Is your projected assessment right?
The Code of Virginia (§ 58.1-3201) says real estate is to be assessed at “100 percent fair market value.” The only sure way to learn that value is to sell the property, so assessors estimate it from local market data. Usually the estimate is close. When it is not, you have a few weeks to ask the county for a second look or file an appeal.
Valuing a home is part science (real data) and part art (opinion). After pricing thousands of homes over decades in real estate, I built this tool to help you review your assessment quickly. I have helped a handful of people appeal successfully and save some money, though not as much as I hoped. If you want a real person to look at your situation, I am glad to talk to you about it. Call or text me at 804-642-4235.
To use this tool, you will need:
- Your address
- The proposed assessed value on your notice
Nothing is sent to anyone unless you ask later in the process. Your address is stored in your browser so the tool can work.
What is the address of the property?
Start typing the address and pick it from the list. This tool will look up what the county has on file.
What does your new notice say?
Use the total assessed value on the notice. The county's public map usually still shows last year's figure when the notices arrive, so the notice is the one to trust.
What does it mean?
Recent sales of homes like yours are the evidence a county listens to. I will pull them for you, free, and tell you plainly whether an appeal looks worth it.
Want 804-Michael to pull recent sales near you? It's free.
How should I send them?
Saved on this device as you go.
What can I do if it looks too high?
Ask the assessor's office to look again. Most counties start with a review by the assessor's office, then a written appeal to a Board of Equalization, then the appeal can be taken to circuit court if previous steps are not successful. Each municipality sets its own dates. Choose your county or city to see its steps. The dates for Hanover, Henrico, Chesterfield, and Richmond were read off each county's own pages on September 29, 2026, and Goochland and Powhatan on November 11, 2026; your notice has the final word.
Hanover County Your county
- Notices are mailed in late December.
- Informal review, in January. Call the Assessor's Office at 804-365-6029 to talk it through with an appraiser. Most appeals are settled here.
- Board of Equalization. After the informal period the county posts a review form online. Return it by March 15.
- Circuit court if you are still not satisfied.
The January review dates for the notices due this winter are not posted yet (checked September 29, 2026). The county prints them on the notice and on its calendar.
Sources: Appeal My Real Estate Assessment, Guide to Property Assessments and Taxes, and the detailed appeal steps (PDF), Hanover County.
Henrico County Your county
- Notices go out beginning in February, with values as of January 1.
- Appeal application by April 1 at 11:59 p.m. (the following Monday if April 1 falls on a weekend). Email [email protected], call 804-501-4300 (option 4), or go to 4301 East Parham Road, Room 134. The form for the new year goes up once the assessments are out.
- Review and hearing. A county appraiser reviews the property and recommends a value to the Board of Real Estate Review and Equalization. You can appear before the board if you disagree. The county says a decision can take until summer or fall.
- Circuit court after the board's decision.
Sources: Real Estate Assessment Appeal and Real Estate Assessment, Henrico County.
Chesterfield County Your county
- Notices are mailed by February 1, with values as of January 1.
- Appeal to Real Estate Assessments by March 15 (postmarked or received). Call 804-748-1321 or email [email protected] and they will send the application.
- Board of Equalization by April 15. The appeal to Real Estate Assessments has to come first.
Sources: Appeal of Real Estate Assessment and Real Estate Assessments, Chesterfield County.
City of Richmond Your city
- Notices are mailed around July 1, not in winter.
- Office review within 30 days of the notice date. Call the City Assessor at 804-646-7500 or email [email protected]. The form is on the assessor's Forms page.
- Board of Equalization by November 30, with hearings beginning the following January.
Source: Real Estate Assessment Appeal Process, City of Richmond.
Goochland County Your county
- Informal appeal by February 15. Call the Assessor's Office at 804-556-5853 by 5:00 p.m. that day, or mail the request postmarked by then. Staff visit and review the property.
- Results letter. You receive one after the review.
- Board of Equalization. If you are not satisfied, you have 30 days from the date on the results letter to ask for it.
Source: Frequently Asked Questions, Goochland County (read November 11, 2026). General county line: 804-556-5800.
Powhatan County Your county
- Office review. Appeal in writing, or ask for a hearing with an assessor. Last cycle the written appeal was due by May 1, 2026: email [email protected] or mail 3834 Old Buckingham Road, Suite G. To book a hearing, call 804-598-5799.
- Board of Equalization. Ask the same office for the application. Last cycle it was due by June 1, 2026, with one application for each parcel and your market data attached.
- Circuit court is open to you with or without the earlier steps.
Those dates are from last spring's cycle. Your notice and the county's page have this year's.
Source: Assessment Appeals Process, Powhatan County (read November 11, 2026).
King William County Your county
The county says owners who still disagree after a review may appeal to a Board of Equalization appointed by the circuit court, and that hearings with the appraisers are held if you ask. It does not post dates on that page, so use the ones on your notice. The county's main line is 804-769-3011.
Source: King William County FAQ (read November 11, 2026).
Caroline County Your county
I could not confirm Caroline County's own appeal dates, so I am not going to guess. Your notice names the office to call and the last day to ask for a review. Call before that day, even if you are still gathering sales.
- County website: co.caroline.va.us (mailing address: P.O. Box 447, Bowling Green, VA 22427).
- I could not confirm a phone number for the assessment office. The one to call is on your notice.
Not sure where to start? Call 804-Michael or text 804-642-4235. I can point you to the right office.
Louisa County Your county
- Gather your documentation of why you think the assessment is inaccurate.
- Contact the Assessor's Office before the deadline on your notice. The county page does not state a date.
- Field visit. The county schedules one to decide whether the appraisal should change.
- Board of Equalization. If it is not resolved, the county's appointed board can hear your case.
Source: Property Assessment FAQs, Louisa County (read November 11, 2026). County website: Assessments. Main county line: 540-967-0401, 1 Woolfolk Avenue, Suite 301, Louisa, VA 23093. I could not confirm a direct assessor number; the county line can transfer you.
Not sure where to start? Call 804-Michael or text 804-642-4235. I can point you to the right office.
New Kent County Your county
I could not confirm New Kent County's own appeal dates, so I am not going to guess. Your notice names the office to call and the last day to ask for a review. Call before that day, even if you are still gathering sales.
- Property information: New Kent County's page, with the online real estate database (assessments effective January 1, 2026).
- Main county line: 804-966-9861. County Administration Building, 12007 Courthouse Circle, New Kent, VA 23124. I could not confirm a direct assessor number; the county line can transfer you.
Not sure where to start? Call 804-Michael or text 804-642-4235. I can point you to the right office.
Somewhere else? Your locality
Your notice names the office to call and the last day to ask for a review. Call before that day, even if you are still gathering sales: the date is what matters.
Do you live somewhere else?
Reach out to 804-Michael. I can help connect you with a local person who can assist.
What makes an appeal successful?
Evidence that the value is off: sales of similar homes near you around the valuation date, or a mistake on the county's record of your home. The things worth checking:
- Square footage, bedrooms, baths, and whether a basement is counted as finished.
- Acreage, and anything that limits the land, such as a floodplain or an easement.
- Condition the county cannot see from the street: a roof at the end of its life, foundation work, an old system.
- Sales of homes like yours, close by, not the county's median. Call 804-Michael or text 804-642-4235 and I will pull them with you.
Just because you received a higher assessment is not a reason by itself to appeal; a higher assessment than your home would sell for is. To make your appeal successful, you must give compelling evidence that the assessment is wrong.
Would you rather talk it through?
I have helped neighbors with assessment appeals before. Tell me the address and I'll look at the sales around you, no obligation.