Every spring, Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD) mails a Notice of Appraised Value to every property owner in the county. It's a single sheet of paper — but it contains several numbers that most homeowners glance at once and file away. Understanding exactly what each number means is the first step to knowing whether you should protest.
When does the notice arrive?
TCAD typically mails notices in April, though the exact date varies by year. You may receive yours anywhere from early April to mid-May. If you haven't received it and it's late April, you can look up your property on the TCAD website to check your current appraised value.
The key numbers on your notice
Appraised value
This is TCAD's estimate of your property's market value — what it would sell for between a willing buyer and seller. This is the number you're protesting if you believe it's too high. Compare it to recent sales of similar homes in your neighborhood.
Assessed value (capped value)
For homeowners with a homestead exemption, Texas law caps how much your assessed value can increase year over year — currently 10% per year. If your appraised value jumped 20% but you have a homestead exemption, your assessed value (the number taxes are calculated on) only increases by 10%. The assessed value is always the lower of the appraised value or last year's assessed value plus 10%.
Important: Even if your assessed value is capped below the appraised value, protesting a high appraised value still matters. It sets the ceiling for future increases — the lower your appraised value, the less room the district has to raise your assessed value in future years.
Taxable value
This is your assessed value minus any exemptions (homestead, over-65, disability, etc.). Your actual tax bill is calculated by multiplying the taxable value by your combined tax rate.
Market value vs. appraised value
TCAD uses “appraised value” and “market value” interchangeably on the notice — both refer to their estimate of what your home would sell for. Don't confuse this with your taxable value or assessed value.
The deadline on the notice
Somewhere on the notice — usually near the top or bottom — you'll see a protest deadline. It reads something like: “Deadline to file a protest: May 15, 20XX, or 30 days from the date of this notice, whichever is later.”
The date printed on the notice is the date TCAD mailed it — not the date you received it. Add 30 days to that date and compare it to May 15. Your deadline is whichever is later. Texas law provides no extensions, so mark this date the moment the notice arrives.
What to do if the value looks too high
Start by doing a quick sanity check: search for recent sales of similar homes in your neighborhood on Zillow, Redfin, or HAR.com. Look for homes that sold in the past 6–12 months with similar square footage, age, and condition. If several comparable sales are below your appraised value, you likely have grounds for a protest.
You can also check what TCAD has on file for your property — sometimes the district has incorrect data (wrong square footage, extra bathrooms that don't exist) that inflates your value. Log into the TCAD portal and review your property details.
Ready to file? Our free Travis County protest guide walks you through every step, with a deadline calculator and links to file online at TCAD.