Key Takeaways
Nueces County homeowners have powerful tools to challenge their property’s tax appraised value through the local appraisal district.
- New 2025 exemptions reduce taxable values significantly, with the homestead exemption now at $140,000 and the senior/disabled exemption jumping to $60,000.
- Protests must be filed by May 15 or within 30 days of receiving your Notice of Appraised Value, and online filing is available.
- Strong evidence, including properly adjusted comparable sales and documented property conditions, is essential for presenting a compelling case to the Appraisal Review Board.
- Every homeowner benefits from protesting annually, regardless of whether values appear to have changed.
Filing a protest is free, and the potential savings compound year after year.
Texas ranks among the highest property tax states in the nation, with an effective rate of 1.31% compared to the national average of 0.89%. For homeowners in Corpus Christi and surrounding areas, understanding how to work with the Nueces County CAD is the first step toward making sure your property tax bill is fair. With new exemption increases taking effect in 2025 and a county tax rate that recently climbed 7.59%, Nueces County property owners have every reason to learn the protest process. This guide answers the most common questions, from filing deadlines and evidence preparation to updated exemption amounts and professional representation.
What Is the Nueces County CAD and What Does It Do?
The Nueces County CAD, formally known as the Nueces County Appraisal District, is the government agency responsible for determining the tax appraised value of every property in the county. Located at 201 N. Chaparral St. in Corpus Christi, the district appraises all real and business personal property accounts countywide and administers exemptions that can lower your taxable value.
How Does the Nueces County CAD Determine Your Home’s Tax Appraised Value?
Each January 1, the appraisal district establishes the tax appraised value of your property based on recent sales of similar homes, the size and age of your property, its condition, and broader market trends across the Corpus Christi region. The district uses mass appraisal techniques, meaning values are assigned to groups of properties rather than individually inspected one by one.
This approach can sometimes produce values that don’t accurately reflect a specific home’s condition or unique features. Foundation issues, outdated systems, or other concerns that reduce a home’s true value may go unaccounted for. That gap between the mass appraisal estimate and your property’s actual condition is often where a strong protest case begins.
How Do You File a Property Tax Protest in Nueces County?
Filing a protest is a straightforward process that every Nueces County homeowner should consider. The Texas Comptroller’s office outlines the steps in detail.
When Is the Deadline to File?
You must file your protest by May 15 or within 30 days of receiving your Notice of Appraised Value, whichever date is later. Most notices in Nueces County are mailed in mid-April, so keep a close eye on your mailbox starting in early April. Missing this deadline means you cannot protest your value for the entire tax year.
After filing, you will typically have an opportunity for an informal meeting with an appraiser. Many protests are resolved during this stage. If you and the appraiser cannot reach an agreement, your case advances to a formal Appraisal Review Board (ARB) hearing, usually scheduled between June and August.
Can You File a Protest Online?
Yes. The Nueces County CAD offers an electronic filing system that allows eligible homeowners to submit their protest without visiting the office in person. After receiving your Notice of Appraised Value, you will find a PIN number on the notice that grants access to the e-file portal. This is a convenient option for homeowners who prefer to handle the initial filing from home. Filing a property tax protest online has become increasingly accessible across Texas, and Nueces County is no exception.
What Evidence Do You Need for a Successful Nueces County CAD Protest?
The quality of your evidence often determines the outcome of your protest. Walking into a hearing and simply stating that your taxes are too high will not be effective. The Appraisal Review Board needs concrete data to support a value reduction. Building a strong case starts with understanding what types of evidence carry weight with the board.
4 Types of Evidence That Strengthen Your Case
- Comparable sales data: Recent sales of homes similar to yours in size, age, location, and condition. These comparables must be mathematically adjusted for differences between the sold property and your home. Unadjusted comparisons carry little weight with the ARB.
- Property condition documentation: Written descriptions and repair estimates from licensed contractors for issues such as foundation problems, roof damage, plumbing concerns, or other deferred maintenance. Only conditions existing before January 1 of the tax year are relevant to your case.
- Equity comparisons: A list of comparable properties (properly adjusted) currently on the tax roll with lower appraised values than yours. This “unequal appraisal” argument shows that your home is valued unfairly relative to similar properties in the same area.
- Market trend data: Information showing that property values in your neighborhood or the broader Corpus Christi market have softened or declined since the last appraisal date.
Before filing your protest, review your property record on the Nueces County CAD website to confirm that the square footage, bedroom and bathroom count, lot size, and other features are accurate. If the appraisal district has errors in their records, those should be corrected directly with the district rather than through the protest process. A protest is specifically about challenging whether your tax appraised value is fair.
One important note: avoid comparing your property’s value directly to a neighbor’s without accounting for the many variables that affect each appraisal. The county considers roughly 40 different data points and adjusts each one, so a surface-level comparison could actually work against your case.
