Harris County 2026 HCAD Appeals

What the colors mean

Each color shows how your 2026 appraised value compares, on a per-square-foot basis, with the median of 5 similar homes (same neighborhood, same HCAD grade, within ±15% square footage and ±10 years of age). Per-sqft is how HCAD's own mass-appraisal model is built, so the gap is measured in the same units the district uses internally.

• Strong case — more than 7% over the per-sqft median. Under Tex. Tax Code §41.43(b)(3), the ARB is required to lower your appraisal to that median if your comps hold up.
• Consider filing — 2–7% over. A reduction is possible, but the ARB panel may push back on individual comp choices.
• Skip — within the noise band (between 5% under and 2% over the median). Mild under-assessment carries no real risk; not worth filing in either direction.
• Don't file — more than 5% under the median. The ARB has authority to adjust values upward as well as downward, so filing here risks a real increase. Stay quiet for this year and re-check next April.
• No comps — fewer than 5 neighbors matched the filters. Usually an unusually old, new, large, or atypically-graded home. No automatic case — review comps by hand if it matters to you.
  how comps are chosen For each parcel, the tool searches HCAD for homes that match four filters — same neighborhood code, same grade, living area within ±15%, year built within ±10. The 5 geographically closest matches become your comps. “No comps” means fewer than 5 properties cleared all four filters.

What the badges mean

• Orange ring (up >10%) — a homesteaded home where HCAD's 2026 appraisal jumped more than 10% over 2025. That triggers a possible homestead-cap claim under Tex. Tax Code §23.23, separate from the per-sqft test and often worth thousands in taxable-value reduction. The report shows both grounds when both apply.
  methods differ The per-sqft test and the raw-dollar test land in different buckets (one says file, the other says skip). Read the report's methodology note before deciding.