Think your appraisal is too high?
Filing a protest with EPCAD is free, and I'll put together a free Comparable Sales Report you can use as evidence.
Your protest step by step
Get ready for next year's notice. EPCAD mails notices in the spring. The deadline is May 15 or 30 days after the date on your notice, whichever is later, so a late notice still gets its 30 days.
How a protest works
- What a protest is
- A protest asks EPCAD to take a second look at the value on your Notice of Appraised Value. If you and EPCAD don't agree, the Appraisal Review Board (ARB) hears both sides and decides.
- Who can protest
- Any property owner in El Paso County can protest, and filing is free. You can file even if you didn't receive a notice.
- The deadline
- May 15 or 30 days after the date on your notice, whichever is later (Texas Tax Code §41.44). EPCAD mails notices in the spring.
- Informal meeting or ARB hearing
- Many protests settle informally with an EPCAD appraiser. If yours doesn't, it goes to an Appraisal Review Board hearing. Protesting through EPCAD's online portal counts as your informal meeting. Most meetings and hearings happen in May, June, and July.
- What evidence counts
- EPCAD lists sales information of comparable properties in your area as evidence it accepts, along with closing statements, photos, and repair estimates. Bring two printed copies.
- Ask for EPCAD's comparable sales
- You can also ask EPCAD for the comparable sales it used. It has to share them if you ask.
- No one can promise a lower bill
- EPCAD and the Appraisal Review Board decide your home's value. No one can promise a lower tax bill.
- Help in Spanish
- EPCAD publishes its protest procedures in Spanish. Hearings are held in English, so bring an interpreter if you need one.
Check your homestead exemption
Make sure your homestead exemption is on file. It lowers your taxable value and caps how fast your appraised value can rise. Check your status or apply for free on EPCAD's website.
Missed the deadline? You can still apply late, up to two years after the tax bill's delinquency date.
See every exemption you may qualify forYour free Comparable Sales Report
Tell me which home it's for and I'll pull recent sales of homes like yours, so you walk into your protest with real numbers.
- It's free, with no fee now or later.
- You don't have to list or sell your home with me.
- I don't file protests, represent homeowners, or attend hearings. You stay in charge of your protest.
Tell me about your home
For houses, townhomes and condos in El Paso County.
No spam. Your info is never shared or sold.
A Comparable Sales Report does not carry the legal weight of a sworn appraisal by a certified appraiser under Texas Tax Code §41.43(a-1).
I'm a licensed REALTOR, not a property tax consultant, attorney, or appraiser. I don't file protests, represent homeowners, or attend hearings. My report shows comparable sales and an estimated sale price. It is not an appraisal. EPCAD and the Appraisal Review Board decide your home's value, and no one can promise a lower tax bill.
Official guides
Where this information comes from
- Texas Tax Code §41.44 (protest deadline)
- EPCAD 2026 protest procedures (deadline rules)
- Texas Tax Code §41.43 (appraisals and the burden of proof)
- Texas Government Code §552.149 (EPCAD's comparable sales)
- EPCAD 2026 Taxpayer Information (accepted evidence)
- Texas Tax Code §23.23 (homestead appraisal cap)
- Texas Tax Code §11.431 (late homestead applications)
Ximena Martinez, REALTOR® · 915-588-8892 · ximenatxrealtor@gmail.com
Brokered by ClearView Realty, LLC · TREC #824509