I'm Josh Levine, a personal property and fine art appraiser in Phoenix, formerly J. Levine Auction & Appraisal. A torn canvas, a cracked bronze, a flooded storage unit, a crate that arrived empty: the loss itself is bad enough, and then the claim turns into a negotiation over a number nobody has documented. I write the documentation. My reports give a claims department what it needs to settle, and give an owner what they need if it doesn't.
When you need a damage or loss appraisal
Call me when something of value has been:
- Damaged in a move, in shipping or in storage.
- Damaged by water, fire, smoke or a contractor's accident.
- Stolen or lost, where the only evidence left is photographs and paperwork.
- Partially restored, and you need to know what it lost.
- Disputed, where the adjuster's number and your number are far apart.
The three numbers
Pre-damage value. What the piece was worth the moment before it was harmed, usually stated as retail replacement value for an insurance claim, built from comparable sales and current dealer pricing. If there's an earlier appraisal, I'll reconcile it with the market now.
Restoration cost. What a qualified conservator will charge to bring the piece as close to its prior state as possible. I work from a conservator's written estimate where one exists and can help you find the right one if it doesn't.
Diminution in value. The part most claims get wrong. A restored painting is still a restored painting, and the market knows it. The loss in value after restoration is stated as a percentage of the pre-damage value, supported by how the market treats comparable restored works. Together, restoration cost plus diminution is the real measure of the loss. For a total loss, the pre-damage value stands alone.
What you get
A report written for a claims file: the item described and photographed, the damage documented, the pre-damage value with its comparables, the restoration estimate, the diminution in value and the reasoning behind it, the value definitions used, the effective date, my credentials and a signed certification, all to USPAP standards. Claims departments want a report they can read in ten minutes and defend to a supervisor. That's how I write them.
For a Scottsdale claim in 2025, that meant a large 19th century oil painting of a reclining lion that had been torn during an interstate move. The moving company's claims department needed a replacement value report. I researched comparable sales at Sotheby's and Christie's, adjusted for size and quality, and traced a 1918 collection marking on the back for provenance. The report put the pre-damage retail replacement value at $45,000, the restoration cost at $27,130 and the post-restoration diminution in value at 25%, or $11,250.
Total loss and the photo problem
When a piece is gone, I value it from what remains: your photographs, receipts, prior appraisals, auction records, insurance schedules, emails with the dealer, even the outline on the wall where it hung. The more you can find, the tighter the value. Start gathering now, before you call, and don't throw away damaged pieces or packaging until the claim is closed. Both are evidence.
How the process works
Call or send photos and tell me what happened, who the claim is with and what deadline you're facing. I inspect the damage in person whenever possible, photograph everything, review the conservator's estimate or help you get one, research the market and write the report. You get a draft to confirm the facts, then the signed final to send to the adjuster or your attorney.
I'm also retained by moving companies, insurers and attorneys who want an independent valuation they can rely on. The method is the same whichever side calls. The number doesn't change with the client.
Timeline
Claims come with deadlines, and I treat them that way. Tell me the date on the first call. I reply within one business day, and a single-item damage report moves quickly once I've seen the piece and have the conservator's estimate in hand. Larger losses, like a flooded collection, take longer because each item has to be documented.
How quotes work
I quote the job up front based on the number of items, the research involved and whether travel is needed. The fee is never a percentage of the value or of the settlement and never depends on the outcome of the claim. I don't buy damaged art and I don't do restoration, so the report has nothing in it but the valuation.