Rob Hartley

Founder, AppealDesk · February 16, 2026

How Much Does a Property Tax Appeal Cost?

Updated February 2026 · 9 min read

The Filing Itself Is Always Free

Every county in the United States allows homeowners to challenge their property tax assessment at no cost. There is no government filing fee, no application charge, and no fee to attend a hearing. This is a legal right, not a paid service — the National Taxpayers Union Foundation estimates that 30-60% of properties are overassessed, yet fewer than 5% of homeowners ever file. With U.S. homeowners paying over $600 billion annually in property taxes, even small overassessment percentages represent billions in overpayments.

The cost question is really about how much help you want gathering evidence, preparing your case, and navigating your county’s process. Here’s what each level of help actually costs.

Property Tax Appeal Costs at a Glance

Option 1: DIY Appeal — $0

You can research comparable sales yourself using your county assessor’s website, Zillow, Redfin, and public records. You’ll need to identify 3-5 recent sales of similar properties, adjust for differences in square footage, lot size, age, and condition, and present this data in a clear format to your county’s review board. For detailed step-by-step instructions on the entire DIY process, see our complete DIY appeal guide.

The challenge is time and data access. Professional services use MLS databases and assessment records that aren’t always available to the public. According to the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO), effective appeals require understanding your county’s assessment ratio — a step most DIY homeowners skip. Expect to spend 15-40 hours researching, preparing evidence, and filing.

Best for: Homeowners with time, research skills, and comfort navigating county bureaucracy. If your hourly time is worth more than a few dollars, a flat-fee service may be more efficient.

Option 2: Flat-Fee Evidence Service — $49

AppealDesk charges a flat $49 regardless of your property value or how much you save. For that, you receive a professional evidence packet with comparable sales analysis, assessment ratio verification, a county-specific filing guide, and a cover letter formatted for your review board.

You file the appeal yourself using the step-by-step instructions — typically a 10-15 minute process through your county’s online portal. The key advantage is that you keep 100% of your savings above the $49 fee. On a $2,000 annual reduction, that’s $1,951 in your pocket versus $1,300-1,500 with a contingency service.

AppealDesk covers all 50 states and over 3,100 counties, including rural areas that larger firms skip. The evidence packet is generated in minutes rather than days. If you're questioning whether the savings justify any cost at all, read our analysis of whether appealing property taxes is worth it.

Best for: Homeowners who want professional evidence without paying a percentage of their savings. If you can spend 10-15 minutes filing online, this approach maximizes your net savings.

Option 3: Contingency-Based Services — 25-50% of Savings

Full-service companies like Ownwell (25-35%) and O’Connor & Associates handle everything: researching comparable sales, filing your appeal, and attending hearings on your behalf. You pay nothing upfront — their fee comes out of your first year’s savings.

The appeal of this model is zero risk — if they don’t reduce your assessment, you owe nothing. The trade-off is that successful appeals cost significantly more than flat-fee alternatives. On a $3,000 annual reduction, Ownwell’s fee is $750-1,050 versus AppealDesk’s $49. For a detailed analysis of whether these percentage-based fees make financial sense, see our guide on whether property tax protest companies are worth it.

Coverage varies. Ownwell operates in 9 states. O’Connor covers 40+ states and has been in business since 1974. Regional firms like NTPTS (Dallas-Fort Worth only) and PropertyTax.io (Texas only) serve narrower areas.

Best for: Homeowners who want zero involvement in the appeal process and are comfortable paying a percentage of their savings for convenience. Also makes sense if your expected savings are very small (under $196/year), since the contingency model means you’d pay less than $49.

Option 4: Property Tax Attorney — $600-2,500+

Property tax attorneys charge $200-500 per hour or work on contingency (25-40% of savings). For a standard residential appeal based on comparable sales, an attorney is usually overkill — you’re paying legal rates for work that doesn’t require legal expertise.

Attorneys make sense in specific situations: commercial property appeals with complex valuation methods, disputes over assessment methodology rather than property value, multi-year correction requests, or appeals involving unique properties (historic buildings, agricultural land, mixed-use) where standard comparable sales analysis doesn’t apply.

In Cook County, Illinois, firms like KSN Law (Appeal.Tax) specialize in the county’s triennial assessment system and provide legal representation before the Board of Review. In Texas, firms like Five Stone Tax Advisers handle protests through the Appraisal Review Board process.

Best for: Commercial properties, complex cases, or situations where you need to challenge assessment methodology rather than just comparable values.

Hidden Costs to Watch For

• Multi-year contingency locks: Some services charge their percentage not just on year-one savings but on every year the reduction remains in effect. Read the contract carefully — a 3-year lock at 25% triples the effective fee.
• Appraisal fees: If your county requires a formal appraisal (not the same as an assessment), independent appraisals cost $300-500 for residential properties. Most standard appeals don’t require one.
• Time cost: DIY appeals take 15-40 hours. At any reasonable hourly rate, that “free” appeal has a real cost. A $49 flat-fee service that saves you 20+ hours of research is effectively paying you to use it.
• Hearing attendance: If your county requires an in-person hearing and you use a DIY or evidence-only service, you’ll need to take time off work. Many counties now offer phone, video, or written hearings as alternatives.

The Return on Investment Math

Property tax reductions typically last 1-3 years until the next reassessment cycle, according to the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. A $1,000 annual reduction that lasts 2 years saves $2,000 total. At AppealDesk’s $49, that’s a 40:1 return. At Ownwell’s 25%, you’d pay $250 in year one (total savings: $1,750 over two years, a 7:1 return).

Even at the low end — a $500 annual reduction lasting one year — a $49 flat fee delivers a 10:1 return. The national success rate of 40-60% means more appeals succeed than fail, making any reasonable investment in professional evidence a positive expected-value decision. Use our free appeal checklist to make sure you have everything you need before filing.

When It Doesn’t Make Sense to Pay for Help

Skip paid services if your assessment is clearly accurate or below market value. If comparable sales in your neighborhood support your county’s assessed value, no amount of professional evidence will change the outcome. Use AppealDesk’s free overassessment calculator to check before spending anything.

Also consider whether you’ve already claimed all available exemptions. Homestead exemptions, senior freezes, and disability exemptions reduce your tax bill without requiring an appeal — and they’re free to apply for.

Frequently Asked Questions