Best Property Tax Protest Companies in Houston (2026)
Houston property tax protest companies compared: each fee from the company's own site on September 30, 2026, priced on a median Harris County home.
Key Takeaways:
The best property tax protest company in Houston depends on how much you expect to save and how much of the work you want to do. For Houston-area homes, filing with Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD) yourself is free. Contingency firms take a share of your tax savings: Ownwell says 25%, Home Tax Shield $30 plus 30%, Five Stone 40% and O’Connor 50%. TaxDrop One is $129 per property per tax year, refunded if there is no reduction, and TaxDrop Pro is 1% of the assessment reduction, paid only if we win. Harris County is a TaxDrop Pro county.
On the Harris County median home with a 10% reduction, Ownwell would cost less than our $129 flat fee, and we would rather say so than hide it. The math is below, with every competitor fee taken from that company’s own website on September 30, 2026.
Who serves Houston, as each company states it
| Company | Says it serves Houston / Harris County |
|---|---|
| TaxDrop One | Enter your address to confirm; One covers 43 Texas counties |
| TaxDrop Pro | Harris County is a TaxDrop Pro county. |
| Ownwell | Says it operates in Texas; confirm Harris County with Ownwell |
| Home Tax Shield | Texas-based; confirm Harris County with Home Tax Shield |
| Five Stone Tax Advisers | Five Stone does not list Harris County among its residential counties (Travis, Hays, Williamson, Burnet, Bell, Tarrant and Denton); it says it serves commercial properties in all Texas counties (its FAQ) |
| O’Connor | Says it serves all Texas appraisal districts |
Only a firm that serves your county can file for you there. Confirm coverage for your address before you enroll.
| Company | What it charges, as it states it | Who does the work | Texas coverage, as stated |
|---|---|---|---|
| TaxDrop One | $129 per property per tax year, refunded if there is no reduction | You file and present with TaxDrop's evidence package | 43 Texas counties; enter your address to confirm |
| TaxDrop Pro | 1% of the assessment reduction; no fee if there is no reduction | A licensed TaxDrop agent files, negotiates and presents at the ARB | 17 Texas counties, including Harris, Dallas and Travis |
| Ownwell | 25% of tax savings; $0 upfront (its pricing page) | Ownwell files for you | Multiple states, including Texas |
| Home Tax Shield | $30 upfront plus 30% of tax savings; it notes lower fees are available through partners (its home page) | Home Tax Shield protests for you | Texas-based; confirm your county with them |
| Five Stone Tax Advisers | 40% of actual tax savings; no upfront fee (its FAQ) | Five Stone files and presents for you | Residential: Travis, Hays, Williamson, Burnet, Bell, Tarrant and Denton counties. Commercial: all Texas counties (its FAQ) |
| O’Connor | 50% of current-year tax savings, calculated with last year's tax rate; no upfront fee; the contract continues each year until you cancel it (its fees page) | O’Connor protests for you | Says it serves all Texas appraisal districts |
We leave out firms whose current fees we could not confirm on their own websites on September 30, 2026. If a firm you are considering is missing, ask it for its fee terms in writing and compare them to the table above.
What each option costs on a median Houston home
According to U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data, compiled in the TaxDrop data center, Harris County homeowners pay a median property tax of $4,382 on a median home value of $255,000, an effective rate of 1.72%. These are survey medians, not HCAD figures.
This is an illustration, not a prediction. Say a protest lowers the value by 10% of the median, $25,500. At the median effective rate, that is about $439 off the tax bill for the year.
| Option | Fee on that case | You keep of the tax savings |
|---|---|---|
| File it yourself | $0 | $439 |
| Ownwell (25%) | $110 | $329 |
| TaxDrop One ($129) | $129 | $310 |
| Home Tax Shield ($30 + 30%) | $162 | $277 |
| Five Stone (40%) (not listed for residential) | $175 | $263 |
| TaxDrop Pro (1% of reduction) | $255 | $184 |
| O’Connor (50%) | $219 | $219 |
At this example, only Ownwell costs less than $129 among the percentage fees. TaxDrop Pro’s 1% of the reduction is $255, which is 58% of the first-year tax savings, because its fee is based on the value reduction rather than tax savings. Pro buys full representation and a fee you can calculate from the value on your notice.
