The three ways to find your home's value
You can find your home's value through a public tax assessment, an online estimate tool, or by paying a professional appraiser. Each method costs different amounts and gives you different levels of detail. A tax assessment is free but often outdated. An online tool is fast and free but can be off by thousands of dollars. An appraisal costs $300 to $500 and is the most accurate, but you only need one if you're refinancing, selling, or contesting your tax bill.
The method you choose depends on why you need the number. If you're curious about your home's general worth or want to check your property tax, start with the free options. If you're making a financial decision—selling, refinancing, or challenging an assessment—an appraisal is worth the cost because lenders and courts rely on it.
Key Takeaways
- Your county assessor's office publishes your home's assessed value for free, usually online through the county website or a public records database.
- Online estimate tools like Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com are free and instant but typically have a margin of error of 5 to 20 percent.
- A professional appraisal ordered through a licensed appraiser costs $300 to $500 and is the standard used by mortgage lenders and courts.
- Assessed value, estimated value, and appraised value are three different numbers—the assessed value is for taxes, the estimate is a guess, and the appraisal is for legal or lending purposes.
Finding your assessed value through the county assessor
Your county assessor's office records the assessed value of your home, which is the value used to calculate your property tax. This number is public record and free to find. Most counties now publish assessments online through their assessor's website or through a public records portal.
To find it, search "[your county name] assessor" plus "property search" or "public records." You will need your address or parcel number. Once you find your property, you will see the assessed value, the land value, the building value, and sometimes the year of the last assessment. Write down the assessment date—if it is more than three years old, the number may not reflect your home's current market value.
The assessed value is usually lower than what your home would sell for, because assessors use formulas rather than market sales. However, if you believe the assessment is wrong, you can challenge it through your county's assessment appeal process, which typically costs nothing but requires filing a form by a deadline (usually in spring).
Using online estimate tools for a quick snapshot
Websites like Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, and Trulia publish free estimates of home values based on recent sales of similar homes in your area, the size and age of your home, and property records. These estimates update frequently and take seconds to retrieve. You simply enter your address.
These tools are useful for a rough idea, but they are not precise. Zillow's own research shows that its estimates are within 5 percent of actual sale price about half the time, and within 20 percent about 80 percent of the time. The margin of error is wider in rural areas, in neighborhoods with few recent sales, and for homes with unusual features. If your home has been recently renovated, has a special view, or sits in a neighborhood where prices are changing fast, the estimate may be significantly off.
Different sites often show different estimates for the same home because they use different data sources and algorithms. If you check three sites and see a range of $350,000 to $380,000, your home's actual value is probably somewhere in that band, but you cannot know where without more information.
Ordering a professional appraisal
A professional appraisal is an in-person inspection and valuation by a licensed appraiser. The appraiser looks at your home's condition, compares it to recent sales of similar homes, and produces a written report. This is the standard used by mortgage lenders, courts, and tax assessors when they need a defensible value.
You can order an appraisal directly from an appraiser or through your lender if you are refinancing. The cost is typically $300 to $500 for a single-family home, depending on the home's size and your location. The appraisal usually takes one to two weeks from order to report. You can find licensed appraisers through the Appraisal Institute, your state's appraisal board, or by asking your lender or real estate agent for a referral.
An appraisal is worth ordering if you are contesting your property tax assessment, refinancing your mortgage, or selling your home and want to know the likely sale price before listing. It is not necessary if you are simply curious about your home's value—the free methods above will give you a reasonable estimate.
Why assessed value, estimated value, and appraised value are different
These three numbers often confuse homeowners because they sound like they should be the same thing. They are not. Your assessed value is set by your county for tax purposes and is usually the lowest of the three. Your estimated value from an online tool is a computer guess based on public data and recent sales, and it can be high or low. Your appraised value is a professional opinion based on an in-person inspection and is the most reliable for lending and legal purposes.
If your home's assessed value is $300,000, Zillow might estimate it at $340,000, and an appraiser might value it at $325,000. None of these is "wrong"—they measure different things. The assessed value is deliberately conservative to keep property taxes stable. The online estimate is fast but imprecise. The appraisal is thorough but reflects the appraiser's judgment about condition and comparable sales.
When you need each type of valuation
Use the assessed value if you want to check your property tax bill or understand the basis for your tax. Use an online estimate if you are curious about your home's general worth or want to track whether your neighborhood's values are rising or falling. Use an appraisal if you are refinancing (your lender will order one), selling (to set your asking price), or challenging your property tax assessment in court.
If you are selling, do not rely only on an online estimate. Talk to a real estate agent who knows your neighborhood, and consider ordering an appraisal if the agent's estimate seems far from what you expected. If you are refinancing, your lender will order the appraisal—you do not need to order one yourself unless you want a second opinion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find out my home's value without giving my address to a website?
Yes. Call your county assessor's office directly and ask for your home's assessed value by address or parcel number. They will give you the number over the phone or by mail. This is free and does not require you to enter your information online.
Why is my Zillow estimate so different from my neighbor's appraisal?
Online estimates use formulas and recent sales data, but they cannot see inside your home or account for condition, renovations, or unique features. An appraisal is based on an in-person inspection. If your home has been recently updated and your neighbor's has not, or vice versa, the appraisal will reflect that difference and the online estimate will not.
Do I need an appraisal to sell my house?
No. Your real estate agent will provide a market analysis based on recent sales in your area, and that is what you use to set your asking price. An appraisal is ordered by the buyer's lender after an offer is accepted, to make sure the home is worth what the buyer is paying for it.
What if my assessed value seems way too low?
You can file an appeal with your county assessor's office. The process and deadline vary by state, but most counties accept appeals in spring. You will need to show evidence that the assessment is wrong—recent appraisals, comparable sales, or proof of major renovations. There is usually no fee to file.
How often does my home's value get reassessed?
This varies by state and county. Some counties reassess every year, others every three to five years, and a few only when the home is sold. Check your county assessor's website to see when your home was last assessed and when the next assessment is scheduled.