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Houston & Harris County — HCAD Specialists

Your property taxes are too high.
We fix that.

Houston's only property tax firm focused 100% on HCAD protests. We know you care about every cent — so do we. That's why we fight harder for the biggest reduction and let you keep more of it with Houston's lowest rate.

See Plans & Pricing → How It Works
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Houston OnlyWe live and breathe HCAD
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100% FocusedProperty tax protests — that's it
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Lowest Rate20% of savings — guaranteed
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Zero RiskNo savings = no charge, ever
Choose Your Plan

Two ways to pay less in property taxes.

Whether you want to handle it yourself with professional-grade evidence, or hand it all to us — we've got you covered. Both options save Houston homeowners serious money.

Do-It-Yourself
iSettle Pack
$99/year
Express delivery (same business day): $149
Everything you need to protest your own taxes through HCAD's iSettle system — researched, written, and formatted by our experts. Just copy, paste, and submit.
  • Recommended opinion of value backed by data
  • Pre-written iSettle comments (700 chars, ready to paste)
  • Top comparable sales and equity comps formatted for upload
  • Step-by-step iSettle submission instructions
  • Free Property & Micro-Market Report with nearby sales
  • Delivered within 3 business days (or same business day with Express)
  • Auto-renews annually — fresh pack every protest season
Get My iSettle Pack →
Guaranteed to save you more than $99 — or it's free
Most Popular
We Handle Everything
Full Service
20% of tax savings
Houston's lowest rate — guaranteed. $0 upfront.
We file your protest, build the evidence, represent you at every stage, and fight for every dollar. You do nothing after signing up.
  • We file your protest with HCAD as your authorized agent
  • Custom evidence package with comps, equity analysis & market data
  • Full iSettle negotiation and ARB hearing representation
  • Free Property & Micro-Market Report with nearby sales
  • Full transparency — see your protest report and all evidence
  • Annual auto-protest — we fight for you every year, automatically
  • Only pay if we save you money. Period.
Start My Free Protest →
No savings = $0. Our fee: 20% of first-year tax savings only.
The Math

The whole point is saving money.
Why give so much of it away?

When you protest your property taxes, the savings are yours. But the firm you hire takes a cut — and that cut matters. Here's what the numbers look like on a typical Houston home:

Say your protest saves you
$2,000 per year in property taxes
Other Firms (25–40%)
They take: $300–$480
You keep: $1,200–$1,500
vs
Full Service (20%)
We take: $240
You keep: $1,600
vs
iSettle Pack ($99)
You pay: $99 flat
You keep: $1,901
Same $2,000 savings — but you keep up to $600 more with PropTaxLab. Every year.
How It Works

Three steps. That's it.

01
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Sign Up in Minutes

Enter your property address, pick your plan, and tell us about any issues with your home. We pull your HCAD data automatically.

02
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We Build Your Case

Our team researches comparable sales, equity data, and market trends to build a detailed, custom protest package for your property.

03
✅

You Save Money

iSettle Pack: We send you everything — just copy, paste, and submit. Full Service: We handle everything start to finish.

What You Get

Every customer gets a free
Property & Micro-Market Report.

Both plans include a detailed report about your property and neighborhood — because you should know exactly what's going on with your home's value.

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Comparable Sales Nearby

See what similar homes in your neighborhood recently sold for — the exact data HCAD uses to value your property.

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Equity Analysis

How does your HCAD valuation compare to similar homes on your street? If you're assessed higher, we'll show it.

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HCAD Value History

Your property's assessed value over the past 5 years, so you can see how HCAD has been trending your home.

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Micro-Market Snapshot

A quick look at your local housing market — listings, recent sales, and trends that affect your property's value.

Why Switch

Not all protest firms are equal.

The big firms juggle bill negotiation, insurance, energy, and multi-state operations. We do one thing: protest Houston property taxes. That singular focus means better research, stronger cases, and a lower rate.

