Short answer: any Texas homeowner can protest without help, and filing is free. A consultant files as your appointed agent and usually charges a percentage of the tax savings. Doing it yourself costs you time and means you present your own evidence; hiring a consultant costs a share of any savings and means someone else controls the filing.
How agents and consultants work
To have someone protest for you, you appoint them as your agent on Comptroller Form 50-162 (Tax Code §1.111). Once it's filed, the appraisal district sends your notices and correspondence to the agent, and you can have only one agent per property at a time. The form itself reminds homeowners that they may want to contact their appraisal district for free information before designating an agent.
People who provide property tax consulting for pay must register with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) under Occupations Code Chapter 1152, which includes passing an exam and continuing education. Attorneys, CPAs, and some others are exempt. TDLR rules prohibit registered consultants from advertising a specific result without prior analysis. You can look up a consultant's registration on TDLR's website.
How contingency fees work
Most consultants charge a percentage of the first-year tax savings. The savings are usually estimated as the reduction in value times a tax rate. As an illustration, a $40,000 reduction at a combined 2% rate is $800 in estimated tax savings; a 25% fee would be $200 and a 40% fee would be $320. If there's no reduction, most charge nothing, but read the agreement: some calculate fees differently for homes under the homestead cap, use last year's tax rate, or renew automatically each year.
Published fees from Texas providers
As listed on each company's own website on October 16, 2026. Terms change; check the current agreement before signing.
| Provider | Published residential fee | Terms worth noting |
|---|---|---|
| Ownwell | 25% of tax savings (shown for an Austin ZIP code) | No charge if the tax bill isn't reduced; rate varies by state |
| Five Stone Tax Advisors | 40% of tax savings | Continues each year until you cancel in writing |
| O'Connor & Associates | 50% of current-year savings | Savings calculated using the prior year's tax rate |
| Texas Protax | The greater of 40% of tax savings or a $50 minimum | For capped homes, a fee of $2.50 per $1,000 of market-value reduction can apply |
What doing it yourself involves
- File by the deadline. Usually May 15 or 30 days after your notice; in 2027, Monday, May 17. See the deadline guide.
- Gather evidence. Comparable sales and appraisals, plus documentation of your home's condition as of January 1: photos, repair estimates, inspection reports.
- Attend the informal review, and decide whether to accept a settlement.
- Present at the ARB hearing if you don't settle, by phone, video, in person, or affidavit. See what to expect.
Your advantage as an owner is detailed knowledge of your own home's condition. Your disadvantage may be time and familiarity with the process.
How to decide
- Consider doing it yourself if you can set aside a few hours, your home has condition issues you can document, or you want to control the evidence, the value you ask for, and whether to settle.
- Consider hiring help if you don't have time for the informal review or a hearing, you own several properties, or you'd rather pay a share of any savings than do the work.
If you hire someone
- Confirm the consultant's TDLR registration.
- Read how the fee is calculated, including for homes under the homestead cap.
- Check whether the agreement renews automatically, and how to cancel.
- Ask how they'll use information about your home's condition.
- Remember that only one agent can be appointed per property; a new Form 50-162 replaces the old one.
Self-service software for $49
lowering.tax is a middle option: software that helps you organize property-specific evidence and prepare a protest form you review, sign, and file yourself. It doesn't act as your agent or represent you at a hearing, and no outcome is guaranteed.
Sources
- Texas Tax Code §1.111 (agents): TX.1.htm; Comptroller Form 50-162: comptroller.texas.gov/forms/50-162.pdf
- Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1152: OC.1152.htm; TDLR, Property Tax Consultants: tdlr.texas.gov/ptc
- Provider fee pages, retrieved October 16, 2026: Ownwell, Five Stone, O'Connor, Texas Protax
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. lowering.tax is not affiliated with any provider listed. Provider fees are summarized from their public websites and may have changed.