DIY vs Ownwell / O'Connor / AppealDesk — should I do it myself or hire a firm?
DIY vs Ownwell / O'Connor / AppealDesk — should I do it myself or hire a firm?
For a straightforward residential case, doing it yourself (or using a flat-fee packet) usually costs far less than a contingency firm, which typically takes a percentage of your savings every year it refiles — over several years that compounds well past a one-time flat fee.
The choice comes down to cost structure versus convenience. The work — pulling comps, checking your record card, filing the form, presenting evidence — is the same regardless of who does it; what differs is what you pay.
The two firm models. Most tax-protest companies charge either a contingency fee (a percentage of the tax savings they win, commonly around 25%–50% of first-year or recurring savings) or a flat fee per appeal. A contingency feels low-risk — you pay nothing if they lose — but the bill recurs: because a reduction often carries into future years, the firm refiles annually and takes a fresh cut each year.
The math, using a contingency firm's own published figure. A widely cited typical result is about $774 in annual tax savings. At a 25% contingency that's roughly $194 the first year, ~$581 over three years, and ~$968 over five — each year you keep paying. A one-time flat-fee DIY packet (for example, $79) is paid once. Over three years that's roughly a 7× cost difference, widening as your reduction grows, because contingency math punishes the biggest wins hardest.
You can legitimately do this yourself. The Texas Comptroller confirms owners may file and present without an agent, and the California State Board of Equalization treats owner self-representation as standard. The odds don't depend on who files: Pete Sepp of the National Taxpayers Union, via Bankrate (Oct 31, 2025), notes that of homeowners who appeal, "between 30% and 50% win some kind of reduction."
When a firm earns its fee: you have no time, the property is high-value or commercial, the case is legally complex, or you're escalating to court. Note that several large firms cover only a handful of states, so check whether they even operate where you live before assuming they're an option.
How to decide: estimate your likely savings, multiply by the contingency rate, then by the number of years you'll own the home and they'll refile. Compare that total to a single flat fee or your own few hours. For a typical home, DIY or flat-fee wins on cost; a contingency firm wins only when your time is worth more than the recurring cut.