The property tax consulting industry has charged a flat 25% contingency fee for decades — regardless of property size, tax liability, or the actual work involved. We think that's broken. SVA was founded on a different model.
The flat 25% contingency made some sense decades ago. Assessment work was uniformly labor-intensive, technology was limited, and the property tax burden was more evenly distributed across taxpayers.
Today, none of that holds. Industry consolidation has reduced competition. Technology has made our work dramatically more efficient.
Yet contingency fees haven't moved. Property tax has gotten more concentrated, more efficient to consult on, and more lucrative for firms — while taxpayers continue to pay the same flat 25% they paid in 2005.
We built SVA around the idea that the model needs an update. Two principles guide our fees: scale should benefit the taxpayer, not just the consultant — and fees should reflect the work performed, never the windfall delivered.
Our contingency rate decreases as a property's tax liability grows. Larger and higher-taxed properties pay a lower rate — because a fair fee should reflect the full picture, not just the savings number.
| Property Tax Liability | SVA Rate | Industry Standard | Net Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 — $200K | 25% | 25% | — |
| $200K — $500K | 20% | 25% | +6.7% higher |
| $500K — $750K | 15% | 25% | +13.3% higher |
| $750K — $1M | 12% | 25% | +17.3% higher |
| $1M — $2M | 10% | 25% | +20.0% higher |
| $2M+ | 8% | 25% | +22.7% higher |
The applicable rate is determined by the property's tax liability tier. In addition, every engagement is capped at an equivalent hourly rate — see below.
At every meaningful tax savings level, our matrix delivers materially lower fees than the industry standard. The larger the property, the more you keep.
Property tax appeals can produce extraordinary outcomes from straightforward work. A four-hour fix to a square footage error can yield a six-figure annual tax savings. A misclassified asset corrected through a thirty-minute conversation can save tens of thousands of dollars.
Under a flat contingency model, you'd pay a six-figure fee for that four-hour fix. We don't believe in that. Every SVA engagement is capped at an equivalent hourly rate. If the matrix-driven contingency would exceed what we'd earn at our hourly rate for the work performed, we reduce the fee. No windfalls — ever.
The cap is the second half of our pricing promise: the matrix protects you on large successful appeals, and the hourly cap protects you on quick fixes. Together, they ensure you always pay a fair fee for the actual value delivered.
We work on a no-win-no-fee basis, taking on the risk of zero recovery on every engagement. The hourly cap reflects that risk while ensuring you never overpay when wins come from straightforward corrections.
Tell us about your property and we'll walk you through what an SVA engagement would cost — and what you'd save versus the industry standard. No commitment, no pressure.