The Other Guys

25–40%
✕Higher rate eats your hard-earned savings
✕Juggle insurance, bills, energy — your protest is an afterthought
✕Template protests across 7–50 states
✕Opaque process — you never see the evidence
✕No DIY option — it's their way or nothing
Best Value

PropTaxLab

20% or $99
✓Houston's lowest rate, guaranteed — keep more of every dollar
✓100% focused on HCAD — property tax protests are all we do
✓Custom evidence built from Houston comps and HCAD data
✓Full report shared with you — every comp, every number
✓Two options: DIY iSettle Pack or Full Service — your choice
About

Built by a Houston real estate professional.

PropTaxLab wasn't started by a tech company in Austin or a call center in Dallas. It was built right here in Houston by someone who's been through the HCAD process — on both sides of the table.

Tim Mehlman

Tim Mehlman, Founder

Tim brings deep commercial real estate experience in Houston, including managing over $1B+ in real estate acquisitions at JP Morgan Asset Management and years of direct experience navigating HCAD protests across residential and commercial properties. That background — combined with meticulous research and a commitment to keeping costs low — is what makes PropTaxLab different.

We built PropTaxLab because we saw an industry charging too much for too little work. Houston homeowners deserve better results at a fair rate. That's what we deliver.

Houston-Based $1B+ Real Estate Experience HCAD Protest Veteran Residential & Commercial
What Homeowners Say

Houston homeowners keeping more.

★★★★★
"I was paying O'Connor 40% for three years and never once saw the evidence they used. Switched to PropTaxLab — got a bigger reduction at half the rate, and they shared every single comp and data point with me. Night and day difference."
R
Rachel M.
Bellaire · Saved $2,150/yr
★★★★★
"The iSettle Pack was a no-brainer. For $99 I got a professional evidence package with comps, equity analysis, and pre-written comments — just copied, pasted, and submitted. HCAD accepted the iSettle offer in 3 weeks. Saved $1,480 and kept almost all of it."
T
Thomas L.
Oak Forest · iSettle Pack
★★★★★
"HCAD raised my value 12%. PropTaxLab found adjusted comps, expired listings, and equity data I never would have found on my own. They got my value reduced by $94K. The full report they shared was more thorough than anything I've seen from the big firms."
J
Jennifer K.
Memorial · Full Service
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Zero RiskNo savings = $0
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SecureStripe payments
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$99 GuaranteeSave more or it's free
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Houston OnlyHCAD specialists
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Full TransparencySee all your evidence
Free

Not sure if you're overpaying? We'll tell you.

Enter your address and email. We'll pull your HCAD value, compare it to recent sales in your neighborhood, and email you a personalized assessment — including how much you could save. Free, no strings.

You'll receive a personalized HCAD value check with comparable sales within 24 hours. No spam, ever.

Get Started

Start saving on your property taxes.

Pick your plan below, enter your info, and we'll take it from there. No payment needed for Full Service — we only charge if we save you money.

Photos of foundation cracks, an outdated kitchen, roof damage, or needed repairs can dramatically strengthen your protest. After signing up, we'll email you a link to upload any photos you'd like us to include.

Full Service Agreement — click to review terms ▸

PropTaxLab Full Service Agreement

This agreement is between you ("Client") and PropTaxLab, operated by Enduring Retail Audit, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("PropTaxLab").

Services. PropTaxLab will: file a property tax protest with HCAD on your behalf as your authorized agent; research and prepare a comprehensive evidence package; negotiate through iSettle and represent you at informal and ARB hearings if necessary; and provide you with copies of all evidence and a free Property & Micro-Market Report.

Fee. You agree to pay 20% of first-year property tax savings. "Savings" = the tax difference between HCAD's original appraised value and the final settled value, multiplied by the applicable combined tax rate. If there are no savings, you pay nothing. Payment is due within 30 days of invoice, sent after your protest is resolved.

Agent Authorization. You authorize PropTaxLab to file protests, access your HCAD account, submit evidence, and represent you in hearings for the current tax year and any renewal years. PropTaxLab will seek your approval before accepting settlement offers more than 5% above the recommended opinion of value. You may revoke this authorization at any time in writing.

