PATRICK'S QUICK ANSWER
The protest calendar is fixed each year, and the one date you cannot miss is May 15, or 30 days after your Notice of Appraised Value arrives, whichever is later. Informal hearings with a BCAD appraiser fill June and July, and formal ARB hearings run July through August. Three deciding factors: file online early, have your evidence ready, and appeal to the ARB only when the informal value still looks wrong. Miss the deadline and you lose the year. Ask Patrick to check your home's value.
The property tax protest timeline in San Antonio follows a set schedule each year. Your deadline to file a protest is May 15 or 30 days after the Bexar County Appraisal District (BCAD) mails your Notice of Appraised Value, whichever is later. Informal hearings typically happen June through July, and formal Appraisal Review Board (ARB) hearings run July through August. Missing the deadline means you lose your right to protest.
The May 15 filing deadline
The one date you cannot miss is your protest deadline: May 15, or 30 days after the Bexar County Appraisal District mails your Notice of Appraised Value, whichever is later. The notice typically arrives in April, so for most San Antonio homeowners the deadline lands in May.
What it means in dollars: miss the deadline and you lose your right to protest that year's assessed value, which means you pay whatever the district set until next year's notice. That can cost you hundreds of dollars you did not need to spend.
The real-world move: file your protest online the day you open the notice. It takes about ten minutes, locks in your right to a hearing, and gives you the whole spring to gather evidence.
Informal hearings: June through July
After you file, the informal hearing is the first stop. A BCAD appraiser reviews your evidence, and this is where roughly 70 percent of protests are resolved. The appraiser has real flexibility to adjust your value at this stage, which is why most cases never go further.
The money angle: bring your comparable sales, photos, and repair estimates to the informal hearing. This stage offers the best odds of the entire process, and a resolution here means no waiting on a formal board.
The real-world consequence: treat the informal hearing like a short business meeting, not a courtroom. Present your comps calmly, let the appraiser respond, and many homeowners walk out with a reduction the same day.
Formal ARB hearings: July through August
If you and the appraiser cannot agree, your case moves to the formal Appraisal Review Board hearing, which typically runs July through August. The ARB is an independent panel, and the success rate is lower, around 30 to 40 percent, but the potential reduction can be larger when your evidence is strong.
What it costs you: a formal hearing takes more preparation, a clear presentation of your comparable sales, and patience. There is no filing fee, so the only real cost is your time.
The real-world play: if you reach the ARB, prepare like you are presenting to a jury. Organize your comps, explain why your evidence supports a lower value, and answer their questions directly. The panel decides on the evidence, not on who talks the loudest.
What happens if you miss the window
Miss the filing deadline and you lose your right to protest that year's value. You can still file or update exemptions, and your next chance to protest arrives with next year's Notice of Appraised Value. The homestead cap on school tax value increases still applies, but it does not replace the protest.
Patrick's take: the May 15 deadline is the one date you cannot miss. I tell every homeowner to mark their calendar as soon as they receive their Notice of Appraised Value. File online early and you will have plenty of time to gather evidence before the informal hearing. Make it a great one and never let a missed date cost you a year of savings.
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