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Blog · Basics · 2026-08-05 · 2 min read

Land and building are assessed separately, and only one may be wrong

Splitting the assessment splits the argument, and the land half is usually easier to win.

Your assessment has two components: land, and improvement — the building. They are produced differently and can be wrong independently.

Why the land half is often the better fight

Land assessment is largely mechanical: a rate per square foot or per acre applied by neighbourhood and size band. That makes errors visible. If your lot is assessed at $6 per square foot and comparable lots in the same class and town are assessed at $2, that is a clean, checkable discrepancy — and it needs no opinion about your kitchen.

Why building arguments are harder

Buildings differ in ways records do not capture: finish, condition, updates, layout. An assessor can always answer "that house is not like yours" and often be right. Building arguments usually need photographs, contractor estimates or an appraisal.

What this means practically

Look at the land line first. Divide your land assessment by your lot square footage and compare it to neighbours of similar lot size in the same class. If your rate is well above theirs, you have a narrow, specific and provable claim.

Say what you are claiming

A land-uniformity claim says the land is assessed above comparable land. It says nothing about the house, and a filing that implies otherwise invites a review of the whole assessment — which can move in either direction.

This is general information about how Illinois assessments and appeals work. It is not legal advice, not an appraisal, and not a prediction about your case. Deadlines and rules differ by county — check yours with your Board of Review.

Check your own assessment free →

More on Basics

What an assessed value actually is It is not a fact the county issued. It is an opinion produced by a model, and opinions can be wrong.Assessed value, market value, fair cash value: three different numbers They are related by a ratio set in statute, and confusing them is the most common reason an appeal goes nowhere.The 33⅓% rule, and the counties it does not apply to Illinois assesses at one third of fair cash value — except in Cook County, and except for farmland.The equalization factor, and why your assessment changed without anyone visiting The state multiplier adjusts a whole county at once. It is not a reassessment, and it is not appealable.

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