Property tax protest companies in Harris County: how they charge
There are three ways to protest a Harris appraisal: hire a contingency company that keeps a percentage of your savings, buy a flat $69 self-help packet and keep 100% of any reduction, or do it yourself. Below is a side-by-side of the three models and verified, sourced fees for the major companies. Results are not guaranteed by any of them. PropertyAppealIQ is an independent service, not affiliated with or endorsed by any company listed here.
The short version
Most Harris protest companies are contingency services: they charge a percentage of whatever they save you, so a bigger reduction means a bigger fee. PropertyAppealIQ is the keep-100% option — a flat $69 self-help evidence packet that organizes public HCAD comparable data so you file your own protest and owe no share of your savings. And you can always do it yourself for free. None of these models guarantees a lower tax bill.
Contingency company vs. flat-fee packet vs. doing it yourself
| What you are choosing | Contingency company | PropertyAppealIQ packet | Do it yourself |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay | A percentage of any tax savings, usually only if you save. | $69 flat, one time — the same whether you save a little or a lot. | Nothing but your own time. |
| What you keep if you win | Your reduction minus their percentage. | 100% of any reduction. | 100% of any reduction. |
| Who does the work | They review, file, and represent your protest. | You file and present; we organize the comparable evidence. | You gather records, comps, and forms yourself. |
| Best if | You want the whole process handled and do not mind sharing the savings. | You want to keep 100% and stay in control while filing your own protest. | You enjoy doing your own records and comparable research. |
A flat $69 packet keeps you in the keep-100% column: you pay once and owe no percentage of any reduction you win. Results are not guaranteed.
What the major protest companies charge
Every fee below is quoted from the company's own published page and dated when we checked. PropertyAppealIQis independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by any of these companies. Confirm current rates on each company's site before deciding.
| Company | Model | Published fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ownwell | Contingency (a percentage of savings) | 25–35% of tax savings (varies by state) | Source — Ownwell's published range as of 2026-06-19; verify current rates on their site. |
| O'Connor & Associates | Contingency (a percentage of savings) | 50% of first-year tax savings | Source — Rates as of 2026-06-19; verify current rates on their site. |
| Home Tax Shield | Tiered (subscription + success fee) | Annual per-parcel subscription + 30% success fee on savings | Source — Rates as of 2026-06-19; verify current rates on their site. |
| Five Stone Tax | Contingency (a percentage of savings) | 40% success fee (only if you save) | Source — Rates as of 2026-06-19; verify current rates on their site. |
| AppealDesk | Flat fee (one-time) | $49 one-time, keep 100% | Source — Price as of 2026-06-19; verify current pricing on their site. |
| ProtestMax.ai | Flat fee (one-time) | $45 one-time, keep 100% | Source — Price as of 2026-06-19; verify current pricing on their site. |
| TaxFightBack | Tiered (subscription + success fee) | $39 packet / $79 premium one-time; $7.99–$29/mo monitoring | Source — Pricing as of 2026-06-19; verify current pricing on their site. |
| CheckMyPropertyTax | Flat fee (one-time) | $39.99 one-time, keep 100% | Source — Price as of 2026-06-19; verify current pricing on their site. |
| PropGap | Flat fee (one-time) | $49 one-time Evidence Kit (conditional-pay) | Source — Price as of 2026-06-19; verify current pricing on their site. |
| Tax Appeal Center | Flat fee (one-time) | $99 one-time, keep 100% | Source — Price as of 2026-06-19; verify current pricing on their site. |
Fees shown are each company's published rates as of the dates noted and may have changed. PropertyAppealIQ does not set or control these prices and lists them for comparison only.
See your Harris public-data signal — free, no email
Before you hire anyone, enter your address or HCAD account number. We match it against the full Harris A1 index and show the comparable signal right away. Add an email only if you want to save the scan — no protest is filed, and results are not guaranteed.
- Real public HCAD data, not a modeled estimate
- No email required to see your result
- Flat $69 packet — keep 100% of any reduction
Free Harris property scan
Check the public-data signal first. Email is only required if you want to save the scan for first-batch report access.
Choosing a Harris protest company — or skipping one
How do property tax protest companies charge?
Most Harris property tax protest companies charge a contingency fee — a percentage of the tax savings they win, typically only if you save. Some use a tiered model (an annual or per-parcel subscription plus a success fee). A flat-fee self-help packet like PropertyAppealIQ works differently: you pay one $69 fee regardless of outcome and keep 100% of any reduction. Verified, sourced fees for specific companies are listed in the comparison table above.
Do I have to use a company to protest?
No. Property owners can file and present their own protest through the official HCAD process without hiring anyone. A flat-fee packet sits between hiring a company and going fully on your own: it organizes public HCAD comparable data so you can present your own case and keep 100% of any reduction. Neither hiring a company nor doing it yourself guarantees a lower tax bill — the outcome depends on the evidence and the appraisal review board review.
What is the cheapest way to protest?
Doing it entirely yourself costs nothing but your time gathering records, comparables, and forms. The next cheapest path is a one-time flat fee — PropertyAppealIQ is a flat $69 self-help evidence packet, so you keep 100% of any reduction. A contingency company has no upfront cost but keeps a percentage of whatever you save, which can be the largest total cost when a protest succeeds. Results are not guaranteed with any option.
This is a self-help packet, not a protest company
PropertyAppealIQ organizes public property data for self-help use. We do not provide legal, tax, appraisal, property-tax consulting, filing, negotiation, or representation services. You file and present your own protest through the official HCAD process.
Flat, not a percentage
One $69 fee for a report-ready property. You keep 100% of any reduction you win.
No success-fee share
Unlike contingency companies, a flat packet never takes a cut of your savings.
Plain-language limits
No guaranteed savings, no legal or tax advice, no appraisal opinion, and no government affiliation.
Start with the free scan, then choose your path.
Check your address against public HCAD data first. If comparable homes are assessed lower, the flat-fee packet organizes the evidence so you can file your own protest and keep what you save — no company, no percentage.