Harris County Property Tax Protest Savings Calculator

See what a lower HCAD value would save, unit by unit, with Harris County's 2025 rates preloaded.

Short answer: savings = value reduction × your combined rate. In Houston (2.232575%), every $10,000 off your value saves about $223.26 a year.

Build your estimate

Rate source

Pick my taxing units

Enter a combined rate I already know

Taxing units

County

City

If you live outside any city limits, choose "Unincorporated / no city."

School district (ISD)

Search special districts

MUDs, ESDs, and similar districts depend on your exact address. None are selected by default — verify yours on your appraisal district's site.

Select a county first.

Property values

Noticed (appraised) value this year ($)

Target value after protest ($)

Support this with comparable sales or an unequal-appraisal comparison — see the prep checklist below.

Do you have a residence homestead exemption on this property?

Yes

Are you age 65+ or disabled?

Yes

Only affects the units-picker mode, where it adds the school homestead exemption automatically.

Per-unit savings
Taxing unit	Rate	Noticed tax	Target tax	Savings

Harris County example

$400,000 noticed → $360,000 target, homestead, pick Houston and Houston ISD, then tick Harris County Hospital District, Lone Star College System, Port of Houston Authority, San Jacinto Junior College District.

$7,700.68Tax at $400,000
$6,807.65Tax at $360,000
$893.03Yearly savings
2.232575%Combined rate

Appraisal district: Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD)
Protest deadline: May 15 (next business day if that falls on a weekend), or 30 days after the notice is mailed — whichever is later (Tax Code §41.44). Check your notice.

Questions

How much could a protest save in Houston?

If a $400,000 Houston homestead is lowered to $360,000, the bill drops by about $893.03 a year: the $40,000 reduction × the combined 2.232575%.

How do I file a protest with HCAD?

Online through the owners.hcad.org (iFile), using your account number and the unique iFile number in the upper-right corner of your Notice of Appraised Value. HCAD: 13013 Northwest Freeway, Houston TX 77040-6305. If you lost your iFile number, HCAD lists features.hcad.org (driver's license scan) or a contact request.

What is the Harris County protest deadline?

May 15 (next business day if that falls on a weekend), or 30 days after the notice is mailed — whichever is later (Tax Code §41.44). Your notice from HCAD shows the exact date.

Do I need to hire a protest company?

No. Filing is free and you can present your own evidence. The free HCAD protest kit walks you through it.