Fort Bend Property Tax Protests – by Property type and Value
One-third of all Fort Bend County property owners protested their taxes in 2023, the highest number seen so far. 116,510 protests divided among homes, commercial properties, industrial plants, and apartment blocks totaling an estimated value of $79.77 billion. $44.97 billion in homes was protested alone. Featuring some of the highest property taxes in the United States, it is no wonder that Fort Bend County residents know how to stand their ground against an aggressive Fort Bend Central Appraisal District (FBCAD). Join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program(TM) today and have your property taxes fought for you annually. There is never an upfront cost to pay or a hidden fee to surprise you, and best yet, you only pay if you lower your taxes. Enroll, relax, and save.
Total Parcels and Total Protests FBCADSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Parcels | 325.74 | 328.57 | 339.58 | 348.82 | 359.62 | 366.22 | 380.44 | 387.32 | 343.59 | 354.07 | 426.16 | |
| Total Protests Filed | 61.07 | 71.87 | 72.08 | 70.35 | 68.68 | 71.85 | 87.72 | 84.68 | 112.56 | 116.51 | 126.41 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Mass appraisal used by appraisal districts includes many errors based on limited resources. About 500 appraisers value all 20 million Texas tax parcels; about 40,000 per appraiser. Another 1,500 appraisers measure new construction.
Fort Bend County Property Tax Protests
The people of Fort Bend County have been doing property tax protests since before it was cool. As ground zero for the unfair property tax valuations to follow in the 2010s, Fort Bend taxpayers have known the score for decades. As a consequence of their history taking on the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District (FBCAD), Fort Bend has continually been the leader in property tax protests in Texas by percentage.
Even if you are a grizzled warrior of the Fort Bend property tax fight, it never hurts to have a friend in your corner. O’Connor is a Houston-based property tax consulting firm that has dedicated its long existence solely to fighting the aggressiveness of appraisal districts. As one of the largest firms in America to specialize in reducing property taxes, O’Connor has the people and resources necessary to back you in any fight.
Total Parcels in Fort Bend Central Appraisal District
Parcels are a collection of a certain acreage that FBCAD uses to bundle real property together. From farms to office parks, parcels are the basic unit by which taxation can be assessed and ultimately collected. Fort Bend County has 354,070 parcels as of 2023, three times more than the average Texas county. The most notable thing about Fort Bend County is that 116,510 parcels were protested in 2023, an extremely high percentage for any county.
Total Protests Fort Bend CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Protests | 61.07 | 71.87 | 72.08 | 70.35 | 68.68 | 71.85 | 87.72 | 84.68 | 112.56 | 116.51 | 126.41 | |
| Single Family Home Protests | 44.39 | 55.48 | 54.50 | 52.86 | 50.29 | 52.67 | 65.36 | 62.20 | 87.27 | 91.94 | 98.32 | |
| Commercial / Other Protests | 16.68 | 16.39 | 17.58 | 17.49 | 18.39 | 19.18 | 22.36 | 22.48 | 25.29 | 24.58 | 28.09 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is their right.
Total Protests
Fort Bend County does not have the sudden spikes in protests that most counties in Texas have in the last few years. Property tax appeals have grown every year, but this problem is nothing new for the people of the county. In many ways, Fort Bend County was a preview of things to come, as the devastating property taxes centered in the county eventually spread to most of the state of Texas. 116,510 protests were filed in 2023, the most in the history of the county, and up from 112,560 in 2022.
91,940 single family home protests led the charge, as they always do in Texas. There are simply more homes than businesses, so to see 78.91% of protests be residential is no surprise. There were still 24,580 business protests in 2023, which is a lot when you consider the size of most of those properties. That number includes commercial properties, industrial land, and multi family homes.
% of Parcels Protested Fort Bend CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Percent | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Percent Protested | 18.75% | 21.87% | 21.23% | 20.17% | 19.1% | 19.62% | 23.06% | 21.86% | 32.76% | 32.91% | 29.66% | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since About 60% of appeals are successful.
