Deadlines, legal rights, evidence strategy, and the hearing script. Everything you need to lower your 2026 appraisal.
Find my comps + generate reportMost Brazos County homeowners assume protesting only makes sense if their property is obviously overvalued. That's a costly misconception.
In Texas, there are two separate numbers that matter for your taxes:
⚠ That $110,000 gap between market and appraised value is a ticking clock. Your appraised value will increase by up to 10% per year until it catches up, whether or not your actual home value went up.
If your Market Value is $400,000 and your Appraised Value is $290,000, BCAD can raise your Appraised Value by up to 10% every single year, even if your Market Value doesn't change. That means your tax bill will keep climbing automatically until the gap closes. Protesting your Market Value now is the only way to stop that clock. Every year you don't protest is a missed opportunity.
Not sure if you have a case? Brazos Protest checks in 90 seconds. Enter your address and Brazos Protest analyzes your neighborhood by comparing your property against similar homes based on age, size, quality grade, and other factors, to tell you exactly where you stand.
Find my comps + generate my reportMiss the deadline and you lose your right to protest for the entire year. BCAD will not accept late filings.
| Date | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-April 2026 | Notice of Appraised Value mailed | Check esearch.brazoscad.org if you haven't received yours |
| Apr 22 – May 15 | Walk-in informal meetings (no appt) | Mon–Fri, 9–11am & 1–4pm at BCAD office. First-come first-served. Bring evidence. |
| May 19+ 2026 | Scheduled informal meetings begin | Request on your protest form if you prefer a scheduled appointment over walk-in |
| ⚠ May 15, 2026 | Protest deadline | Or 30 days after your notice delivery, whichever is later. This is the hard deadline. |
| May–July 2026 | Informal conference with BCAD | BCAD is legally required to offer one. Request it on Section 5 of your protest form. |
| Before hearing | Request BCAD's evidence package | Under §41.461, BCAD must provide their data free of charge at least 14 days before the hearing |
| May–August 2026 | ARB formal hearing (if needed) | Most cases resolve at the informal stage. ARB hearings typically take 15–30 minutes. |
| Within 30 days | ARB written order issued | If unsatisfied, you may appeal to district court or SOAH within 60 days of the order |
File online at portal.brazoscad.org. If you did not use the new online appeals portal in 2024 or 2025, a new user ID will need to be created. You'll need your Property ID, E-File PIN, and email address from your Notice of Appraised Value. On Section 3, check "Incorrect appraised (market) value and/or value is unequal compared with other properties." Or mail to: BRAZOS CAD, 4051 Pendleton Dr., Bryan TX 77802, or use the drop box at the front entrance.
⚠ If you file online: After BCAD reviews your protest, you'll get an email notification. Log back into the portal to see their offer. You have only 2 days to accept or reject. No response means you're automatically scheduled for a formal ARB hearing. Once accepted, an offer cannot be withdrawn.
Under the Texas Property Tax Code, the USPS postmark date determines whether a mailed filing is timely, not the date you drop it off. Recent USPS changes mean mail is sometimes postmarked at a regional processing facility days later. To be safe: mail at least 3–5 days before the deadline, request a hand-canceled postmark at the counter, or use certified mail. BCAD also has a drop box at 4051 Pendleton Dr., Bryan TX if you want to avoid the mail entirely.
The strongest protests arrive with comp evidence already in hand. Brazos Protest builds your full $/sq ft analysis and PDF protest package in about 90 seconds, so you can file and submit evidence on the same day.
Find my comps + generate my reportThere are two separate stages. Most homeowners settle at Stage 1 without ever needing a formal hearing.
File online at portal.brazoscad.org. Online appeals are considered informal meetings. Please do not file an online appeal and also come to the office for an informal meeting. If you did not use the new online appeals portal in 2024 or 2025, a new user ID will need to be created. Or file by mail. Check "unequal appraisal" on Section 3. Request an informal conference on Section 5, which BCAD is legally required to hold under §41.445. Also send a separate written request for their evidence package under §41.461. Before your hearing, run your address through Brazos Protest, which analyzes your neighborhood to find the most comparable properties by size, age, and quality grade, then builds your $/sq ft evidence table automatically.
You meet with a BCAD appraiser and present your evidence. If they agree your value should be lower, they'll offer a settlement. Most cases end here. Two options: walk-in (Apr 22–May 15, Mon–Fri 9–11am & 1–4pm, first-come first-served) or scheduled appointment (starting May 19; request on your protest form). Note: filing an online appeal counts as your informal meeting, so don't do both.
If you don't agree at the informal stage, you proceed to a formal hearing before the Appraisal Review Board, a three-person panel. Hearings can be attended in person, by videoconference, or by written affidavit. Indicate your preference in Section 5 of the protest form. All evidence must be submitted electronically to evidence@brazoscad.org at least 24 hours before your hearing. Hearings typically take 15–30 minutes. Under §41.47(c-2), the board cannot raise your value above what BCAD submitted without your written consent.
