Honest comparison · 2026
Contingency vs flat fee: which property tax appeal pricing wins?
Property tax appeal services price two ways: a contingency percentage of whatever you save, or a flat one-time fee. The gap looks small in year one and enormous over five, because your over-assessment carries forward and a contingency firm takes its cut every single year. Here is the real math.
| Service | Fee | You keep on a $3,000 saving | Comp data |
|---|---|---|---|
AppealMyTax Filing-ready packet (you file) · 14 Texas counties | $49 flat, one time | $2,951 | Real comparable parcels from your county's own appraisal roll, each one verifiable |
Ownwell Done for you · 8 states (CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, NY, TX, WA) | 25-35% of savings (varies by state), every year | $2,250/yr | Their analysts assemble the evidence and file on your behalf |
O'Connor & Associates Done for you · Texas + many states | 50% of first-year savings | $1,500 | Full-service firm; files and represents you (subject of a Texas AG lawsuit, allegations unproven) |
$3,000is an illustrative annual saving. Fees are each provider's publicly listed pricing as of June 2026; verify on their sites.
The honest verdict
A contingency fee makes sense only if you would never file otherwise and value zero effort above the recurring cost. For everyone willing to spend ten minutes filing, a flat fee wins decisively over any multi-year horizon, because you pay once and keep 100% every year after.
More on why we are flat-fee and how to vet any appeal service on our honest comparison page, or run your own numbers in the fee calculator.
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