Your Home's Record Card Might Be Wrong: How to Check for Errors in Square Footage, Bedrooms, and More
Your county keeps a file on your home that lists its size, rooms, and features, and your assessed value is built from it. This guide shows you how to request that file, what mistakes to look for, and what to do if you find one.
What a property record card is and why errors matter
A property record card is the county assessor's description of your home. Some places call it a property record, property detail sheet, or assessment card. It usually lists:
- Finished living area (square footage)
- Number of bedrooms and bathrooms
- Lot size
- Year built and condition rating
- Basement type and whether it's finished
- Garage, porch, deck, pool, and other add-ons
Assessors often value homes in bulk, using this data plus recent sales in your area. If the card says your home is bigger or fancier than it is, your assessed value can come out too high. That means a higher tax bill, year after year, until someone fixes it.
Errors are not rare. They can come from old permits, a past owner's remodel that was never finished, a typo, or a measurement taken from the outside of the house. Many assessors can't visit every home, so mistakes can sit in the file for years.
How to request your property record card
This is usually easy and often free. Rules vary by state and county, so check your county assessor's website for specifics.
- Search online first. Many county assessor sites let you look up your address or parcel number and view the record for free.
- Look for a "property details" or "property record" link. Some sites show only a summary. The full card may be a PDF or a separate page.
- Call or email the assessor's office if you can't find it. Ask for "the property record card for my parcel." Have your address and parcel number ready. You can find the parcel number on your tax bill.
- Ask about fees. Some counties charge a small copying fee for paper copies. Many charge nothing.
Save a copy or take screenshots. You'll want it later if you file an appeal.
What to check on your property record card
Go through the card line by line and compare it to your actual home. Here are the most common trouble spots.
| What to check | Common mistake |
|---|---|
| Square footage | Total is larger than your home, or includes a garage, porch, or unfinished space |
| Bedrooms | Card lists more than you have, such as a den counted as a bedroom |
| Bathrooms | Extra full or half bath that doesn't exist |
| Basement | Listed as finished when it's bare concrete or only partly finished |
| Lot size | Acreage or frontage is too large |
| Year built / condition | Condition rated "good" or "excellent" when it needs work |
| Extras | Pool, fireplace, central air, or second garage you don't have |
| Stories / layout | Listed as two stories when part of it is a one-story section |
Square footage
This is the biggest driver. Check whether the card lists the same living area you'd expect from your own records. Sources include your closing documents, a past appraisal, or a floor plan. Watch for areas that shouldn't count as finished living space, like an attached garage or a screened porch.
Bedrooms and bathrooms
Count them yourself, then compare. A small mismatch, such as a full bath listed where you have a half bath, can change the value the assessor assigns.
Finished basement
This one is easy to get wrong. A basement with a few framed walls but no flooring, ceiling, or heat may be recorded as fully finished. Finished space is typically valued much higher than unfinished space.
Condition and quality
These ratings are subjective, but they matter. If your home has a dated kitchen, an old roof, or foundation problems, and the card gives it a high rating, that may be worth raising. Keep photos and repair estimates.
What a mistake can be worth
The numbers vary a lot by county, so treat this as an illustration, not a prediction.
Say the card lists 300 more square feet than you have. If your county values homes at roughly $100–$200 per square foot, that could add $30,000–$60,000 to your assessed value. At an effective tax rate of 1%–2%, that's about $300–$1,200 a year in extra tax.
Smaller errors, like a bathroom, may be worth less. A finished basement listed in error could be worth more. In many cases, a correction is worth a few hundred dollars a year or more, and it keeps paying off until the home is next reassessed.
How to confirm what you find
Before you contact the county, gather proof. Good evidence includes:
- Photos of the space, with a tape measure in the frame if it helps
- A floor plan or sketch with measurements
- Your original purchase paperwork or a past appraisal
- Permits, or the lack of permits, for any claimed additions
- Contractor invoices if you did work that changed the home
Measure carefully and the same way the county does. Many assessors measure from the outside of the walls, so your interior measurements may come out a bit smaller. That alone isn't proof of an error. Ask the assessor's office how they measure.
How to get the record corrected
Start with a simple, polite request.
- Contact the assessor's office by phone, email, or in person.
- Explain which item is wrong and bring your evidence.
- Ask whether they'll update the record informally, or whether you need to file a formal appeal.
- Ask about deadlines. Appeal windows are often short, sometimes a few weeks after assessment notices go out, and they differ by place. Confirm the date with your county rather than guessing.
Some offices will fix an obvious error right away. Others may want a site visit or require a formal appeal. If a correction is made after the deadline, ask whether it applies to the current tax year or only to future ones.
Know the risks
Checking your record is low-risk, but it isn't risk-free.
- Corrections can go both ways. If you ask for a review and the assessor finds your home has something that isn't on the card, such as a finished attic or an added deck, the value could go up.
- A fix doesn't always lower the bill much. Some errors have little effect on value.
- Appeals aren't guaranteed. Some boards can also raise a value on review. Ask the assessor's office how that works locally.
Review your own home honestly before you ask for changes. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice, and your county assessor is the best source for local rules.
Not sure if your home's record is costing you money? Send us your address at /start and we'll check it for free. We research the home and file the appeal, and we charge 20% of first-year savings, so you only pay if we save you money.