Should I do the informal meeting first or go straight to the ARB hearing in Texas?

A Texas protest moves through two stages, and the informal stage resolves the majority of residential cases.

1. The informal meeting (§41.445). After you file, most appraisal districts offer an informal conference with a district appraiser before your formal hearing. Under Tex. Tax Code §41.445, the appraisal district must provide an informal conference if you request one — it is not discretionary. You present your comps or record errors, the appraiser reviews their data, and many disputes settle here. If you accept the district's offer, you sign an agreement and skip the formal hearing. Some large districts run this online — Harris County's iSettle and Tarrant County's Online Value Negotiation Tool are informal-resolution channels.

2. The formal ARB hearing. If you don't settle, your protest is heard by the ARB — an independent panel, not employees of the appraisal district. The hearing is governed by Tex. Tax Code §41.45. You present evidence, the district presents its case, and the ARB issues a written Order of Determination.

Key standards at the ARB hearing. The ARB applies the legal standards in Tex. Tax Code §41.43:

• §41.43(a-1): If you deliver a USPAP-compliant appraisal from a licensed Texas appraiser to the chief appraiser at least 14 days before the hearing (for properties ≤$1M), the burden of proof shifts to the CAD — they must prove their value by clear and convincing evidence.
• §41.43(b)(3): Without a licensed appraisal, the unequal-appraisal standard applies — your value compared to the median of comparable neighboring properties, appropriately adjusted. The burden of proof under (b)(3) also sits with the appraisal district, not with you.

Why do the informal first:

• It's faster and lower-pressure, and a settlement avoids the wait for an ARB date.
• You learn the district's reasoning and comparables, which sharpens your formal case if you proceed.
• Accepting a reasonable informal offer locks in a reduction with no risk.

Don't give up your formal rights: going to the informal meeting does not waive your ARB hearing. If the district's offer is too small, decline it and keep your hearing date. Before the hearing, exercise your right under §41.461 to the district's evidence at least 14 days in advance (required by HB 1533, 2024).

Rule of thumb: treat the informal meeting as a free first attempt to settle, and the ARB hearing as your structured backup. Bring the same organized evidence to both.