Ownwell vs DIY vs AppealMyTax in Florida: True Cost Comparison for 2026
Published May 15, 2026 · AppealMyTax
What Ownwell costs in Florida vs. DIY vs. AppealMyTax
Florida property tax appeal services are everywhere — Ownwell, TaxBuddy, Texas Protax (now expanded to FL), independent property tax consultants. Pricing varies wildly. Here's the actual math for a typical Florida homeowner.
Setup: typical Florida homeowner
We'll use a homesteaded single-family home in Hillsborough County (Tampa):
- Just value (TRIM): $425,000
- Save Our Homes assessed value: $385,000
- Estimated overassessment: $50,000 (just value exceeds market by ~12%)
- Effective tax rate: 0.99%
- Annual tax savings if successful: ~$495
- Effective Save Our Homes-protected 10-year savings: ~$5,000-$6,500
Now let's price 4 options.
Option 1: Ownwell
Ownwell charges 35% of first-year savings in Florida (higher than their 25% Texas rate).
- First-year savings: $495
- Ownwell cut: $173 (35%)
- You keep: $322 (year 1)
- Year 2-10 (cap-protected): you keep everything ($495/year × 9 years × inflation)
Ownwell pros: hands-off, they handle filing and the hearing. They typically don't pursue circuit court appeals.
Ownwell cons: 35% is steep, and you give up the relationship with your own filing record. If they don't pursue your case aggressively, you have no recourse.
Option 2: Property tax consultant (independent)
Independent FL property tax consultants typically charge $200-$500 flat plus 25-30% of savings (combined fee structures vary).
- Flat fee: $350 (mid-range)
- Percentage: 25% × $495 = $124
- Total cost year 1: $474
- You keep year 1: $21 (barely break-even)
Consultants pros: usually a licensed Florida appraiser or attorney handles the case. Can pursue circuit court appeals.
Consultants cons: most expensive option in year 1. Only makes sense for high-value properties (>$1M just value).
Option 3: DIY
You can file DR-486 yourself for the $15 filing fee. Cost is your time.
Time investment:
- 60-90 minutes: research comparable sales
- 30 minutes: fill out DR-486
- 30 minutes: prepare evidence packet
- 15 minutes: file
- 30-60 minutes: VAB hearing attendance
Total: 3-4 hours.
- Direct cost: $15
- Time cost at $30/hour: $90-120
- You keep year 1: $495 - $15 - opportunity cost = ~$375-$390
DIY pros: lowest cost. You own the case and the evidence.
DIY cons: time-intensive. If you don't know what to file, you can lose on technicality (wrong reason boxes checked, missing evidence, weak comps).
Option 4: AppealMyTax $49 packet
We sit between DIY and Ownwell. The $49 packet gives you:
- Pre-filled DR-486 with your owner info, parcel ID, just value, and proposed corrected value
- 3-5 comparable sales pulled from the FL DOR 2025 Final NAL roll
- Comparable assessment sheet ($/sqft analysis)
- Cover letter formatted for VAB submission
- Filing instructions with your county's specific portal/address
- Save Our Homes compounding analysis
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Time investment: 15-30 minutes (download packet, sign, file).
- Filing fee + packet: $15 + $49 = $64
- You keep year 1: $495 - $64 = $431
- Total time: 30 minutes (vs. 3-4 hours DIY)
Year 1 comparison
| Option | Out-of-pocket | You keep | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ownwell (35%) | $0 | $322 | 0 hours |
| FL Tax Consultant | $474 | $21 | 1 hour |
| DIY | $15 | $480 (minus time) | 3-4 hours |
| AppealMyTax $49 packet | $64 | $431 | 0.5 hours |
10-year comparison (Save Our Homes compounding)
Assuming successful $50K reduction held through Save Our Homes cap:
- Total 10-year tax savings: ~$5,500
- Ownwell year-1-only cut: $173 (single year)
- AppealMyTax cumulative net: $5,436
- DIY cumulative net: $5,485 (with full time cost factored)
- Consultant: $5,026
For ongoing protection, AppealMyTax and DIY are mathematically identical over 10 years. The $49 packet just saves you the 3-4 hours of comp research and form preparation in year 1.
When to use each
- Use Ownwell if you have zero time and don't mind paying 35% indefinitely
- Use a property tax consultant if your property is high-value (>$1M just value) and you want a licensed pro
- Use DIY if you enjoy the research and have the time
- Use AppealMyTax if you want the DIY outcome without the time investment
We built the calculator and the $49 packet for Florida homeowners who want DIY economics without 3 hours of work. If you have a strong case (>$25K overassessment), the packet pays for itself in year 1.
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