DIY packet or contingency firm? An honest comparison
Published 2026-11-09 · FairAppealPacket
There are three ways to appeal a property-tax assessment: do it entirely yourself, buy a packet and file it yourself, or hire a firm on contingency to do everything. Each is right for somebody.
What each costs
Entirely yourself: your time. A packet: a flat fee — $49–$129 for residential packets in the current market, $299–$4,999 for commercial packets tiered by value at the one flat-fee commercial service we found. Contingency: 25–35% of first-year savings for homeowners at the largest vendor; 8–50% for commercial consultants; 50% at one national firm. Some charge again every winning year.
What contingency buys
Representation — someone files, argues, and appears for you. In Cook County and New Jersey, entity owners are required to use an attorney at some stages, so for an LLC holding a Chicago building, the question is not packet or lawyer; it is whether your lawyer walks in with organised evidence or a shoebox.
Where DIY loses
If you win nothing, a packet costs its price and contingency costs zero. The honest mitigation is a worksheet that declines weak cases before payment — ours does, and the full maths is here.
General information from public sources, not legal or appraisal advice. Software, not representation. FairAppealPacket is not a law firm, a licensed appraiser, or a licensed property-tax consultant. We do not file, appear, or negotiate for you. You review, sign, and file your own appeal. No result is guaranteed.
See what your deadline and your numbers say
The check is free and uses your own numbers — no score invented from data we do not have. If your worksheet shows no indicated saving, we will tell you not to buy a packet.