Texas property tax answers · Updated June 2026
How are comparable properties chosen for a tax protest?
The short answer
Good Texas comps come from the county's own appraisal roll: homes of similar size, age, and neighborhood, adjusted for differences, then compared as median value per square foot. Texas is a non-disclosure state, sale prices aren't public record, so equity comps from the public roll are the evidence you, the appraiser, and the review board can all verify.
Two kinds of comps, one big Texas catch
Sales comps are recently sold homes and support a market-value argument. Equity comps (assessment comps) are similar homes and their assessed values, supporting an unequal-appraisal argument under Tax Code Section 41.43(b)(3). In most states you'd lead with sales. Texas flips that, because Texas is a non-disclosure state: residential sale prices are not public record.
That catch has teeth. Any service that claims closed-sale comps in Texas owes you an answer to one question: where did the prices come from? If the source isn't named, neither you nor the appraisal district can verify the number, and an unverifiable comp can sink a hearing. It's the exact question we put to AppealDesk's AI-generated estimates, and it's why our packets use the county roll and name it.
What makes a comp survive scrutiny
- Same neighborhood or market area, ideally the district's own neighborhood code. Cross-neighborhood comps get challenged first.
- Similar living area, usually within about 10 to 20 percent of your square footage.
- Similar age and construction class. A 1985 ranch isn't a comp for a 2021 build.
- Adjusted, not raw: differences in size, condition, and features get dollar adjustments before comparing, which is what 'appropriately adjusted' in the statute means.
- Enough of them. One lucky low neighbor is cherry-picking; the statute's test is the median of a reasonable number of comparables, and five or more reads as a sample instead of an anecdote.
How we choose ours
The AppealMyTax packet selects comps from your county's actual appraisal roll, real parcels in your area filtered for similarity, then runs the per-square-foot median math the statute calls for. Every comp has a real account number you can look up in the district's public records before you pay anything. The free check shows your over-assessment and an actual comp in 30 seconds, and the full table arrives as hearing-ready evidence in the $99 packet.
See your over-assessment free, in 30 seconds
Search your address and see your exact over-assessment plus a real comparable from your county's appraisal roll. Free, no signup, no email. If the record shows a case, the $99 packet gives you the full comp table, the Section 41.43(b)(3) unequal-appraisal argument, and step-by-step filing instructions for your county. You file it yourself and keep 100% of the savings.
Check my address · FreeFlat $99, one time, no contingency. Every comp is a real, verifiable parcel from your county's public appraisal roll.