Property Assessments

Property Valuation for Tax Purposes

Property Assessment

Lou Fabian, Chief Assessment Officer

Allegheny County uses base year methodology to set assessed values. Base year methodology allows similar homes to have similar assessments by eliminating the effect of changing market conditions. Our current base year is 2012 with an effective date of value of January 1, 2012. Base year 2012 was used for tax year 2013 and all tax years since.

Our last county-wide reassessment was in 2013.

Your property value may be reassessed by the Office of Property Assessments only due to:

  • Omissions
  • Mathematical or clerical errors
  • Physical changes such as demolitions, subdivisions and building permits
  • Occasionally, a school district or municipality requests an interim assessment on new construction or major improvements

Pursuant to Pennsylvania law, property values may also be adjusted in the event of a catastrophic loss. To qualify for a reduction in property assessment, the property owner must file an application within six months from the date that the catastrophic loss occurred.

Finding Property Values

You may use the Real Estate website’s parcel assessment search to look up information on your parcel. The assessed values shown on the parcel assessment search do not reflect current year market values. They reflect the base year value of a property as it stood on January 1 of that year, with any applicable changes as noted above.