Best Ownwell Alternatives in Texas (2026): Fees Compared

In Texas, the main alternatives to Ownwell are TaxDrop One, TaxDrop Pro, O'Connor, Five Stone Tax Advisers and filing the protest yourself. TaxDrop One is a $129 flat-fee evidence package, refunded if there's no reduction, available in 43 counties. TaxDrop Pro is full service at 1% of the assessment reduction in 17 counties. O'Connor charges half of first-year tax savings. Five Stone charges 40% of tax savings in seven Central and North Texas counties. For comparison, Ownwell charges 25% of tax savings in Texas, with no upfront or minimum fee. Which option costs you least depends on the size of your likely win: a flat fee comes out ahead on bigger reductions, and a low percentage comes out ahead on small ones.

Competitor fees and coverage come from each company's own website as of September 24, 2026. Confirm current terms for your address before you sign.

Texas rules that affect which option you pick

• Deadline: according to the Texas Comptroller, you generally have until May 15 or 30 days after your appraisal district's notice is delivered, whichever is later. Read the date printed on your notice. Our Texas protest deadline guide has details.
• Process: you file a notice of protest, usually go through an informal review with the appraisal district, and go to an Appraisal Review Board (ARB) hearing if you don't settle.
• Licensing: property tax consultants in Texas are licensed and regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). You can look up any firm on tdlr.texas.gov.
• Homestead cap: if your homestead's taxable value is already held down by the 10% cap, a lower market value may not reduce this year's bill much. Savings-based fees shrink with it. See the 10% homestead cap explained.

Texas options side by side

What you'd pay on the same Texas protest

Here's a worked example with stated assumptions. It's not a prediction. Say a protest lowers your value by $40,000 and your combined tax rate is 2.2%. That's $880 in tax savings for the year.

Two things stand out:

1. Among the full-service options here, Ownwell's 25% is the lowest percentage. TaxDrop Pro's fee is based on the value reduction, not the tax savings, so the lower your tax rate, the more it costs compared with your savings. At a 4% combined rate, 1% of the reduction and 25% of the savings would be the same amount.
2. A flat $129 beats a 25% contingency once your savings go above $516 a year. Below that, Ownwell costs fewer dollars. TaxDrop One is refunded if there's no reduction, so the flat fee isn't a bet on the outcome, but you do the filing.

The Texas alternatives, one by one

TaxDrop One: flat fee, you keep the whole reduction

For $129 per property per tax year, TaxDrop One gives you the forms for your county, MLS sales data, county assessment data, counterpoints to the district's evidence, an email script for informal negotiation, and ARB talking points. A tax agent reviews every case. The analysis and estimate are free before you pay, and TaxDrop refunds the fee if you file with its evidence package and don't save. It's available in 43 Texas counties. See TaxDrop One.

Best for: owners who expect a meaningful reduction and are comfortable attending an informal review or ARB hearing themselves.

TaxDrop Pro: full service in 17 counties

Pro registers as your agent, files the protest, builds the case from comparable sales, comparable assessments, condition and location, negotiates with the appraisal district and presents at the ARB. The fee is 1% of the assessment reduction, and nothing is owed without a reduction. Check your address, because Pro only covers 17 counties. Texas property tax consultant.

Best for: owners in a Pro county who want TaxDrop's team to handle everything. Before you choose, compare the fee with a savings-based fee using your own tax rate.

O'Connor

O'Connor says it handles residential protests in Texas, Illinois, Georgia and New York. You pay half of first-year tax savings, and nothing unless it reduces your taxes. It files the protest and attends the hearing. Its fees page says the fee applies to the protested year only, and that the contract continues until you cancel, with O'Connor protesting each year. It also says clients aren't billed for court costs, appraisals, expert witness fees or legal fees. TaxDrop One vs O'Connor.

Best for: owners who want a long-established, full-service Texas firm and accept a 50% share.

