San Juan County homeowners pay a median of $1,364 a year in property tax on a median home value of $432,500. Its effective tax rate (property taxes paid as a share of home values, per the Tax Foundation) is 0.29%, the 58th highest of 64 Colorado counties. The San Juan County Assessor values homes in San Juan County as of a fixed appraisal date and mails Notices of Valuation by May 1. If the assessor denies your protest, you can appeal to the San Juan County Board of Equalization.
Closed for 2026The 2026 protest window closed June 8, 2026 (county board appeals closed July 15, or September 15 in counties on the alternate schedule). The next window opens when 2027 reappraisal notices go out by May 1, 2027, and runs through June 8, 2027. In counties on the alternate schedule, county board decisions can come out as late as November 1, 2026; you then have 30 days from the mailing date to appeal to the Board of Assessment Appeals, district court or arbitration. Owners who did not protest in 2026 may still be able to file an abatement petition.
Step 1 - protest to the county assessor from May 1 through June 8 (postmarked, delivered or in person; next business day if June 8 falls on a weekend or holiday). Step 2 - if the assessor denies you, appeal to the County Board of Equalization by July 15 (the assessor must mail its Notice of Determination by the last working day of June). Large counties use an 'alternate' schedule: counties with more than 300,000 people must use it in reappraisal years, and any county may choose it. Under it the assessor decides by August 15, your board appeal is due September 15, and the board decides by November 1. Examples: El Paso County announced that 2026 real property protests had to reach the assessor by June 8, 2026. In Jefferson County for 2025, protests ran May 1-June 8, determinations were mailed by August 15, and board appeals were due September 15.
Phone: 970-387-5632
Email: [email protected]
Address: 1557 Greene St, PO Box 596, Silverton, CO 81433
County Assessor: Kim Buck
Official website: sanjuancounty.colorado.gov
The county assessor values your home, mails your Notice of Valuation, hears your protest and must share the data used to value your home if you ask in writing.
The assessor mails a Notice of Valuation (NOV) by May 1. It shows last year's and this year's actual value and comes with a protest form. In an intervening year (like 2026), a county may mail a separate notice only to owners whose value changed, and count the tax bill as the notice for everyone else. You can protest even if your value did not change.
Look up your home on the San Juan County Assessor website and check square footage, bathrooms, condition and features. Mistakes are the easiest wins. Use our record card checklist.
File your protest with the San Juan County Assessor between May 1 and June 8, by mail (postmark counts), in person, or online if your county offers it. Include your estimate of value and your evidence. If you still disagree after the Notice of Determination, appeal to the San Juan County Board of Equalization by July 15, or by September 15 if your county uses the alternate schedule.
Sales of similar homes nearby during the study period (for 2025-2026 values: sales from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024), adjusted for differences; Your own purchase price if you bought in an arm's-length sale during the study period; An appraisal valuing the home as of June 30, 2024 (for tax year 2026); Corrections to your property record: square footage, finished basement, bathrooms, year built, quality.
The assessor's value has no built-in presumption of being correct. The law says there is no presumption in favor of any pending valuation, and the assessor must back up the value at county board hearings. Still, as the one appealing, you must show the assessment is wrong (Board of Assessment Appeals v. Sampson, Colo. 2005). In practice, you need evidence of a lower market value as of the appraisal date.
Next step: Board of Assessment Appeals (BAA), district court, or binding arbitration. 30 days after the county board's decision is mailed. Choose one of three options. (1) The state Board of Assessment Appeals: file a petition online and upload the county board's decision. Do not file your evidence with the petition; exhibits are due four weeks before the hearing. Hearings are usually at least four months after the petition is accepted. Fee: none for your first two petitions in a fiscal year (July 1-June 30) if you represent yourself, then $33.75 each; $101.25 if an agent or attorney files. You can appeal a BAA decision to the Colorado Court of Appeals. (2) District court in your county, for a new trial. (3) Binding arbitration: tell the county board within 30 days and pick a certified or licensed appraiser from the county's list. For a home, the arbitrator's fees and expenses are capped at $150 per case. The decision is final, with no further appeal. At any of these three, the value can be raised as well as lowered, by up to 5% above the county board's value.
Enter the market value on your assessment notice and what you think the home would really sell for. We estimate the yearly saving if the board agrees with you.
Some states cap how fast the taxable value of a home can rise (California, Florida, Michigan and Texas homesteads, for example). If your taxable value is already held below market value by a cap, a lower market value may not lower this year's bill.
Fill in your details and download a written appeal statement as a PDF or Word file. Most boards also require their own appeal form: file the form and attach this letter and your evidence to it.
Tax Appeal Map is a free information site, not a law firm or appraiser. The letter is a template, not legal advice.
Step 1 - protest to the county assessor from May 1 through June 8 (postmarked, delivered or in person; next business day if June 8 falls on a weekend or holiday). Step 2 - if the assessor denies you, appeal to the County Board of Equalization by July 15 (the assessor must mail its Notice of Determination by the last working day of June). Large counties use an 'alternate' schedule: counties with more than 300,000 people must use it in reappraisal years, and any county may choose it. Under it the assessor decides by August 15, your board appeal is due September 15, and the board decides by November 1. Examples: El Paso County announced that 2026 real property protests had to reach the assessor by June 8, 2026. In Jefferson County for 2025, protests ran May 1-June 8, determinations were mailed by August 15, and board appeals were due September 15.
Start with a protest to the San Juan County Assessor by June 8; if denied, appeal to the San Juan County Board of Equalization by the date on your Notice of Determination (usually July 15).
Phone 970-387-5632. Website: sanjuancounty.colorado.gov.
No fee to protest to the assessor or appeal to the county board.
Contact details change; call or check the office website before you visit.