Using Comparable Properties to Protest Your Collin County Assessment

The most effective way to lower your Collin County property taxes is by showing that similar homes in your area are assessed at lower values. These similar homes — called "comparable properties" or "comps" — are the backbone of nearly every successful property tax protest in Texas.

What Makes a Good Comp in Collin County?

A comparable property should match yours in the key attributes CCAD uses for valuation:

• Size: Within 20-30% of your home's square footage
• Age: Built within 10-15 years of your home
• Location: Same CCAD neighborhood code or subdivision
• Features: Similar garage count, pool status, stories, central HVAC

Collin County's mix of established neighborhoods in Plano and Allen alongside newer developments in Celina and Prosper means finding tight comps requires attention to subdivision and build era. A 2003 home in west Plano is not comparable to a 2020 home in Prosper, even if the square footage matches.

The $/sqft Metric

The single most important number in a property tax protest is appraised value per square foot. If your property is assessed at $195/sqft but comparable homes in your CCAD neighborhood are assessed at $165/sqft, that's strong evidence of unequal appraisal.

To calculate: divide the total appraised value by the total living area square footage. For example, a home appraised at $520,000 with 2,800 sqft = $185.71/sqft.

Two Types of Evidence

Equity (Unequal Appraisal) — Usually Strongest

Compare your assessed value per square foot to other properties assessed by CCAD. Under Texas Property Tax Code Section 41.43(b), your appraised value should not exceed the median appraised value of comparable properties, appropriately adjusted.

This is typically the stronger argument because you're using CCAD's own data against them. The ARB must rule in your favor unless CCAD proves your value is at or below the comparable median — the burden of proof shifts to the appraisal district.

Market Value — Recent Sales

Show that comparable homes have recently sold for less than your appraised value. Use sale dates, addresses, and prices from the last 6-12 months. This is particularly effective in Collin County's newer subdivisions where the market may have cooled since CCAD's valuation date of January 1.

How Collin Value Finds Your Comps

Collin Value automatically analyzes your property against all residential properties in CCAD's appraisal data — roughly 479,000 properties. Our algorithm scores each potential comp on square footage similarity, year built, neighborhood, and features. Higher-scoring comps carry more weight in the analysis.

Building a Winning Case

• Use 3-5 strong comps rather than many weak ones — quality over quantity
• Highlight the median $/sqft of your comps vs. your own $/sqft
• Include both equity and sales evidence when available — they reinforce each other
• Pay special attention to comps within your same subdivision — CCAD weighs these heavily
• Collin Value generates both types of evidence with a match-scored comp list ready for your protest