Five Stone Tax Advisers

Five Stone charges 40% of the tax savings it secures, with no upfront fee. Its FAQ lists residential service in Travis, Hays, Williamson, Burnet, Bell, Tarrant and Denton counties, and commercial service statewide. Its agreement stays in effect until you cancel in writing, which you can do any time before your protest is filed.

Best for: Austin-area and Fort Worth/Denton homeowners who want a local full-service firm.

File it yourself

Texas lets any owner protest directly with the appraisal district. It's free, and the Harris County Appraisal District, for example, charges no filing fee. The work is pulling comps, filing on time and making your case at informal review or the ARB. See our DIY vs professional guide.

By metro: where to start

• Houston (Harris County): TaxDrop One and TaxDrop Pro are both available for Harris County residential addresses. Our Harris County protest guide covers HCAD deadlines, evidence and ARB prep. For Harris, the protest deadline follows the Texas rule: May 15 or 30 days after your notice, whichever is later. More: Harris County protest page, Fort Bend, Houston protest companies.
• Dallas: Dallas County protest page, Collin County, Dallas protest companies.
• Austin: Five Stone serves Travis, Williamson and Hays. Compare it against TaxDrop on the Travis County and Williamson County pages, or see Austin protest companies.
• Fort Worth: Tarrant County protest page. Five Stone also lists Tarrant and Denton.
• San Antonio: Bexar County protest page.

When Ownwell is the better pick in Texas

• You want full service and the lowest percentage. Among the firms here, Ownwell's 25% of savings with no minimum is the lowest percentage fee.
• Your likely savings are under about $516 a year, where 25% costs less than $129.
• Your county isn't one of TaxDrop's Pro counties, and you don't want to file yourself.

When an alternative is the better pick

• You expect a sizable reduction. A flat $129 means you keep the rest, and it's refunded if there's no reduction.
• You want to keep your own evidence and decide on settlement offers yourself. With TaxDrop One, you keep the file.
• You want a specific local firm. Five Stone in Central Texas, or TaxDrop Pro in its 17 counties.
• You own several rentals. See can a protest company handle multiple rentals.

For every Texas firm and fee in one place, see property tax protest companies compared. For the six-state view, see Ownwell alternatives by state.

FAQ

What is the best Ownwell alternative in Texas?

If you want a flat price, TaxDrop One costs $129 per property per tax year in 43 counties and is refunded if there's no reduction. If you want full service, compare TaxDrop Pro (1% of the assessment reduction, 17 counties), Five Stone (40%, seven counties) and O'Connor (50% of first-year savings) against Ownwell's 25%.

How much does Ownwell charge in Texas?

Ownwell's Texas pages list 25% of tax savings, with no upfront cost and no minimum fee. The fee applies to the actual reduction in your tax bill for the year it appeals, and nothing is owed if it doesn't save you money.

Ownwell vs O'Connor vs Five Stone: what's the difference?

All three are full service with no fee if they don't win. They differ on price and coverage. Ownwell charges 25% of tax savings. Five Stone charges 40% and serves seven counties. O'Connor charges half of first-year savings and lists residential service in Texas, Illinois, Georgia and New York.

When is the Harris County (HCAD) protest deadline?

It follows the Texas rule: generally May 15, or 30 days after your notice of appraised value is delivered, whichever is later. Confirm the date on your notice. See our Harris County guide.

Can I protest my Texas property taxes myself?

Yes. Any owner can file a notice of protest with the appraisal district and present at informal review or the ARB. TaxDrop One gives you the evidence and scripts for $129 if you want help without handing off the case.

Do Texas protest companies charge if they lose?

Ownwell, O'Connor, Five Stone and TaxDrop Pro all say there's no fee without a reduction. TaxDrop One is a flat fee, refunded if there's no reduction.

How do I check that a Texas tax consultant is licensed?

Texas property tax consultants are licensed and regulated by TDLR. Search the firm or consultant's name on tdlr.texas.gov before you sign an agent authorization.