Lock
Verify the controlling date and preserve delivery proof.
DEADLINE · GROUND · PROOF · REQUEST
Challenge the record.Build the evidence.
A private, plain-English workspace for Bexar County owners preparing a focused appraisal protest—not a promise of reduction or a substitute for the official filing.
No address requestedNothing stored or submittedOfficial sources reviewed Sep. 2026
This site does not file a protest, calculate a controlling legal deadline, appraise property, give legal or tax advice, or send information to BCAD.
Open your private boardTHE EVIDENCE-ROOM METHOD
Preserve rights. Separate theories. Support the request.
Select
Match each protest ground to its distinct burden.
Audit
Reconcile district facts against the real property.
Normalize
Make comparable differences visible and sourced.
Present
Ask for an exact result supported by numbered proof.
CONTROL 01 · DEADLINE LOCK
Use the date on your record—not a generic calendar.
Enter the deadline printed on your notice or confirmed by BCAD. This workspace intentionally does not invent a legal deadline from incomplete facts.
Typical rule is not your final answer. Most protests are due May 15 or 30 days after the notice is mailed, whichever is later, subject to weekends, holidays, exceptions and current law.
No notice? BCAD says an owner may still protest. Check the current value and filing route immediately; waiting for a PIN does not extend the deadline.
CONTROL 02 · GROUNDS ROUTER
Choose the claim before gathering the proof.
Select every ground that may apply on the official filing. This organizer does not select legal grounds for you.
CONTROL 03 · COMPARABLE NORMALIZER
Normalize first. Argue second.
This arithmetic workspace is not an appraisal. Use sale evidence for a market-value theory and a consistent appraisal peer set for an unequal-appraisal theory.
UNWEIGHTED MEDIAN INDICATION$301,348
$167 per sq ft × 1,800 subject sq ft
Adjustment discipline: A signed adjustment must have a source and logic. Size alone does not make a property comparable. Verify value date, arms-length status, neighborhood, construction, age, quality, condition, land, improvements and district data.
CONTROL 04 · EVIDENCE REGISTER
Every exhibit needs a job.
Mark each item missing, collected or hearing-ready. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
Notice + filing receipt
Preserve every page, envelope/email, submitted grounds, attachments and confirmation.
BCAD property record
Save the current property characteristics, value components, exemptions and ownership shown.
District evidence packet
Request the evidence the chief appraiser plans to use and keep the delivered version.
Subject fact audit
Reconcile living area, year, quality, condition, land, improvements and special features.
Condition proof
Label dated photos by location; pair defects with bids, reports or measurements when available.
Market-value set
Document source, sale date, terms, location, characteristics and adjustments.
Unequal-appraisal set
Use similarly situated properties and a consistent normalization method.
Hearing copies + index
Prepare the required exchange copies, page numbers and a one-page exhibit index.
CONTROL 05 · HEARING STORYBOARD
Short, sourced and tied to the requested result.
Build a calm presentation order. The ARB decides protests; it does not set tax rates or decide personal affordability.
FAILURE MODES
Five arguments that weaken otherwise useful evidence.
Tax bill shock
The requested remedy must address an appealable appraisal action, not merely the total bill.
Unscreened comps
A list without source, value date, characteristics and adjustment logic is not a controlled comparison.
Repair total = value loss
A bid can support condition, but repair cost does not automatically equal market-value impact.
Mixing theories
Sales evidence and unequal-appraisal evidence answer different questions; label the ground each exhibit serves.
Missed exchange rules
Good evidence can become harder to use if copies, timing, format or hearing procedures are ignored.
OFFICIAL DESK · OPEN THE SOURCE
Use current government records—not screenshots of advice.
Open the official page, confirm the applicable year and preserve the version you relied on.
BCAD: how to file a protest
Current local filing routes, typical deadline guidance, no-notice guidance and BCAD contact information.
BCAD online services
Official portal starting point for eligible online protests, documents, notices and other services.
BCAD property search
Search current public property characteristics, value history and account information.
BCAD protest process
Local informal-review and Appraisal Review Board process overview.
BCAD forms
Current district forms, including Form 50-132 Notice of Protest and corrective-motion forms.
Texas Comptroller: protests
Statewide protest rights, evidence examples, hearing choices and review routes.
Texas taxpayer bill of rights
Plain-language property-tax rights and responsibilities.
Texas property-tax forms
Current Comptroller forms and instructions; use the form for the applicable year and action.
Texas Tax Code
Current statutory text, including Chapters 41 and 42. Confirm amendments and applicability.
OWNER QUESTIONS
Plain answers, careful boundaries.
What is the usual protest deadline?+
BCAD’s current guidance says most owners file by May 15, or 30 days after a later-mailed notice, whichever is later, with weekend/holiday and other exceptions. Your controlling date depends on the notice, facts and current law—verify it and file early.
Can I protest if I never received a notice?+
BCAD says yes; lack of a notice does not necessarily eliminate the right or extend the deadline. Check the property record and contact BCAD immediately. Waiting for an Owner/Agent ID or PIN does not extend the filing deadline.
Is market value the same claim as unequal appraisal?+
No. Market value asks whether the property’s value is excessive under the applicable valuation standard. Unequal appraisal compares the property’s appraisal with an appropriately selected and adjusted set of comparable properties. Evidence may overlap, but the proof theories differ.
Are three nearby houses enough?+
Not automatically. Proximity alone does not establish comparability. Document source, value date, sale terms or appraisal basis, location, land, living area, age, construction, quality, condition, improvements and supportable adjustments.
What condition evidence is useful?+
Dated, labeled photos; contractor estimates; engineer or specialist reports; measurements; insurance or repair records; and a concise explanation connecting the defect to the property's January 1 condition and claimed value effect can be useful, depending on the ground.
Can the ARB lower my tax rate?+
No. The ARB hears appraisal-related protests and other authorized matters. Local taxing units set tax rates. Personal ability to pay is generally not evidence of appraised value.
Can I see the appraisal district’s evidence?+
Texas procedures provide evidence-access rights and exchange requirements. Request the district’s evidence promptly, preserve what is delivered, and follow the current hearing notice, procedures and deadlines.
Do I have to appear in person?+
State law and local procedures can allow in-person, telephone, videoconference or affidavit routes depending on the circumstances and election. Verify available methods, election deadlines and evidence-delivery rules on the current notice.
Should I accept an informal settlement?+
Compare the proposed value or action with your evidence and objectives. Understand whether accepting resolves the protest and what remains. This site cannot decide the tradeoff for you.
What if I disagree with the written ARB order?+
Further review may include binding arbitration, SOAH, district court or other routes depending on property, value, issue and eligibility. Deadlines, deposits, payment requirements and procedures differ. Preserve the delivery record and obtain current qualified advice immediately.
WHEN THE HOUSE—NOT ONLY THE VALUE—IS THE PROBLEM
You can protest the appraisal and still examine the property decision.
If repairs, vacancy, inherited ownership, tenants, debt or carrying cost make continued ownership difficult, compare realistic keep, repair and as-is sale paths separately from the protest.