When your property tax protest ends with an Appraisal Review Board (ARB) order you still believe is wrong, a Texas property tax appeal attorney can take the case further through binding arbitration, the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) or district court.
Short answer: after the ARB issues its written order, you generally have 60 days to request regular binding arbitration or file a district-court petition, and 30 days to file a SOAH notice of appeal. Which route is available depends on the property, its ARB-determined value and the issue in dispute.
PropertyTaxes.Law's Texas tax appeal attorney, Brandon Barchus, reviews the ARB order and record, confirms which routes the property qualifies for, and handles the appeal under a written engagement agreement.
Not every ARB result is worth appealing. An appeal attorney is most useful when:
Texas offers three main routes after the ARB order. Each has its own eligibility rules, deadline and costs. Deadlines generally run from the date you receive the ARB's written order.
| Route | Who may qualify | Filing deadline | Costs to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular binding arbitration | A residence homestead of any value, or other property with an ARB-determined value of $5 million or less, when the dispute is about value or unequal appraisal. | Generally within 60 days after receiving the ARB order. | An arbitration deposit set by the Comptroller, part of which may be refunded depending on the outcome. |
| SOAH appeal | Property with an ARB-determined value above $1 million, when the dispute is about appraised or market value or unequal appraisal. | Notice of appeal generally within 30 days after receiving the ARB order. | A $1,500 deposit, generally due within 90 days. |
| District court lawsuit | Available for a wider range of value, legal and procedural disputes; often considered for high-value commercial property. | Petition generally within 60 days after receiving the ARB order. | Court filing costs, and litigation expenses such as appraisal experts. |
Every appeal starts with the ARB order. From there, our attorney follows the same four steps.
Our attorney reviews the order, the evidence from the hearing, the valuation and the property details to find the strongest issues.
We confirm which routes the property qualifies for and compare likely savings against deposits, costs and fees before recommending one.
Once engaged, our attorney files within the 30-day or 60-day deadline and handles the required deposits, payments and notices.
We build the evidence, pursue settlement where it makes sense, and present the case to the arbitrator, SOAH judge or court.
Appeal fees depend on the route, the property, the disputed value and the work involved. Before you commit, our attorney explains the proposed fee basis and the costs that apply to your route, and puts both in a written engagement agreement. Some matters may qualify for a contingency arrangement.
To weigh likely savings against fees, read whether hiring a property tax firm is worth it or estimate the tax impact with our property tax savings calculator.
Noticed value $14,129,100; reported final value $9,400,000, as listed on our published results page.
“At a critical time when a property was in lease-up, we were faced with an unreasonable and unjustified assessment. Brandon's tenacity and responsiveness resulted in a fair assessment.”
— Jeremy Bartholomew
A reduction in property value is not the same as tax saved. Past results do not predict the outcome of another matter, and no reduction is guaranteed.
Appeals are more formal than protests. Arbitration, SOAH and district court each have their own procedural rules, evidence standards and settlement dynamics, and a missed step can end the appeal. An attorney can judge whether the case is worth pursuing, which route fits, and how to present it.
PropertyTaxes.Law is led by Brandon Barchus, a Texas property tax attorney who is also a Texas Senior Property Tax Consultant, so the same person brings valuation experience and legal analysis to your appeal.
Houston-area owners can also see our Houston property tax attorney page, and San Antonio owners our San Antonio property tax attorney page.
A property tax appeal attorney reviews the Appraisal Review Board (ARB) order and record, checks which post-ARB routes the property qualifies for, files before the deadline and presents the case in regular binding arbitration, at the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) or in district court. The attorney also weighs the likely tax savings against filing costs, deposits and fees before recommending a route.
No. A protest is the first challenge, filed with the appraisal district and heard by the ARB. An appeal is the next step after the ARB issues its written order, such as binding arbitration, SOAH or district court. For the protest stage, see our Texas property tax protest guide.
It depends on the route. A request for regular binding arbitration and a district-court petition are generally due within 60 days after you receive the ARB's written order. A SOAH notice of appeal is generally due within 30 days, with a separate deposit deadline. Review the order as soon as it arrives, because eligibility and tax-payment requirements also apply.
Fees depend on the appeal route, the property, the disputed value and the expected costs. Some matters may qualify for a contingency arrangement, while arbitration deposits, SOAH deposits, court costs and litigation expenses may be handled separately. Your written engagement agreement should explain the fee calculation, who pays which costs and what happens if no reduction is achieved.
Common evidence includes comparable sales, unequal-appraisal comparisons from the appraisal district's own records, independent appraisals, photos and repair estimates, and, for income-producing property, rent rolls, operating statements and market cap-rate data. The attorney also reviews the evidence presented at the ARB hearing and the reasons stated in the order.
Not always. Texas Comptroller guidance allows an owner to request regular binding arbitration without an agent or attorney. An attorney is most useful when the property is high value or income-producing, the issue is legal or procedural, the route is SOAH or district court, or the deadline is close. Read our property tax attorney vs. consultant comparison to decide whom to hire.
Our attorney handles appeals for residential, high-value residential, commercial, industrial, multifamily and business personal property across Texas. Commercial property owners with income-approach, cap-rate or vacancy disputes are among the clients who most often need post-ARB help.
Yes. PropertyTaxes.Law evaluates and pursues regular binding arbitration, SOAH appeals and district-court lawsuits when the property qualifies and the economics make sense. Our Texas property tax arbitration guide explains arbitration in detail.
We represent owners across Texas, including Harris County (Houston), Travis County (Austin), Bexar County (San Antonio), Dallas County and Tarrant County (Fort Worth). See our Texas locations directory for all counties.
Received an ARB order you disagree with? Send us the order, your county and the deadline. Our attorney will review whether an appeal makes sense and explain the route, costs and fee terms.
Request an Appeal ReviewBrandon and his team have proven they can perform with any product type we give them,
from industrial and office property to single and multi-family residential.
At a critical time when a property was in lease-up, we were faced with an unreasonable and unjustified assessment.
Brandon’s tenacity and responsiveness resulted in a fair assessment and the largest value change I've seen in my career.
Outstanding!! These guys are pros - they are great at what they do and great to work with.