Auto-Renewal. This agreement renews automatically each tax year. Cancel anytime by emailing hello@proptaxlab.com at least 30 days before the next protest season (typically March 1). If you cancel before any services are rendered, you owe nothing.

No Guarantees. PropTaxLab does not guarantee any specific outcome. Results depend on HCAD's review, market conditions, and available evidence. PropTaxLab is not a law firm or licensed appraiser.

Confidentiality. Your information is kept confidential and shared only with HCAD as necessary to perform services. We may use anonymized data for marketing.

Liability. PropTaxLab's total liability is limited to fees paid. No liability for indirect or consequential damages except from gross negligence.

Disputes. Governed by Texas law. Disputes resolved by binding arbitration in Harris County, TX.

Full Service: No payment needed now — you only pay if we save you money.

FAQ

Questions? Answers.

What's the difference between the iSettle Pack and Full Service?

The iSettle Pack ($99) gives you a complete, ready-to-use protest package — our recommended value, pre-written iSettle comments, and formatted comps. You file it yourself through HCAD's iSettle system by copying and pasting what we provide. Zero research on your part. Full Service (20%) means we handle absolutely everything — filing, evidence, hearings, negotiations. You sign up and we do the rest. Choose iSettle Pack if you want to save more and don't mind 10 minutes of copy-pasting. Choose Full Service if you want to do literally nothing.

Why is your rate lower than O'Connor or OwnWell?

Because property tax protests are the only thing we do. The big firms spread resources across bill negotiation, insurance, energy services, and operations in dozens of states. We run a lean, focused operation — 100% dedicated to getting Houston homeowners the lowest possible HCAD appraisal. Less overhead, sharper focus, better results, lower rate.

What if my savings are less than $99 with the iSettle Pack?

Then it's free. We guarantee the iSettle Pack will save you more than $99 in property taxes — if it doesn't, we refund you in full. Given that the average Houston protest saves homeowners hundreds of dollars, this is extremely rare.

When is the deadline to protest in Harris County?

May 15, 2026 — or 30 days after HCAD mails your Notice of Appraised Value, whichever is later. HCAD typically mails notices in April. We recommend signing up as early as possible so we have maximum time to build the strongest case.

Do I need to attend any hearings?

iSettle Pack: No hearings — everything is handled online through HCAD's iSettle portal. Full Service: We attend hearings on your behalf. You never need to set foot in HCAD's office.

What if my taxes don't get reduced?

For Full Service: you pay nothing. Zero. For iSettle Pack: our guarantee covers you — if you don't save more than $99, you get a full refund. We're incentivized to fight for every dollar because that's the only way we succeed.

I already use another firm. Can I switch?

Yes — many of our customers switch from larger firms to get a better rate and more focused service. Just sign up and we'll handle the transition. Check your current agreement for any cancellation terms — and know that many firms auto-renew, so canceling sooner is better.

Will you protest my taxes every year?

Yes. HCAD reassesses every year, and values almost always start high. Both plans auto-renew annually — Full Service customers get protested every year automatically, and iSettle Pack customers receive a fresh evidence package every protest season. You can cancel anytime with no hassle.

Why should I use a Houston-only firm?

Because HCAD is unique. Every appraisal district has its own quirks, data systems, and appraiser tendencies. A firm that protests in 7 or 50 states can't know Houston the way we do. We analyze HCAD data daily, we know which comps work, and we understand the local market at a micro-neighborhood level. That focus translates directly into better results for you.

Ready to stop overpaying?

Join Houston homeowners who are keeping more of their property tax savings with PropTaxLab.

Start Full Service (20%) → Get iSettle Pack ($99) →
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Before you go — is HCAD overcharging you?

Enter your address and we'll check your HCAD value against recent sales. Free, no commitment — just a quick answer.

We'll email you a personalized assessment within 24 hours. No spam.