The Comal Appraisal District (Comal CAD) sets the value of every home, lot, and business property in Comal County. That value is the starting point for every property tax bill in New Braunfels, Canyon Lake, Bulverde, Spring Branch, and the rest of the county.
This guide covers what Comal CAD does, how to look up your property, which exemptions you can claim, the dates that matter each year, and how to reach the district.
Comal CAD Contact Information
| Contact | Details |
|---|---|
| Office | 900 S. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels, TX 78130 |
| Phone | (830) 625-8597 or (830) 625-8598 |
| San Antonio metro line | (830) 606-1407 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| comalad@co.comal.tx.us | |
| Website | comalad.org |
Comal CAD also has a taxpayer liaison officer for complaints about district or Appraisal Review Board (ARB) procedures. Contact details are on the Comal CAD website.
What Does Comal CAD Do?
Comal CAD appraises property at market value as of January 1 each year. Texas law defines market value as the price a property would sell for between a willing buyer and a willing seller after a reasonable time on the market.
Comal CAD is not a taxing unit. It doesn't set tax rates or send tax bills. Instead, it:
- Sets the appraised value for every property in the county
- Processes exemption applications (homestead, over-65, disabled, disabled veteran, agricultural and wildlife)
- Mails Notices of Appraised Value each spring
- Handles property tax protests and supports the ARB
- Certifies the appraisal roll that each taxing unit uses to set its rate
Your tax bill is your taxable value (appraised value minus exemptions) multiplied by the combined rates of the county, your school district, your city, and any special district. See the Comal County property tax rate breakdown for current rates by taxing entity.
How Comal CAD Values Homes
Like every Texas appraisal district, Comal CAD uses mass appraisal. Homes are grouped by neighborhood and valued using recent sales, construction costs, and the property characteristics on file. Starting September 1, 2026, Comal CAD appraisers are out in the county doing field checks and reappraisals.
Mass appraisal is efficient, but it can miss what makes your home different from the neighborhood average: an older roof, foundation issues, a busy road, or Hill Country lot conditions that don't show up in sales data. That gap is why checking your value every spring matters, especially in fast-growing areas around New Braunfels where new construction pushes neighborhood values up quickly.
Comal County Homestead Values: 2021 to 2025
Comal CAD tracks the average value of homes with a homestead exemption. The trend explains why many Comal County tax bills keep rising even though home prices have leveled off.
| Year | Homesteads | Average market value | Average taxable value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 41,599 | $348,875 | $275,796 |
| 2022 | 45,881 | $488,822 | $293,389 |
| 2023 | 49,165 | $536,213 | $328,924 |
| 2024 | 52,280 | $527,435 | $365,602 |
| 2025 | 55,151 | $530,446 | $391,851 |
Source: Comal Appraisal District annual appraisal reports, 2024 and 2025.
- Market values jumped 52% from 2021 to 2025, with most of the increase in 2022 and 2023.
- Since 2023, average market value is down about 1%, but average taxable value is up about 19%.
That gap is the 10% homestead cap at work. When market values jump faster than 10% a year, the cap limits how much your taxable value can rise each year. The difference doesn't disappear; your taxable value keeps climbing up to 10% a year until it catches up with market value, even after prices stop rising. If your market value is set too high, it keeps feeding those increases, which is why checking the market value on your notice still matters in a flat market.
How Close Comal CAD's Values Are to Sale Prices
Each year Comal CAD compares its appraised values with actual home sales. For homes that sold in 2024, the district's 2025 ratio study found a median appraisal-to-sale ratio of 100.19% in New Braunfels ISD (713 sales) and 100.65% in Comal ISD (2,758 sales), with average ratios of about 103%.
In plain terms, the typical home that sold was appraised at or slightly above its sale price, and on average about 3% above it. Mass appraisal targets 100%, so roughly half of homes end up above their sale price and half below. If yours is in the higher half, comparable sales are your strongest evidence.
Comal CAD Protest Statistics
Comal County has one of the most active protest markets in Central Texas, and it's growing.
| Year | Protests filed | Filed by owners | Filed by agents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17,740 | 7,224 | 10,502 |
| 2022 | 31,038 | 15,260 | 15,730 |
| 2023 | 28,878 | 10,205 | 18,664 |
| 2024 | 26,779 | 6,917 | 19,712 |
| 2025 | 31,717 | 8,009 | 23,699 |
How 2024 protests were resolved (the last full year reported):
| Outcome | Protests | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Settled informally | 15,673 | 59% |
| Topline agreement | 6,138 | 23% |
| ARB decision | 1,477 | 6% |
| No-show at hearing | 1,871 | 7% |
| Withdrawn or cancelled | 1,504 | 6% |
Source: Comal Appraisal District 2025 annual appraisal report. 2025 outcomes were still pending when the report was published.
What the numbers show:
- Protests nearly doubled from 2021 to 2025, from 17,740 to 31,717.
- Three out of four protests are now filed by property tax agents, up from 59% in 2021.
- About 82% of protests settle before a formal hearing, either informally or through a topline agreement.
- More protests end as no-shows than are decided by the ARB. In 2024, 1,871 protests ended as no-shows, compared with 1,477 ARB decisions. If you file, show up or have someone represent you.