If the ARB rules against you, you have 60 days from the written order to appeal via one of three routes:
Enter your address and Brazos Protest pulls your BCAD data, finds your best comparable properties, calculates your $/sq ft unequal appraisal case, and generates a submission-ready evidence packet and hearing guide. File with confidence on day one.
Find my comps + generate my reportFor a Brazos County residential protest, your strongest argument is unequal appraisal, showing that similar homes in your neighborhood are appraised at a lower $/sq ft than yours. BCAD's own certified data is your source. Brazos Protest analyzes your specific neighborhood, identifying properties that closely match yours by age, size, and quality grade, then calculates the $/sq ft comparison table you need to walk into your hearing.
Under §41.43(b)(3), you win your protest if you can show that your property's appraised value exceeds the median appraised value of comparable properties, appropriately adjusted. In practice, this means showing comps in your neighborhood with a lower $/sq ft than yours.
The key is that BCAD must use their own certified data, and that same data proves your case. You're not arguing against their methodology; you're using it to prove they applied it inconsistently.
For BCAD properties, comparable properties should match your subject on:
Submit all evidence to evidence@brazoscad.org or via the online appeals portal at least 24 hours before your formal hearing. The ARB requires electronic submission for all formal hearings. You can also bring it to the BCAD office to be scanned if you can't submit electronically.
Enter your address and 2026 proposed value and Brazos Protest analyzes your neighborhood by evaluating nearby properties based on age, size, quality grade, and several other metrics to identify the comparables that give you the strongest case. We calculate the lowest defensible value, then generate a ready-to-submit PDF protest report with scripted talking points.
Texas property tax law is genuinely protective of homeowners who do the work to protest. Here are the key statutes to know.
"A protest on the ground of unequal appraisal of property shall be determined in favor of the protesting party unless the appraisal district establishes that the appraised value of the property is equal to or less than the median appraised value of a reasonable number of comparable properties appropriately adjusted."Texas Tax Code §41.43(b)(3): Unequal Appraisal
In plain English: you win by default unless BCAD can prove your value is at or below the median of comparable properties. The burden of proof is on them, not you, as long as you show up with solid comparable evidence.
If your 2025 value was lowered through a successful protest, BCAD faces an even higher standard in 2026. Under §41.43(a-3), they must prove the new value by clear and convincing evidence, a significantly higher bar than the normal "preponderance" standard.
Brazos Protest automatically detects this scenario from your BCAD value history and includes step-by-step activation instructions in your protest package:
Find my comps + generate my report"The board may not increase the appraised value of property above the value placed on the property by the chief appraiser unless the property owner consents in writing."Texas Tax Code §41.47(c-2)
The worst outcome from a protest is your value stays the same. The ARB is legally prohibited from raising your value above what BCAD submitted without your written consent. There is genuinely no downside to protesting.
BCAD is legally required to offer you an informal conference before any formal ARB hearing. Request it on Section 5 of your protest form. This is often where cases settle, so bring your evidence and be ready to make your case.
Your Brazos Protest report includes a personalized hearing guide with a proven structure, including guidance specifically structured around your property, step-by-step presentation guidance, and the common mistakes that sink otherwise strong cases.
Brazos Protest generates a personalized hearing guide written specifically for your property and your numbers, including your exact opening statement, a step-by-step structure for presenting your comp evidence, and a checklist of common mistakes to avoid.
Find my comps + generate my reportIn addition to protesting your appraised value, make sure you're receiving every exemption you're entitled to. These directly reduce your taxable value and apply automatically year after year once filed.
Available to any homeowner who uses the property as their primary residence. Reduces taxable value and caps annual increases at 10%. Apply by April 30 at brazoscad.org.
Additional exemption for homeowners age 65+. It also freezes your school district taxes, which can never increase as long as you own and occupy the home.
Available to homeowners with qualifying disabilities. Similar benefits to the Over-65 exemption including a school tax freeze.
Exemptions from $5,000 to 100% of value depending on disability rating. 100% disabled veterans may receive a complete property tax exemption.
Surviving spouses of disabled veterans or first responders killed in the line of duty may qualify for a full exemption.
Properties actively used for agriculture may qualify for productivity valuation, meaning the property is taxed on agricultural value rather than market value, potentially saving thousands.
Most exemptions require a one-time application. Once approved, they renew automatically each year unless your circumstances change. The homestead exemption is the most impactful for most Brazos County homeowners. If you haven't filed one, do it now. Once your exemptions are in order, run your address through Brazos Protest to see if your appraised value also has room to come down.
Find my comps + generate my report