How we calculate a Palm Beach County estimate
Everything below is what produced the number you see — so you, or a
hearing officer, can check it rather than take our word for it.
- Where the values come from. The 2026 Palm Beach County roll as published by the Florida Department of Revenue. Sales carrying DOR qualification code 01, 02 are treated as arm's-length; every other code is excluded and named in the exhibit.
- How far back the evidence goes. Up to 36 months before the
valuation date, plus sales up to 6 months
after it. That mirrors the property appraiser, who builds the roll from data extending past January 1 for the same reason. That window is our engineering choice, not a legal rule,
so we state it rather than cite one.
- How comparables are chosen. We take the first rule below that yields
enough sales, and the result tells you which one it used — a 12-month
same-market-area match and a 36-month ZIP-wide one are not the same confidence:
- same market area, 12 months
- same market area, 24 months
- same market area, 36 months
- same ZIP code, matched lot and age
- same ZIP code, size only
- How each sale is adjusted. Florida values as of January 1. Sales are time-adjusted to that date using the county's own price trend, then reduced by the DR-493 cost of sale of 15% — taken from the county's own DR-493 filing — because just value is a net-of-selling-costs figure and a raw sale price is not. Comparing the two without it overstates every case.
- How a tax saving is worked out. We do not yet hold Palm Beach County's district millage table, so tax savings use an approximate 2.0% combined rate. Every figure derived this way is labelled as approximate wherever it appears. The rate, its vintage and its
source are printed beside every dollar figure.
- How far off we might be. The allowance is calibrated, not validated: we fit it on 247 Palm Beach County sales held out of the fitting, and it comes to about a 9% spread between what we predicted and what those properties actually sold for. It is built into whether we tell you a case is worth filing — it is why we decline marginal cases rather than sell them. We do not claim a forward-looking accuracy rate, because we have not measured one we would stand behind.
What we cannot see. The roll records size, age, land and use —
not condition. A gut-renovated house and a tired one of the same age and size look
identical to us, and neither our estimate nor the comparables can account for the
difference. Interior condition, recent work and anything a photograph would show are
exactly the evidence you add, and are often what decides a hearing.
Common questions — Palm Beach County
How do I appeal my Palm Beach County property taxes?
When your TRIM notice arrives (mid-to-late August), you have 25 days to file Form DR-486 with the Palm Beach County Value Adjustment Board. Your county may charge a filing fee — Florida law permits up to $50 per parcel, and the amount is set locally, so confirm it with your VAB clerk. Miss that window and you wait a year. Start by checking your assessment free above — we assemble the completed petition and comparable-sales evidence if it's worth appealing.
Is my Palm Beach County home over-assessed?
Enter your address above and we compare the county's assessed value to an independent market estimate from official sales data — free, in seconds. Nearly 1 in 5 non-homestead Florida homes are over-assessed, and the rate is rising.
What if I have a homestead exemption?
Save Our Homes protects about 91% of homestead owners — an appeal rarely lowers an already-capped bill. We'll tell you honestly if you're protected, and point you to exemptions or portability, which is usually the bigger opportunity.