Questions & Answers
What this tool does,
and doesn't do.
01 How do I know if I'm paying too much in property taxes? + -
We compare your home's assessed value per square foot to the median for comparable homes in your zip code. If you're meaningfully above the median — and your assessment ratio is outside a fair band — we flag you. This is called an equity-based analysis.
02 What does "overassessed" mean? + -
"Overassessed" means your home's assessed value — the number your county uses to calculate your tax bill — is higher than it should be compared to similar homes nearby. Even if your home's market value is accurate, if the county assessed it at a higher rate per square foot than your neighbors, you end up paying more than your fair share.
This is called an equity-based appeal: you're not arguing about what your home is worth, you're arguing that you were assessed at a different standard than comparable properties. Most states allow this type of challenge, and if it succeeds, your assessed value — and your tax bill — goes down.
03 What does it cost to file a protest? + -
Filing with your appraisal district directly is free. You fill out a form — usually available on your county's website — and attend an informal hearing. No fee required.
If you use a service like Ownwell, the fee is performance-based: you only pay if they win savings for you, and the fee is a percentage of what you save. If they don't reduce your bill, you owe nothing.
04 Do I have to use Ownwell? + -
No. Ownwell is one option — a good one for people who don't want to spend time on paperwork and hearings. But you can file a protest yourself at no cost. Each flagged parcel page links directly to your county appraisal district's filing portal when the appeal window is open.
We surface Ownwell because their no-upfront-cost model makes sense for most homeowners flagged here. But we don't hide the DIY option.
05 How often is your data updated? + -
We pull bulk assessment data directly from county appraisal districts. Most counties publish updated records once per year — typically in spring, after the new assessment roll is finalized. We update our database when new data is released and the site reflects the current tax year's assessments.
06 Is my address stored or sold? + -
No. This site requires no login and no email. When you type an address into the search box, it's used to find your parcel in our local database — nothing is sent to a third party or retained on our side. We don't build user profiles and we don't sell data.
07 Why isn't my county covered? + -
Each county requires its own data pipeline — different file formats, field names, and data quality. We add counties incrementally as we can validate the analysis produces reliable results.
If your county isn't listed, you can still get a professional assessment from Ownwell, which operates across many states.
08 What if my home is flagged but I disagree? + -
Our analysis is statistical — we compare your property to others in your zip code using assessed value per square foot. If your home has features that justify a higher assessment (recent renovations, a larger lot, a pool), the flag may not reflect your actual situation. You're always the best judge of your own property. The verdict page shows you the underlying numbers so you can decide for yourself whether an appeal makes sense.