If you received a notice from the Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD), you may have the right to challenge an unfair valuation. Property owners in Travis County can protest overvaluation, unequal appraisal, incorrect property characteristics, and other appraisal issues. PropertyTaxes.Law helps owners pursue a stronger Travis County property tax protest and evaluate appeal options when needed.
This independent legal-resource page explains how a Travis County property tax protest moves from filing and evidence review through an informal meeting and Appraisal Review Board hearing. PropertyTaxes.Law is not the appraisal district. For official property records, forms and protest instructions, visit the Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD) website.
Whether you own residential, commercial, industrial or business personal property, PropertyTaxes.Law helps identify overvaluation and unequal-appraisal issues, organize evidence and plan for potential appeals. Austin is the primary local market signal, while this guidance applies to taxable property throughout Travis County. You can also visit our locations hub for county-specific property tax protest help across Texas.
Check the notice, property record, market value, exemptions and deadline before selecting the protest grounds.
TCAD's online process provides confirmation and allows owners to upload evidence and review district evidence.
After evidence is processed, an owner may discuss the market-value protest with a TCAD appraiser.
If no settlement is accepted, the Travis Appraisal Review Board can hear the unresolved protest.
Property owners protest when TCAD's appraised value or another appraisal action appears incorrect. A successful value protest can affect the taxable value used by local taxing units, although TCAD and the ARB do not set tax rates. The Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD) uses mass-appraisal methods that do not always reflect actual market conditions, property-specific issues, or differences between similar properties.
That is why many owners file a Travis County property tax protest when the appraised value appears too high or unequal compared with nearby properties.
Travis County is anchored by Austin but contains distinct residential and commercial submarkets. According to TCAD's 2026 market-value release, the district mailed notices to more than 427,000 property owners and the appraisal roll increased 5.48% to approximately $482 billion.
TCAD reported a 2026 median market value of $493,449 and median taxable value of $384,747 for residential homesteads, while single-family market values declined by 1.8% on average. Those countywide figures are context—not proof of an individual property's correct value.
Review the current TCAD property record and evidence packet before deciding which arguments and comparables best support the requested value.
A Travis County property tax appeal or protest may be based on several common issues:
The district’s market value may be higher than what the property would actually sell for under normal conditions.
Your property may be assessed higher than similar nearby properties. Learn more in our article on unequal appraisal in Texas property taxes.
Errors in square footage, lot size, quality, improvements, or classification can distort the taxable value.
Deferred maintenance, damage, repairs, or functional problems may reduce value and should not be overlooked in a protest.
Strong evidence is tied to the protest ground and requested value. TCAD's official protest guidance states that owners who file a protest can access the district's evidence packet through the online portal, making it important to review that material before the informal meeting or ARB hearing.
Organize the exhibits around the strongest issues, state the value requested and explain how the evidence supports that result. For hearing preparation, review our Texas Appraisal Review Board hearing guide.
Protests are filed with the Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD), not the Travis County Tax Office. TCAD's official protest-process page lists online, mail and in-person options. The online system provides immediate filing confirmation and allows owners to upload evidence, review TCAD's evidence and accept or decline a settlement offer.
TCAD's informal-meeting guidance explains how owners can discuss a market-value protest with an appraiser after the protest and evidence have been processed. Review any proposed settlement against the evidence before accepting it.
If the protest is not resolved, the independent Travis Appraisal Review Board hears evidence from the owner and TCAD. TCAD's current ARB hearing guidance says hearings generally last 15 to 20 minutes and a Notice of Final Order is typically sent by certified mail about three to four weeks later. Follow the hearing notice, submit evidence in the required format and retain the order for any post-ARB appeal.
TCAD handles values, exemptions and protests; the Travis County Tax Office handles tax billing and payments. Procedures and contact details can change— always confirm the current information on your notice or directly with TCAD before filing.
Timing is critical in any Travis County property tax protest. TCAD states that the usual deadline is May 15 or 30 days after the Notice of Appraised Value is mailed, whichever is later.
Filing early provides more time for evidence processing and informal review. For broader deadline guidance, visit our Texas property tax deadlines guide.
PropertyTaxes.Law helps owners challenge unfair values with a focused, evidence-driven strategy. We help identify the strongest protest grounds, organize valuation support, and understand when broader appeal options may matter.
To understand the legal advantage in more depth, see our Property Tax Attorney Advantages page.
Check the TCAD notice and property record, identify every protest ground, confirm the deadline and file through an available method.
Review TCAD's evidence packet and connect the strongest market, equity, condition or commercial evidence to the value requested.
After the evidence is processed, discuss the market-value protest with a TCAD appraiser and evaluate any settlement offer.
If unresolved, present the protest to the Travis Appraisal Review Board, retain the order and evaluate further appeal options.
Review the Travis Central Appraisal District notice and property record, identify every applicable protest ground, gather supporting evidence and file before the deadline. TCAD accepts protests online, by mail and in person under its current procedures.
TCAD's online system requires an account and provides immediate filing confirmation. Owners may also mail a protest to PO Box 149012, Austin, TX 78714-9012, or deliver it to 850 East Anderson Lane, Austin, TX 78752. Confirm the current options on the notice and TCAD website.
TCAD states that the usual deadline is May 15 or 30 days after the Notice of Appraised Value is mailed, whichever is later. Confirm the date on the notice and current TCAD instructions because special circumstances may involve different rules.
Helpful evidence may include relevant sales, unequal-appraisal comparables, a recent appraisal, closing documents, condition photographs, repair estimates, inspection reports and accurate property records. Commercial cases may also require leases, operating statements, vacancy data and capitalization-rate support.
After the protest and evidence have been processed, the owner may discuss a market-value protest with a TCAD appraiser by phone or videoconference. The owner should compare any settlement offer with the evidence before accepting or rejecting it.
The independent Travis Appraisal Review Board hears evidence from the property owner and TCAD and decides the unresolved protest. TCAD states that hearings generally last 15 to 20 minutes and that a Notice of Final Order is typically sent by certified mail about three to four weeks later. Follow the hearing notice, submit evidence in the required format and retain the order for any further appeal.
Yes. A lawyer can help evaluate protest grounds, organize evidence, handle an informal meeting or ARB hearing and assess post-ARB appeal options, subject to the authorization and procedural requirements that apply.
If your Travis County assessment looks too high, PropertyTaxes.Law can help you review the notice, identify the strongest protest grounds, and pursue a more effective strategy from start to finish.
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