What a Typical New Braunfels Homeowner Pays
Here's how Comal CAD's value turns into a tax bill for a home at the county's 2025 average homestead market value of $530,446, in the City of New Braunfels and New Braunfels ISD, using 2026 adopted tax rates. This example assumes a homeowner under 65, no 10% homestead cap adjustment, and no MUD or special district.
| Taxing unit | 2026 rate per $100 | Taxable value | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comal County (incl. lateral road) | $0.305015 | $424,357 (after 20% homestead) | $1,294.35 |
| City of New Braunfels | $0.415613 | $424,357 (after 20% homestead) | $1,763.68 |
| New Braunfels ISD | $1.037700 | $390,446 (after $140,000 homestead) | $4,051.66 |
| Total | $1.758328 | $7,109.69 |
The lateral road portion of the county rate carries an extra $3,000 exemption, which changes this total by about a dollar.
Without homestead exemptions, the same home would owe about $9,327, so the exemptions are worth about $2,200 a year. In Comal ISD, the school exemption is 20% plus $140,000, which would bring this home's school taxable value down to about $284,357.
The value Comal CAD sets matters as much as the rates. A 10% lower value on this home ($53,045) would save about $856 a year in New Braunfels.
See the full Comal County property tax rate breakdown for other cities and school districts.
Comal CAD Online Services
| Service | Link | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Property search | esearch.comalad.org | Look up appraised value, exemptions, and property details |
| Taxpayer Online Portal | portal.comalad.org | File a protest, upload and review evidence, respond to settlement offers |
| Interactive map | gis.bisclient.com/comalcad | Find parcels and nearby properties on a map |
| Forms | comalad.org/forms | Exemption applications and other forms |
| Exemptions | comalad.org/exemptions | Exemption rules and requirements |
How to Look Up Your Property
- Go to the Comal CAD property search.
- Search by owner name, street address, or property ID.
- Open your property to see the current and prior-year appraised value, the exemptions on file, and the land and improvement details.
Check two things every year: that your homestead and any over-65 or disabled exemptions are listed, and that the square footage, bathroom count, and other details match your home. Errors in either can raise your bill.
Comal County Exemptions
Exemptions reduce your taxable value, not your appraised value. You must apply for them; Comal CAD doesn't add them automatically when you buy a home.
| Taxing unit | Homestead | Over-65 | Disabled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comal County | 20% (min. $5,000) | $50,000 + tax ceiling | Tax ceiling |
| Comal County Lateral Road | 20% + $3,000 | 20% + $50,000 + ceiling | 20% + $3,000 + ceiling |
| Comal ISD | 20% + $140,000 | $60,000 + tax ceiling | $60,000 + tax ceiling |
| New Braunfels ISD | $140,000 | $63,750 + tax ceiling | $63,750 + tax ceiling |
| City of New Braunfels | 20% (min. $5,000) | $3,750 + tax ceiling | $3,750 + tax ceiling |
| City of Spring Branch | 20% (min. $5,000) | $50,000 + tax ceiling | $50,000 + tax ceiling |
| City of Bulverde | None | $40,000 + tax ceiling | Tax ceiling |
| City of Garden Ridge | None | None | None |
Source: Comal Appraisal District exemption schedule for the 2025 tax year (as of Nov. 4, 2025). Disabled veterans also qualify for $5,000 to $12,000 based on rating, and a full homestead exemption at 100%. Check your property record for the exemptions applied to your account.
Comal County is unusual: the county, the City of New Braunfels and Comal ISD all offer a 20% homestead exemption on top of the state's school exemption. That makes filing your homestead application more valuable here than in most Texas counties.
To apply for a homestead exemption, file Form 50-114 (Residence Homestead Exemption Application) by April 30. Forms are on the Comal CAD forms page. The over-65 exemption is applied automatically if Comal CAD has your birthdate on file; otherwise, submit an application. Disability exemptions require a Social Security disability statement or a physician's statement.
Learn more in our guide to Texas property tax exemptions.
Comal CAD Key Dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| January 1 | Property is valued as of this date |
| April 15 | Business personal property rendition deadline |
| April | Notices of Appraised Value are mailed |
| April 30 | Exemption application deadline |
| May 15 (or 30 days after your notice) | Protest deadline, whichever is later |
| May to July | ARB hearings |
| October | Tax bills are mailed by the county tax office |
| January 31 | Property taxes are due |
Protesting Your Comal CAD Value
To protest property taxes in Comal County, file a protest with the Comal Appraisal District (Comal CAD) by May 15 or 30 days after your appraisal notice is mailed, whichever is later. File through the Taxpayer Online Portal, by mail, by email or in person. An optional informal meeting comes first, then an Appraisal Review Board (ARB) hearing if you don't settle.
If your Notice of Appraised Value is higher than your home would sell for, or higher than similar homes nearby, you have the right to protest. Comal CAD accepts protests through the Taxpayer Online Portal, by mail, in person, or by email as a PDF.
A few things specific to Comal CAD:
- The portal shows the district's evidence. Online filers can review the evidence Comal CAD plans to use and accept or decline a settlement offer without a trip to the office.
- Informal meetings are optional. An appraiser can meet with you to discuss your value before a formal hearing.
- ARB hearings run May through July. If you attend in person, bring three copies of your evidence.
To avoid the most common filing problems, see Comal County e-file protest errors. If you'd rather not handle the filing, evidence, and hearings yourself, see how our Comal County property tax protest service works.
Get a Second Look at Your Comal CAD Value
Ballard Property Tax Protest reviews your Comal CAD value every year, builds the comparable sales and unequal appraisal evidence, and represents you with the district and the ARB. There's no upfront cost, and you only pay if we lower your value.
Sign up in a few minutes or learn more about protesting in Comal County.