How Do 2026 Exemption Changes Affect Your Nueces County Property Taxes?
Texas voters approved several constitutional amendments in November 2025 that dramatically reshaped the exemption landscape. These changes took effect for the 2025 tax year, and they have a direct impact on how much Nueces County homeowners owe in property taxes.
What Is the New Homestead Exemption Amount?
The general homestead exemption for school district taxes increased from $100,000 to $140,000. If your home’s tax appraised value is $300,000 and you have a homestead exemption, $140,000 of that value is now removed from your school tax calculation. Since school district taxes typically make up the largest portion of a Texas property tax bill, this increase delivers meaningful relief.
To claim the homestead exemption, you must own the property and use it as your primary residence. There is no deadline to apply, and homeowners can file as soon as they purchase their home. If you have not filed for your homestead exemption yet, contact the appraisal district to get started. You can learn more about recent property tax relief measures and how they affect your bottom line.
How Much Can Seniors and Disabled Homeowners Save?
The exemption for homeowners aged 65 and older, as well as those with qualifying disabilities, jumped from $10,000 to $60,000. When combined with the general homestead exemption, eligible homeowners can now exempt up to $200,000 of their home’s value from school district taxes. For many seniors living in Nueces County, this could significantly reduce or even eliminate their school tax obligation entirely.
These exemption increases arrived alongside a Nueces County tax rate that recently increased to 28.9 cents per $100 of assessed value, representing a 7.59% increase over the prior year. While the new exemptions help offset some of that increase, they only reduce the school district portion of your taxes. County, city, and special district taxes are calculated separately. This is why protesting your tax appraised value remains important even with higher exemptions in place.
Should You Protest Your Property Taxes Yourself or Hire a Professional?
Every Texas homeowner has the right to protest, and many people handle the process on their own. If you have the time to research comparable sales, make proper adjustments, and attend one or more hearings over several months, a DIY approach can work. The complete protest process guide walks you through what to expect at each stage.
That said, the protest process involves specialized skills that experienced professionals bring to every case. Preparing adjusted comparable sales, understanding what the ARB responds to, and presenting equity arguments effectively all require deep familiarity with both the data and the local appraisal district. It matters who works your case, so if you do choose to hire help, look for local, licensed tax professionals with years of experience in your specific county.
When evaluating any property tax company, pay close attention to how they describe potential outcomes. No firm can legally guarantee a specific dollar amount in savings before completing your protest, so be cautious of bold upfront promises. A company that charges a modest upfront fee alongside a contingency rate is signaling a commitment to take your case through the entire process, including the formal hearing if necessary. Without that kind of commitment, some firms may only pursue cases where a reduction seems likely, leaving you without a definitive answer about whether your tax appraised value is actually fair. The only way to know for certain is to go through the full protest process.
Professionals also bring consistency. When you protest every year, you prevent your tax appraised value from compounding unchecked. Each time you argue down your value, that lower figure becomes the baseline for the next year’s appraisal. Skipping even one year can allow your value to jump significantly, making future protests harder. Annual protesting is the most effective long-term strategy for keeping your property taxes fair.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I protest even if my property value did not increase?
Yes. You have the right to protest your property’s tax appraised value every year, regardless of whether it went up, stayed the same, or decreased. Overvaluations can exist in any market condition, and the only way to confirm your value is accurate is to go through the protest process.
What happens at an ARB hearing?
The ARB hearing is a formal proceeding where you or your representative present evidence explaining why your property’s value should be lower. An appraiser from the district presents their position, and the board members make a final determination based on the evidence from both sides. Hearings typically last 15 to 30 minutes.
Do interior renovations like a kitchen remodel affect my appraisal?
Generally, no. Interior upgrades such as a new kitchen or updated bathrooms typically do not change your appraisal—unless a permit was filed for the project. The types of improvements that most often affect your value are those that add square footage or significant structures, such as building an addition, installing an in-ground pool, or converting a garage into living space.
What if I disagree with the ARB’s decision?
You have several options, including binding arbitration, an appeal to the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH), or filing a case in state district court. Each option has its own deadlines, so review them carefully after receiving the ARB’s written order.
Take Control of Your Nueces County Property Taxes Today
Protesting your property taxes is one of the most direct ways to protect your household budget. With new exemptions lowering taxable values and online filing making the process more accessible than ever, now is the time to ensure your property’s tax appraised value is fair. Whether you tackle the process yourself or bring in experienced professionals, take action before the May deadline arrives. Home Tax Shield connects Nueces County homeowners with local, licensed tax professionals who handle the entire protest process from start to finish. Get started today and find out what a fair tax appraised value looks like for your home.