When paying for an appraisal is worth it
A few hundred dollars against a multi-year saving — the arithmetic is usually clear either way.
A residential appraisal typically costs a few hundred dollars. Whether that is a good trade is arithmetic, not judgement.
Worth it when
- The likely annual saving is large — the reduction usually persists for several years, so compare the fee against the multi-year figure.
- You are going to PTAB, where evidentiary standards are higher.
- The property is unusual and has no clean comparables: an odd lot, a converted building, acreage with a house on it.
- Your argument is market value and you have no recent purchase and few usable sales.
Not worth it when
- Your case is uniformity. An appraisal answers a question you are not asking — you are arguing equal treatment, not value.
- You bought recently at arm's length. The purchase is better evidence than any appraisal.
- The saving is modest and the case is straightforward.
Get the date right
The appraisal must be as of the assessment's valuation date, not today. An appraiser who does not ask which date you need is the wrong appraiser. Say it is for a property tax appeal when you book it.
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.