For 20 years, I have protested at the Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) myself. HCAD representatives are glad to see anyone that is not an agent for others.

First off, **you should protest every year**. There's no downside since your taxes won't go up if you fail, but if you succeed in gaining a reduction from your appraised value, then the amount they can tax you will be off a lower number.

There are two basic things I protest:

**1. Any errors made in the paperwork.** Bring evidence (photographs, plans, etc.) so that the HCAD representative can see the errors. For instance, this year for the first time in twenty years the square footage of my house increased because HCAD mistakenly called a garage part of my home. I brought pictures to prove that it has always been a garage and HCAD corrected their mistake to the proper square footage.

**2a. Protest the market value compared to recent sales in your neighborhood. ** HCAD is *required* to provide sales in your neighborhood from the last three years. The last year of sales data is best for comparing to your market value. See if two or three sales are less than the value of your property. Note that HCAD will likely not change the value of your land, so make sure your value is the same as your neighbor's sale once you took the land out. Compare only the improvement values to your neighbor for the structure value of the house, and give your neighbor a + or – for the difference in land values. **Finally, see the attached sheet called "Harris County Appraisal District Residential Percent Good Schedule" to compare the quality and age of the improvement of your house to your neighbor's house. This will allow you to show a true comparison to your neighbor's house.**

2b. A second way to compare your house to your neighbor is by comparing the apples to apples improved value of your house to the tax value of your neighbor's improvement to their home from the previous year. After finding good homes to compare to yours, use the same attached HCADRPGS image.

** Note that the HCADRPGS is not provided by HCAD online**

If you have any tips to share with others or myself, please do share below.

For 20 years, I have protested at the Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) myself. HCAD representatives are glad to see anyone that is not an agent for others.

First off, **you should protest every year**. There's no downside since your taxes won't go up if you fail, but if you succeed in gaining a reduction from your appraised value, then the amount they can tax you will be off a lower number.

There are two basic things I protest:

**1. Any errors made in the paperwork.** Bring evidence (photographs, plans, etc.) so that the HCAD representative can see the errors. For instance, this year for the first time in twenty years the square footage of my house increased because HCAD mistakenly called a garage part of my home. I brought pictures to prove that it has always been a garage and HCAD corrected their mistake to the proper square footage.

**2a. Protest the market value compared to recent sales in your neighborhood. ** HCAD is *required* to provide sales in your neighborhood from the last three years. The last year of sales data is best for comparing to your market value. See if two or three sales are less than the value of your property. Note that HCAD will likely not change the value of your land, so make sure your value is the same as your neighbor's sale once you took the land out. Compare only the improvement values to your neighbor for the structure value of the house, and give your neighbor a + or – for the difference in land values. **Finally, see the attached sheet called "Harris County Appraisal District Residential Percent Good Schedule" to compare the quality and age of the improvement of your house to your neighbor's house. This will allow you to show a true comparison to your neighbor's house.**

2b. A second way to compare your house to your neighbor is by comparing the apples to apples improved value of your house to the tax value of your neighbor's improvement to their home from the previous year. After finding good homes to compare to yours, use the same attached HCADRPGS image.

** Note that the HCADRPGS is not provided by HCAD online**

If you have any tips to share with others or myself, please do share below.