When you open your annual appraisal notice from the county, there's a number on it that determines how much you'll pay in property taxes for the year. The appraisal district calls it your "market value." But that number isn't always right — and when it's wrong, it's almost always wrong in the district's favor, not yours.
Here are five signs that your property may be over-appraised, and what you can do about each one.
1. Your Appraised Value Is Higher Than What You'd Actually Sell For
This is the most straightforward test. If a knowledgeable buyer in today's market wouldn't pay what the appraisal district says your home is worth, the appraisal is probably too high.
Check recent sales in your neighborhood — not asking prices, but actual closed sales. Look at homes similar to yours in size, age, and condition. If they're selling for $320,000 and your property is appraised at $375,000, that gap is a problem. The appraisal district's value is supposed to reflect what your property would sell for on the open market as of January 1 of the tax year. If it doesn't, you have grounds to protest.
Where to find this data: your county appraisal district website lists recent sales, and sites like Realtor.com and Redfin show closed transaction prices. If you work with a real estate agent, they can pull MLS data with more detail.
2. Comparable Properties Are Appraised Lower Than Yours
Pull up the appraisal records for a few homes on your street or in your subdivision that are similar to yours. Same square footage range, same number of bedrooms and bathrooms, similar lot size, built around the same time. Now compare their appraised values to yours.
If your property is appraised significantly higher than comparable homes, that's evidence of unequal appraisal — and it's a legally recognized basis for protest in Texas under Section 41.43 of the Tax Code. You don't even need to prove that your market value is wrong. You just need to show that the appraisal district is treating your property differently from similar properties.
This is one of the most effective protest strategies available, and many homeowners don't realize it exists.
3. The Appraisal District Has Wrong Information About Your Property
Errors in your property record happen more often than you'd think. The appraisal district might have the wrong square footage, an incorrect number of bathrooms, a garage that doesn't exist, or a pool that was never built. Each of those errors inflates your appraised value.
Log into your county's appraisal district website and check the details on your property. Compare the listed square footage to what's on your actual survey or floor plan. Count the bathrooms. Check whether the property characteristics match reality. If anything is wrong, that's an easy win in a protest — and something you should correct regardless.
4. Your Property Has Condition Issues the District Doesn't Know About
Mass appraisal methods can't see inside your house. The appraisal district doesn't know about your 30-year-old roof, your foundation issues, the water damage in the master bedroom, or the HVAC system that's on its last legs. These are real factors that reduce your property's market value, but they won't show up in the district's records unless you tell them.
If your home has deferred maintenance or condition problems, document them. Take photos. Get repair estimates from licensed contractors. A foundation repair estimate showing $15,000 in needed work is powerful evidence in a property tax protest. It's concrete, it's specific, and it directly impacts what a buyer would pay for your home.
5. Your Value Increased Dramatically in a Single Year
If your appraised value jumped 20%, 30%, or more in a single year, take a closer look. While Texas real estate markets can be volatile — especially in the DFW metroplex, Austin, and Houston — a sudden spike often reflects the district applying broad market trends rather than analyzing your specific property.
Large year-over-year increases are especially worth protesting when the market has started to cool. Appraisal districts set values based on conditions as of January 1. If the market was strong through mid-year but softened in the fall, the district may have used data from the hot months to justify a value that no longer reflects reality.
Check the sales data from October through January in your area. If prices flattened or declined, that's evidence that the district's January 1 value is overstated.
What to Do If You See These Signs
If one or more of these signs apply to your property, you should seriously consider filing a protest. The process in Texas is designed to be accessible to property owners — you don't need a lawyer or special qualifications. You need evidence and a deadline (May 15 or 30 days after your notice is mailed, whichever is later).
Start by pulling comparable sales from your county appraisal district's website and comparing them to your value. Check your property details for errors. Document any condition issues. Then file a Notice of Protest before the deadline.
If the numbers are complex, the property is high-value, or you simply don't have time to build the case yourself, that's where a property tax consultant can help. A good consultant knows exactly which comps the appraisal district will find credible, how to frame an unequal appraisal argument, and how to present evidence at an informal hearing or ARB proceeding.
The worst that can happen when you protest is that your value stays the same. By law, it cannot go up as a result of filing a protest. There is no downside — only potential savings.