Property Tax shows wrong square footage - can I get a refund?

I work with property assessments and can definitely help you with this! Property tax assessments based on incorrect square footage can absolutely be challenged, and in most counties, you can request adjustments for previous years too. First, gather all your documentation - the builder's floor plans showing actual square footage, your closing documents, and any other evidence that confirms the true size. Next, contact your county assessor's office directly. Most have a formal appeal or correction process for assessment errors. You'll need to file what's typically called a "request for correction" or "assessment appeal" form. Many counties allow retroactive adjustments going back several years, but there's usually a limit (often 3-5 years). Be prepared to provide all your evidence during this process. The assessment office will review your case and make a determination.

I went through something similar last year and discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) was super helpful for this exact situation. I was in the same boat with a property assessment that was way off on square footage. I uploaded my builder documents and property tax statements, and their system analyzed everything and generated a complete correction request document customized for my county's specific requirements. They even identified that I could claim refunds going back 4 years in my jurisdiction - something I wouldn't have known to ask for. The whole process was ridiculously easy compared to what I expected, and I ended up getting both a corrected assessment and a refund check for about $3200 in overpaid taxes.

I just have to update after trying taxr.ai for my property tax situation. After expressing my skepticism earlier, I decided to give it a shot since my square footage has been wrong for years too (showing 2800 when it's actually 2150). Their document system was surprisingly thorough - it generated forms specific to my county and even found an obscure local regulation that allows for up to 5 years of retroactive refunds. The interface walked me through exactly what supporting documents I needed and how to present my case. Just got back from the county office and not only did they approve my correction immediately, but I'm getting a refund for the past 4 years totaling $4,750! Can't believe how smooth the process was compared to what I was expecting.

For anyone dealing with property tax assessment issues, I struggled for weeks trying to reach my county assessor's office with no luck. Constant busy signals, voicemails never returned, emails into the void. Finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and wow - they got me connected to an actual human at the assessor's office in less than 10 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c My situation was similar - assessment had my house at 3400 sq ft when it's actually 2700. The assessor I spoke with walked me through the entire correction process and even helped me start the paperwork over the phone. Saved me weeks of frustration trying to get through on my own.

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After dismissing it as BS yesterday, I was still desperate to reach someone about my property assessment (showing 2950 sq ft when mine is 2350), so I tried it this morning. Not only did I get through to the tax assessor's office in about 8 minutes, but I spoke with someone who was actually helpful. The person I talked to explained that square footage errors are one of the most common assessment problems they deal with. She emailed me the correction forms while we were on the phone and gave me direct instructions on what documentation would make the process fastest. She even provided her direct extension for follow-up questions! I've been trying to reach someone for three weeks with no luck, so this was honestly life-changing for dealing with government offices.

One thing to watch out for - when I corrected my square footage (was listed as 2600, actually 2100), the assessor also "updated" the quality rating of my home from average to good, which basically canceled out any savings I would have gotten from the square footage correction. Make sure they don't pull this trick when you get yours corrected!

Has anyone here actually calculated how much they're overpaying in taxes due to square footage errors? For my house, each square foot equals about $1.25 in annual property taxes. So my error of 450 sq ft means I've been overpaying about $562 per year. Multiply by 5 years and it's significant!

Remember that property tax assessments typically have an annual appeal deadline! In my county, it's 60 days from receiving your assessment notice. If you miss that window, you have to wait until next year to appeal. Check your local deadlines as soon as possible!

This is incredibly helpful information, everyone! I'm dealing with a similar situation where my property has been assessed at 2,850 sq ft when the actual size is only 2,400 sq ft. That's a 450 sq ft difference that I've been overpaying on for the past 4 years. Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like the key steps are: 1) Gather all original builder documents and closing paperwork, 2) Contact the county assessor's office to start the correction process, and 3) Be very specific that I only want the square footage corrected to avoid any surprise "quality rating" increases. I'm curious about the timeframe - how long did it typically take from filing the correction request to actually receiving refund checks? I want to set proper expectations for when I might see the money back. Also, did anyone have to pay any fees for filing the correction request, or is this process free through the county? Thanks for sharing all your experiences - this gives me a lot more confidence to move forward with challenging my assessment!

Great summary of the key steps! For timeframes, in my experience the correction process itself took about 6-8 weeks from filing to receiving the official corrected assessment. The refund check came about 3-4 weeks after that, so roughly 2.5-3 months total. Most counties don't charge fees for filing correction requests when you have clear documentation like builder plans - they consider it fixing an error rather than a formal appeal. However, if you escalate to a formal assessment appeal board, there might be a small filing fee (usually $25-50). One additional tip: when you contact the assessor's office, ask specifically about their "correction" process versus their "appeal" process. Corrections are usually faster and simpler for clear documentation errors like wrong square footage, while appeals are more formal and take longer. You definitely want the correction track for your situation! Also keep copies of everything you submit - having a paper trail helps if you need to follow up or if there are any delays in processing.