Your property taxes are too high.
We fix that.

Great question — this is one of the most misunderstood parts of Texas property tax. HCAD sets your market value first, then your appraised value (what you're taxed on) is the lesser of either the market value or last year's appraised value + 10% (that's the homestead cap). When we reduce your market value, one of two things happens: (1) Immediate savings — if the market value drops below your current capped appraised value, your appraised value drops too and you save right away. (2) Future compounding savings — if the market value is still above your cap, you don't save this year, but the lower market value means the cap catches up from a lower ceiling. This compounds over time and can save you thousands in future years. Either way, there's no downside to protesting.

Our Full Service fee is 20% of your first year's property tax savings — not 20% of the value reduction. For example: if we reduce your property tax bill by $1,000/year, our fee is $200. If we reduce it by $2,500/year, our fee is $500. If we don't save you anything, you pay $0. This is Houston's lowest rate — most competitors charge 25–40%.

Cost-to-cure is an appraisal method that deducts the estimated repair cost of property deficiencies from your market value. It's recognized by USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice) and the Appraisal Institute. If your roof is 15 years old, your kitchen hasn't been updated, or you have foundation issues — those all reduce what a buyer would pay for your home. HCAD's mass appraisal doesn't account for these property-specific conditions, but we do. This is one of the biggest advantages of working with us. Most protest firms skip cost-to-cure entirely because it requires actual property knowledge. We include it in every report — it often adds $5,000–$50,000+ in additional deductions.

The iSettle Pack ($199) is a professional evidence package built by our team. Our founder Tim personally reviews every report before delivery — looking for additional deductions and stronger angles to push your value as low as possible. You get Full Service quality evidence. The only difference is you submit it yourself through HCAD's iSettle system (takes about 10 minutes of copying and pasting). Most protests resolve through iSettle with no hearing needed. Full Service (20%) means we handle absolutely everything — filing, evidence, negotiation, and ARB hearings if needed. Choose iSettle Pack if you want to keep more of your savings and don't mind 10 minutes of copy-pasting. Choose Full Service if you want zero involvement.

Because property tax protests are the only thing we do. Other firms spread resources across bill negotiation, insurance, energy services, and operations in dozens of states. We run a lean, focused operation — 100% dedicated to getting Houston homeowners the lowest possible HCAD appraisal. Less overhead, sharper focus, better results, lower rate.

We guarantee the iSettle Pack will save you at least $199. If your tax savings come in lower, we refund the difference — so you never lose money. For example, if you save $150, we refund $49. Given that the average Houston protest saves homeowners hundreds of dollars, this is extremely rare.

May 15 — or 30 days after HCAD mails your Notice of Appraised Value, whichever is later. HCAD typically mails notices in April. We recommend signing up as early as possible so we have maximum time to build the strongest case.

Full Service: No — we attend all hearings on your behalf. You never need to set foot in HCAD's office. iSettle Pack: Most residential protests resolve through HCAD's online iSettle system with no hearing needed. However, if HCAD doesn't make an acceptable iSettle offer and your case goes to an ARB hearing, you would need to attend yourself (or you can upgrade to Full Service at that point and we'll handle it for you).

For Full Service: you pay nothing. Zero. For iSettle Pack: our guarantee covers you — if you save less than $199, we refund the difference. We're incentivized to fight for every dollar because that's the only way we succeed.

Yes — and switching is automatic. When we file your protest, we submit a new Form 50-162 (Appointment of Agent) with HCAD, which automatically replaces your old firm as your representative. You don't need to contact them, cancel anything, or deal with any paperwork — the new filing overrides it. Just make sure your current firm hasn't already filed a 2026 protest for you, since HCAD only allows one protest per property per year. If you're unsure, we can check for you.

Absolutely — and the benefit is actually permanent. While the over-65 exemption freezes your school district tax amount, your county, city, and MUD taxes are not frozen — they still go up when your assessed value increases. A successful protest lowers those taxes immediately. Even better, reducing your assessed value permanently lowers your school district tax ceiling, which saves you money every single year going forward. Most over-65 homeowners don't realize protesting is one of the best financial moves they can make.

Yes. HCAD reassesses every year, and values almost always start high. Both plans auto-renew annually — Full Service customers get protested every year automatically, and iSettle Pack customers receive a fresh evidence package every protest season. You can cancel anytime with no hassle.

Because HCAD is unique. Every appraisal district has its own quirks, data systems, and appraiser tendencies. A firm that protests in 7 or 50 states can't know Houston the way we do. We analyze HCAD data daily, we know which comps work, and we understand the local market at a micro-neighborhood level. That focus translates directly into better results for you.

Because instant calculators produce generic estimates that HCAD appraisers have seen thousands of times — and know exactly how to dismiss. They use simple formulas that don't account for your specific neighborhood code, your property's condition, or the nuances that actually win protests. Our reports are built from HCAD's own data, use their neighborhood classifications, include USPAP-standard cost-to-cure analysis, and are founder-reviewed before delivery. It takes more time — typically delivered by next business day — but the result is evidence that actually holds up, not a number HCAD will laugh at.

In most cases, accept the iSettle offer if it's within 5-10% of our opinion of value. If you reject it, your case goes to an informal hearing with an HCAD appraiser, and if that doesn't settle, it escalates to a formal ARB hearing before a 3-person panel. The ARB is NOT bound by the iSettle offer — they can set a higher value than what iSettle originally offered, and once they decide, you can't go back. A guaranteed reduction via iSettle is almost always better than the uncertainty of a hearing.