Where the flat fee starts costing less here
At Harris County’s median effective rate of 1.72%, a $129 flat fee costs less than a 25% contingency once the value reduction passes about $30,000, less than a 40% contingency above about $18,700, and less than a 50% contingency above about $15,000. These break-even points use the county median rate; your own rate depends on your taxing units.
What HCAD requires
Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD) sets the appraised value. The Comptroller says the protest deadline is, in most cases, May 15 or 30 days after the district delivers your notice of appraised value, whichever is later (Tax Code §41.44). If that day falls on a weekend, it moves to the next business day (Tax Code §1.06); May 15, 2027 is a Saturday. Late protests require good cause shown before the ARB approves the appraisal records. There is no fee to file.
- Where to file: Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD), 13013 Northwest Fwy., Houston, TX 77040
- Phone: 713-957-7800
- Website: hcad.org
Contact details are from the Comptroller’s Harris County directory listing (its entry was last updated 09/25/2026). Full local detail is on our Harris County protest page.
How to choose in Houston
- Expected savings near the county median? A contingency firm that serves your county, or filing yourself, costs less than a flat fee.
- Bigger expected reduction and you will file yourself? TaxDrop One’s flat fee costs less as savings grow.
- Want it fully handled? Compare TaxDrop Pro, Ownwell, Home Tax Shield and O’Connor using your own numbers, and confirm county coverage.
- Homestead already at the 10% cap? A lower market value may not change your taxable value this year. See the homestead cap explained.
Where TaxDrop lands
TaxDrop One is $129 per property per tax year, refunded if there is no reduction. TaxDrop Pro is full service at 1% of the assessment reduction, paid only if we win; Harris County is a TaxDrop Pro county, as are nearby Fort Bend, Montgomery, Brazoria and Galveston counties. See how Pro works and the pricing page. Check what your Houston property is worth, free →
Related Texas guides
- Texas property tax protest companies compared
- Harris County property tax protest
- Fort Bend County protest page and Galveston County protest page
- Texas protest deadline guide
- Texas property tax protests by county
Sources
- Texas Comptroller: property tax protests and appeals (checked September 30, 2026)
- Texas Tax Code Chapter 41 (§41.41, §41.44) and Chapter 1 (§1.06)
- Comptroller county directory: Harris County
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS data via the TaxDrop data center
- Ownwell pricing (checked September 30, 2026)
- Home Tax Shield (checked September 30, 2026)
- Five Stone Tax Advisers FAQs and home page (checked September 30, 2026)
- O’Connor fees and home page (checked September 30, 2026)
- TaxDrop pricing (checked September 30, 2026)
Paying Too Much in Property Taxes?
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FAQs
What is the best property tax protest company in Houston?
There is no single best company. Filing yourself is free; Ownwell says it charges 25% of savings, Home Tax Shield $30 plus 30%, Five Stone 40% and O’Connor 50%; TaxDrop One is $129 per property per tax year, refunded if there is no reduction, and TaxDrop Pro is 1% of the assessment reduction. On a 10% reduction to the Harris County median home, Ownwell would cost less than $129. Confirm each firm serves Harris County and verify its license with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
How much do Houston property tax protest companies charge?
Fees range from 25% to 50% of tax savings among the contingency firms listed on this page, according to their own sites. TaxDrop One is $129 and TaxDrop Pro is 1% of the assessment reduction. On a 10% reduction to the county median home value, the fees range from $110 to $219 among those firms, excluding any upfront fees.
What is the property tax protest deadline in Harris County?
Generally May 15 or 30 days after HCAD delivers your notice of appraised value, whichever is later (Tax Code §41.44). If that day is a weekend, it moves to the next business day. There is no filing fee.
Is a flat fee or a contingency fee cheaper in Houston?
At Harris County’s 1.72% median effective rate, a $129 flat fee costs less than a 25% contingency once the value reduction passes about $30,000. Below that, the contingency costs less.
Does TaxDrop Pro cover Harris County?
Yes. Harris County is a TaxDrop Pro county. TaxDrop Pro is 1% of the assessment reduction, paid only if we win.
Do I have to sign anything to hire a protest company?
Yes. A full-service firm acts as your agent and asks you to sign an agent authorization. Read the fee, renewal and cancellation terms first. If you file yourself, you sign nothing over.
What is the median property tax bill in Harris County?
$4,382 a year on a median home value of $255,000, an effective rate of 1.72%, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
Ryder Meehan
Ryder Meehan is the Co-Founder of TaxDrop and a Licensed Property Tax Protest Consultant