FBCAD – Percent Parcels Protested
32.91% of all Fort Bend County taxpayers protested in 2023, a truly staggering number. Indeed, only Travis County and their 37.88% were able to top it. The statewide average for Texas is 13.57%, showing how serious the situation is in Fort Bend County. Back in 2014, only 18.75% of taxpayers regularly protested, while 32.76% of residents protested in 2022. The percentage that appeal their taxes has gone up every year and will continue to do so.
Protests by Property Type Fort Bend CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 61.07 | 71.87 | 72.08 | 70.35 | 68.68 | 71.85 | 87.72 | 84.68 | 112.56 | 116.51 | 126.41 | |
| Single Family | 44.39 | 55.48 | 54.50 | 52.86 | 50.29 | 52.67 | 65.36 | 62.20 | 87.27 | 91.94 | 98.32 | |
| Multi-Family Res | 0.39 | 1.05 | 0.23 | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.26 | 0.51 | 0.46 | 0.53 | 0.25 | 0.24 | |
| Commercial | 5.67 | 6.15 | 6.26 | 6.82 | 6.49 | 6.76 | 9.39 | 9.98 | 10.23 | 8.90 | 9.93 | |
| All Other | 10.63 | 9.19 | 11.09 | 10.46 | 11.68 | 12.17 | 12.45 | 12.04 | 14.54 | 15.42 | 17.92 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Correcting an error in the appraisal district’s description of your property can reap savings in future years.
Fort Bend County Protests by Property Type
As expected, single family homes were the beating heart of Ford Bend County protests. 91,935 single family homes were protested, making up 78.91% of all appeals. Homeowners in Fort Bend County are used to high property taxes and have been willing to fight them longer than most Texans. Property values are at an all-time high and are a threat to family homes that have been inhabited for years or even generations.
116,511 protests were launched in total in 2023, and their types can be explored better once they are broken down. 15,420 industrial and utility properties came in second place for the number of protests, followed by 8,901 commercial properties. 254 multi family homes closed out the appeals. While they pale in comparison to single family homes, these numbers do indicate strong business growth throughout Fort Bend County.
Value of Property Protested by TypeSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Billions of $ | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Value Protested Total | 25.01 | 29.38 | 33.74 | 31.25 | 34.15 | 36.26 | 48.62 | 47.17 | 62.54 | 79.77 | 91.91 | |
| Single Family | 12.20 | 15.12 | 18.05 | 17.44 | 16.88 | 17.57 | 22.66 | 22.29 | 33.92 | 44.97 | 50.04 | |
| Multi-Family Res | 1.49 | 0.88 | 1.69 | 1.56 | 1.71 | 1.81 | 2.61 | 2.77 | 3.23 | 4.95 | 5.92 | |
| Commercial | 6.26 | 9.08 | 10.40 | 10.81 | 11.66 | 13.00 | 14.01 | 14.87 | 16.95 | 19.14 | 20.49 | |
| All Other | 5.07 | 4.30 | 3.60 | 1.44 | 3.90 | 3.87 | 9.35 | 7.25 | 8.45 | 10.71 | 15.46 | |
Fort Bend County Value of Property Protested by Type
The trend of residential dominance continues when the market value of contested property is examined. Of the $79.77 billion in total protested property, $44.97 billion of it was for single family homes. This affirms the suburban nature of Fort Bend County, as the value of commercial property can sometimes supersede single family homes despite the number of appeals in homeowners’ favor. The value of homes appealed jumped 34.58% between 2022 and 2023. This was a noticeable increase after protested homes had stayed relatively the same since 2019.
If they are not No. 1, commercial properties usually come in second for appealed value in Texas. Fort Bend County followed this to the letter, with commercial properties protesting $19.14 billion in value in 2023. Industrial and related businesses followed with $10.71 billion. Multi family homes, such as apartment buildings, nabbed $4.95 billion. All of these categories have steadily grown over the past decade, with no major fluctuations.