Compare Property Tax Appeal Services — Flat Fee vs. Contingency (2026) | Property Tax Edge
Honest comparison · Updated July 2026

How Should You Appeal Your Property Taxes?

There are three ways to fight an unfair assessment: do it yourself with good evidence, pay a flat fee for a professional packet, or hand it to a contingency firm that keeps a cut of your savings. Here's how the options actually compare — including our competitors.

Free / DIY
Do it yourself

Our calculator, county guides, deadlines, templates, and rules library are free for all 50 states + DC. Best when your case is simple and you have time.

Cost: $0 — keep 100% of savings
Flat fee — best value for most
Professional packet, you file it

$49 once. AI-assembled evidence with auto-sourced comps, ratio check, hearing script, and filing instructions. Filing usually takes under an hour.

Cost: $49 — keep 100% of savings
Full service
A pro handles everything

Contingency firms file and attend hearings for you, then keep a share of the savings (Ownwell charges ~25%, varying by market, in its 7 full-service states). Or get matched with a local consultant you choose through our marketplace.

Cost: typically 25–35% of savings
What you getProperty Tax EdgeAppealDeskOwnwell
Price$49 flat (or Pro)$49 flatFull service ~25% of savings (varies by market); DIY packet sold separately
Flat-fee DIY appeal packet$49 flat$49 flatNational Appeals Packet (AI-generated, nationwide)
You keep 100% of savingsDIY packet only — full service is contingency
Comparable sales analysis
Assessment ratio / equity check
Cover letter & appeal narrativeHandled for you
Hearing script & coachingThey attend for you
Form data sheet & filing instructionsHandled for you
AI notice scan (auto-read your assessment)
Free 50-state guides, deadlines & rules library
Free over-assessment calculator
Choose your own local consultant (marketplace)
Someone files & attends the hearing for youVia consultant matchIn 7 full-service states
Annual monitoring / yearly re-checkPro
States covered50 + DC507 full-service states + nationwide DIY packet

Competitor details from appealdesk.com and ownwell.com as of July 2026 — pricing, coverage, and products change, so verify current details on their sites. Ownwell offers full-service contingency appeals (~25%, varies by market) in TX, IL, FL, GA, CA, WA, and NY, plus a nationwide AI-generated DIY "National Appeals Packet"; the success-rate and average-savings figures Ownwell advertises are its own reported numbers, not ours. Ownwell's full-service model is a legitimate choice, especially for complex cases; our marketplace offers the same hands-off route with a consultant you choose. = partial or limited.

AI Evidence Packet · $49

Build your appeal packet now

Same $49 flat price as AppealDesk — with auto-sourced comps, an AI notice scan, and our free 50-state rules library behind it.

Build my packet
Prefer hands-off?

Get matched with a local consultant

Licensed pros in your state, most on contingency — like Ownwell, but you choose the expert. Free to request, no obligation.

Get matched free