Your 2026 property tax bill is about six weeks away. Texas law lets tax offices start mailing bills on October 1, and most Houston-area homeowners see theirs in the mail (or their inbox) sometime in October. Between now and then, the cities, counties, school districts, and MUDs that tax your home are holding hearings and locking in the rates that decide the number at the bottom of that bill.
Most people find out what they owe when the envelope shows up. You don’t have to wait. Here’s how I’d use September to see the bill coming, catch a problem before it costs you, and avoid a surprise if you closed on a home this year.
What’s happening in September
Your appraised value was set back in the spring, and the protest window closed months ago. September is about the other half of the equation: the tax rate. Every taxing unit on your bill has to propose a rate, publish it, hold a public hearing, and adopt it, most of them by late September so bills can go out in October.
In Harris County, that’s happening right now. The county’s budget office has proposed a rate of about $0.67 per $100 of value, a 7.6% increase over last year, to close a $181 million shortfall. Commissioners Court takes it up at a special meeting on September 8, with the public hearing and adoption vote set for September 17. Because the proposal is above the state’s voter-approval limit, adopting it would put the increase on the November ballot. Either way, the county is only one line on your bill. Your school district is usually the largest line, and it holds its own hearing on its own schedule, as do your city, college district, emergency services district, and MUD.
Step 1: Look up your proposed bill now
Since 2020, every Texas county has to run a Truth-in-Taxation website where you can type in your address and see each taxing unit on your property, its proposed rate, what that rate would cost you on your appraised value, and when and where its rate hearing is. The state keeps a directory of all of them at Texas.gov’s Property Tax Directory. Pick Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, or Waller, search your address, and you’ll see an estimate of your bill before it exists.
Two things to check while you’re there. First, the “proposed” number versus the “no-new-revenue” number for each unit. The no-new-revenue rate is what would bring in the same tax dollars as last year on the same properties; if a unit is proposing something higher, that’s a real increase, and the hearing date on that page is your chance to say so. Second, the exemptions column. It should show your homestead exemption and, if you qualify, your over-65 or disability exemption. If one is missing, jump to step 3.
Step 2: Understand what the bill will actually contain
The bill that arrives in October is one combined statement from your county tax assessor-collector (in Harris County, the Harris County Tax Office) that lists every unit, its adopted rate, and your taxable value for that unit. Taxable value is appraised value minus exemptions, and it differs by unit: school districts must exempt $140,000 of a homestead (plus $60,000 more if you’re 65 or older or disabled), while counties, cities, and MUDs set their own optional percentages. That’s why a $400,000 homestead can show $260,000 on the school line and $320,000 on the county line.
If your loan has an escrow account, your lender pays the bill, usually in December or January, then re-runs your escrow analysis. That’s the moment a rate increase becomes a higher monthly payment; I walked through the mechanics in how Texas property taxes affect your monthly mortgage payment.
Payment is due by January 31, 2027. After that, penalty and interest start at 7% in February and climb every month, per the Texas Comptroller’s payment rules. Homeowners who are over 65, disabled, or disabled veterans can pay in four installments if the first is in by January 31.
Step 3: If you bought a home in 2026, read this part twice
This is where I see the most expensive surprises, and they have nothing to do with rates.
Your first bill as an owner is based on the January 1, 2026 value, which was the seller’s. If the seller had a homestead exemption, it stays on the property through the end of this year, so your first bill usually looks reasonable. The jolt comes on January 1, 2027, when the appraisal district removes the seller’s exemption and 10% appraisal cap and reappraises the home at market value, often close to what you paid. If your own exemption isn’t on file by then, the 2027 bill can jump by thousands, and your escrow payment follows.
The fix costs nothing. File your homestead exemption with your county appraisal district (HCAD, FBCAD, MCAD, or Waller CAD) as soon as your driver’s license shows the new address; you can file the moment you own and occupy the home. I covered the how and the numbers in what a homestead exemption in Texas is and how much it saves, and if you’re 65 or over, read about the school-tax ceiling in turning 65 in Texas before the calendar flips. If you’re in a master-planned community, expect a MUD line on that first bill, sometimes as large as the county’s; I explained what it pays for in what a MUD district is.
Step 4: When the bill arrives, check three things
Confirm the appraised value matches your spring notice (or your protest result), every exemption you qualify for appears on every unit that offers it, and the property description is yours. A missing exemption can still be filed late, up to two years after the delinquency date, with a refund of the difference.
Where I can help
Property taxes are one of the biggest ongoing costs of owning a home in Houston, and the one that changes every year. If you’re planning a purchase, I’ll run the tax estimate for a specific house before you write an offer, so the escrow number on your loan estimate doesn’t catch you off guard. If you own and think your value is out of line with the neighborhood, I’m glad to pull the sales that would support a protest next spring.
Call or text me at (281) 500-7077 or email kevan@houstonprimerealty.com, and I’ll get right back to you.
This post is general information about the Texas property tax calendar, not legal or tax advice. Dates and rates are current as of September 5, 2026, before the 2026 rate adoptions were final. Confirm the specifics for your property with your county appraisal district, your tax assessor-collector, or a tax professional.
Last updated: September 2026
