, France, Czech Republic and Europe
Collection Management Services
Our Services
Roux Appraisals is a boutique art appraisal and collection management firm with offices in Montreal and Paris, serving clients across the Americas and Europe. Our collection management services are delivered through ArtVault International, our proprietary cataloguing system, giving each client full access to their collection database with real-time visibility into composition, condition, and market performance.
Our appraisals are fully USPAP-compliant and meet requirements for use in both Canada and the United States. Services are available in English, French, and Czech.
What We Offer
Set-Up — Essential
A complete digital record of your collection using existing documentation, entered into our platform with all available backup materials, titles, attribution data, and ownership history. Ideal for establishing a structured, professional baseline.
Set-Up — Comprehensive
A full due diligence intake including professional photography, physical measurements, condition notes, provenance research, and chain-of-title verification. Recommended for insurance, estate, and resale purposes.
Annual Database Maintenance
Ongoing stewardship of your collection record, including updates to auction results and provenance developments. Your subscription includes a full license to our proprietary software platform, accessible to you and your authorized advisors — including real estate and legal professionals — at any time.
Market Monitoring & Art Presentations
Continuous tracking of market values, auction results, and comparable sales relevant to your collection, ensuring your records reflect current market conditions. This service also includes two to three curated presentations per year to your firm or team, focused on artists, movements, and periods of particular interest to your holdings.
Appraisal Services
USPAP-compliant appraisals prepared on demand or on a recommended 3–5 year renewal cycle for insurance and estate purposes. Fees are estimated at $200 per hour; total cost depends on collection size, complexity, and research requirements. Appraisals are accepted by major insurers and estate jurisdictions in Canada and the United States.
Collection Management Services
Fee Schedule
| Collection Size | Essential Set-Up | Comprehensive Set-Up | Annual Database | Market Monitoring & Art Presentations | Appraisal† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 5 pieces | Starting at $500 | Starting at $1,000 | Starting at $500 | Included | Starting at $800 |
| Up to 10 pieces | Starting at $1,000 | Starting at $2,000 | Starting at $1,000 | Included | Starting at $1,600 |
| Up to 25 pieces | Starting at $2,500 | Starting at $5,000 | Starting at $2,500 | Included | Starting at $3,200 |
| Up to 50 pieces | Starting at $5,000 | Starting at $10,000 | Starting at $5,000 | Included | Starting at $6,000 |
| Up to 100 pieces | Starting at $10,000 | Starting at $20,000 | Starting at $10,000 | Included | Starting at $10,000 |
| 100 pieces + | TBD | TBD | TBD | Included | TBD |
| Additional pieces | TBD — based on quantity & style | TBD — based on quantity & style | TBD — based on quantity & style | Included | TBD — based on quantity & style |
* Sales tax to be added to all amounts listed above. † Appraisal fees estimated at $200 per hour; total cost depends on collection size and complexity.
Get Started
A brief walkthrough of your collection — no cost, no obligation — is usually enough to tell you whether a full appraisal, ongoing art collection management, or both, are warranted.