Free tool · Fees verified June 2026

What does a contingency fee really cost?

Protest firms quote a percentage because a percentage sounds small. Your savings repeat every year, and so does their cut. Enter your numbers and see the dollars.

Firm fee model
Contingency firm (25%, renews yearly)
$1,444
paid in fees over 5 years · you keep $4,331
$49 flat kit, you file it
$49
paid once · you keep $5,726

Filing it yourself keeps an extra $1,395 in your pocket over 5 years.

Assumes the reduction holds each year and the firm renews (Ownwell auto-enrolls future seasons until you cancel). Fee schedules verified June 2026; sources on the fee comparison page.

The fine print the percentage hides

A reduction won this year usually holds: in Texas your protested value anchors next year's notice, and in Florida a Value Adjustment Board win becomes the new baseline your Save Our Homes cap grows from. You keep benefiting for years. A contingency firm that auto-renews keeps charging for years too, that is the part the "no savings, no fee" framing never mentions.

The verified fee schedules behind this calculator: Ownwell charges from 25% in Texas and 35% in Florida, California, and New York, and re-enrolls you each season until you cancel. O'Connor charges roughly 50% of first-year savings. Home Tax Shield runs $30 upfront plus 30%. Texas Protax and Five Stone sit around 40%. Full sourcing on the fee comparison page and the service-by-service reviews.

A flat kit is not for everyone: if you want a fully hands-off service and don't mind the recurring cut, contingency firms are legitimate. But if you can file a form online in ten minutes, the same reduction costs $49, once, and every dollar of savings stays yours.

First, see if you even have a case

Search your address free. We compare your assessment against similar homes from your county's own roll, 20 million parcels across Texas and Florida, and tell you honestly, including when the answer is "don't bother."

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