The FBCAD appraises the market value of residential, commercial, industrial and business properties as of Jan. 1 each year, according to the district. This valuation—along with the property tax rate set by cities, school districts and other local municipalities—determines how much a property owner will pay in taxes each year.
Property owners who believe an error was made in determining their property's value can use the protest process to reduce their tax burden, according to FBCAD.
"While we try to set an accurate and fair value for all properties, you may have additional information specific to your property or market area," FBCAD writes in an online report about 2021 property values. "For this reason, the state Legislature created the protest process to officially appeal the value set by the appraisal district. In the past year, we have made significant changes to make the online appeals process more transparent and user-friendly."
Fort Bend property owners can file a protest through an online appeal, using e-File, by mail or in-person. Once the appeal is filed, residents can request an informal meeting with an appraiser. Then, the appraiser will contact property owner to let them know whether a settlement was reached or to schedule a formal hearing.
On average, property within the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District saw a 6.47% increase in value. Furthermore, 81% of residential properties values went up this year, while approximately 19% of values decreased, FBCAD data shows.
The deadline to protest property values typically falls on May 15, but the deadline is postponed when May 15 is on the weekend. Property owners who received their value notice from FBCAD in the mail later than April 17 have 30 days after they received the notice to protest.
Shawn Arrajj contributed to this report.
