It’s a Sunday night, and you’ve got the city’s property search open on your phone at the kitchen table. The number next to your Northside foursquare looks higher than anything a buyer would pay for it. You remember the appeal deadline came and went in late summer, and you figure you missed your shot. You didn’t, not completely. Richmond still has one appeal door open this fall, and it stays open until November 30, 2026. Here’s what you can do about a Richmond real estate assessment you think is too high, and what’s coming next spring.
We don’t give legal or tax advice. This post explains how the city’s process works so you can decide for yourself. A tax professional or Virginia real estate attorney can help with your specific case.
Why Is the Richmond Real Estate Assessment So Confusing This Year?
Because the city skipped a year. The assessments mailed in the fall of 2025 were the last change for now, according to The Richmonder. The city is pausing reassessments so its assessment calendar lines up with its budget calendar.
That means most owners didn’t get a new value this fall. If you haven’t changed the property, your number likely looks the same as last year’s. The tax rate didn’t move either. It stays at $1.20 per $100 of assessed value, according to The Richmonder’s May 2026 budget report.
Here’s where people get tripped up. “No new notice” isn’t the same as “no right to appeal.” A value carried over from last year can still be wrong, and you can still challenge it.
What Does Virginia Law Say About Appealing an Assessment?
Virginia gives you the right to challenge it, but the law starts on the city’s side. Under Virginia Code § 58.1-3379, the assessor’s value is presumed correct. You have to show, with evidence, that it’s higher than fair market value or out of line with similar homes.
That sounds harder than it is. Fair market value just means what a willing buyer would pay a willing seller. You don’t need an appraiser’s vocabulary. You need a few recent sales of homes like yours, or a few similar homes on your street that are assessed for less.
You also have a right to see how the city got its number. Virginia Code § 58.1-3331 lets you ask to review your property record card. That’s the city’s file on your house: square footage, bedrooms, condition, lot size.
Start there. A surprising number of high values come from a wrong detail, like a finished basement that was never finished or a bathroom count that’s off by one. A factual mistake on your property card is the easiest kind of appeal to win.
How Much Could an Appeal Actually Save You?
Less than most people hope, but often enough to matter. At $1.20 per $100, every $10,000 of assessed value costs you $120 a year in city real estate tax.
So if you show the city your house is overvalued by $20,000, you’d save about $240 a year. That number repeats every year the value stands. Over five years, that’s $1,200 for an evening of gathering sales and filling out a form.
Be realistic about the other side, too. If your assessment is close to what your house would actually sell for, an appeal probably won’t go anywhere. The Board isn’t there to lower values that are fair. It’s there to fix ones that aren’t.
Have you looked up what similar homes on your block actually sold for in the last year? That’s the single best test before you spend any time on this.
How Do You Appeal a Property Tax Assessment to Richmond’s Board of Equalization?
The city lists three steps on its assessment appeal page. The first is an Office Review with the Assessor, filed within 30 days of your notice. For this cycle, the city’s form set that deadline at August 31, 2026, so that step has passed.
The second step is the Board of Equalization. It’s an independent board that hears assessment disputes, separate from the Assessor’s office. Per the city, applications are due by November 30, and hearings start in January. The city’s page lists the Board as the second step but doesn’t say you must have done the first. Call the Board at (804) 646-7910 to confirm before you file.
The 2027 Board of Equalization application asks for your property address, your parcel number and the value you think is right. You’ll explain why, and attach your support. Any sales you use must have happened by July 1, 2026.
You can email it to BOE@rva.gov, which the city prefers, and ask for a return receipt. You can also mail or drop it off at City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Room 802. A paper copy must be postmarked by November 30. If you own more than one property, file a separate application for each one.
Three good comparable sales beat thirty pages of opinions. Pick homes close to yours in size, age, style and street, and lay out the numbers simply.
What Happens at a Board of Equalization Hearing?
It’s an administrative hearing, not a court case. You explain to the Board members why you think the value is wrong and walk them through your evidence.
Per the city’s form, hearing dates go out by email after the Board organizes in January. Check your spam folder from December on, because the city only reschedules for extenuating circumstances. Under Virginia Code § 58.1-3331, a homeowner’s hearing notice has to arrive at least 45 days ahead, so you’ll have time to prepare.
Keep your case short. Bring your three sales, a printout of your property card with any mistakes circled, and a few photos if condition is the issue. A sagging roof line or a 1970s kitchen tells the story faster than a paragraph does. Plain facts on one page tend to land better than a long argument.
The Board then decides whether your value should change. If you still disagree after the Board rules, the Circuit Court is the next step, and that’s where a Virginia real estate attorney earns their fee.
What Changes When Richmond Reassesses in Spring 2027?
This is the part worth planning for now. The city’s next reassessment is expected in the spring of 2027, according to The Richmonder. Because the city skipped a year, those new values may reflect two years of market change at once.
In a rising market, that can mean a bigger jump than usual. Think about a house you’re not living in, like a rental, an inherited property or a home that’s sat empty. That jump lands on top of insurance, utilities and upkeep.
There’s also a longer clock most owners never hear about. The city’s appeal page says you can take an assessment to the Circuit Court within three years. You can only go back for an earlier year if you sent the city written notice that you disagreed during that tax year. A short letter to the City Assessor each year you disagree keeps that door open.
If the spring 2027 number changes your plans for a house, it’s fine to say so out loud. Some owners decide it’s time to sell before another year of carrying costs. If that’s you, see how we buy houses in Henrico, VA and across the Richmond area, as-is, on a closing date you pick.
Can You Still Appeal Your Richmond Real Estate Assessment?
Yes, but only one door is open right now. The Office Review deadline has passed for this cycle. The Board of Equalization application is due by November 30, 2026.
If you think your value is wrong, look up your property record card first. Then pull three recent sales of similar homes, write down the value you think is fair, and file with the Board. Confirm by phone that the Board will hear your case if you skipped the first step.
If your assessment is fair, save your energy. Put a note on your calendar for spring 2027 instead, when the next round of notices goes out.
And if you’re weighing whether to keep a house at all, the assessment is only one part of that math. Your assessment isn’t your sale price, and it never was. Buyers and appraisers look at what similar homes actually sold for. Here’s how it works when you sell to us, if a quick, as-is sale is on your list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Real Estate Tax Rate in Richmond, VA?
The city’s real estate tax rate is $1.20 per $100 of assessed value, and the FY27 budget kept it there, according to The Richmonder. On a house assessed at $400,000, that’s about $4,800 a year. Check your own bill on the city’s website for the exact amount.
Do I Need an Attorney or Appraiser to Appeal?
No. You can file on your own with recent comparable sales. An appraisal can help if your case is close or the value is large. If someone else presents your case, the Board’s form asks for a notarized authorization.
Does My Assessment Set What My House Will Sell For?
No. The assessment is the city’s estimate for tax purposes. Buyers and lenders go by recent comparable sales and the home’s condition. A high assessment doesn’t force a higher price, and a low one doesn’t cap it.
What If My House Is in Henrico or Chesterfield?
Their calendars are different. Henrico takes appeals by April 1, and Chesterfield’s window is in the spring too. Neither county has a window open right now, so watch for your county’s notice early next year.
Where That Leaves You
If your Richmond assessment looks too high, you have until November 30, 2026, to ask the Board of Equalization to take a look. Start with your property card, gather three good sales, and file early. If your number is fair, keep an eye out for the spring 2027 notices instead.
If a higher tax bill has you rethinking a house you’re holding, reach out to us at (804) 609-3966. If keeping it or listing it makes more sense, I’ll tell you that plainly. No pressure, no obligation.
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