Appraiser

County Appraiser
County Appraiser

Contact Us

Location: County Courthouse
Hours: Mon - Fri, 8am - 5pm
Phone: 785-832-5133
Email: Email Us
Directory: Appraiser's Office

The County Appraiser's Office is responsible for the appraisal of all real estate, both commercial and residential, and the appraisal of all personal property in the county.

What Do Appraisers Do?

The County Appraiser:

  • Is interested in fairness and equity
  • Determines property values, not tax rates
  • Uses formulaic methods to ensure a high level of accuracy

On the other hand, the Appraiser:

  • Does not set tax rates
  • Does not collect taxes
  • Is not focused on tax dollars

Informal Appeal Season

Begin your appeal journey by going to the page where we talk about Appeals

Go to Appeals Info

2023 Valuation Notes

View the Valuation Notes Handout we produce each year

Go to Valuation Info

2023 Market Study

See the results of our most recent Market Study or previous years

Go to Market Studies

Most Recent Newsletter

Check out our most recent newsletter as well as an archive of all past newsletters

Go to Newsletters

Forms and Documents

Frequently Asked Questions

Property is not prorated on the tax roll when acquired and is not prorated off the tax roll when disposed of (K.S.A. 79-309). However, private contracts between buyers and sellers will often prorate the property tax. The only exceptions to this are… Read More

The Kansas Homestead Refund Act provides a refund to Kansans who own their homes or pay rent and meet ONE of the following three requirements: you must have been 55 years of age or older on January 1 of the tax year, or, you must have been totally… Read More

State law requires the county appraiser to view and inspect all property in the county once every six years. Your county appraiser may view and inspect your property more than once every six years due to market conditions and for quality control.

Motor vehicles are appraised in the following ways: Motorcycles, automobiles and light trucks that are tagged to operate at 20,000 pounds or less on public roads are appraised for tax purposes using a formula set forth in laws. The motor vehicles… Read More

To fall under the tax definition of an "RV" the vehicle must be, among other things, for use on a chassis and designed as living quarters for recreational, camping, vacation or travel use; have a body width not exceeding 8½ feet and a body length… Read More

You can visit the county appraiser's office to review information on similar properties and verify that the information the appraiser's office has on your home is correct. If a neighbor has a similar house which recently sold, the sale price may… Read More
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Brad Eldridge

Brad Eldridge

County Appraiser

Experience

Brad has 25 years of experience as a real estate appraiser, including 14 years overseeing commercial real estate values for Douglas County. Eldridge writes and teaches classes for aspiring county appraisers who are seeking to meet their requirements and certifications.

Education

Eldridge received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Baker University in 1998 and has completed more than 70 appraisal courses. He is a certified general appraiser for the State of Kansas, and he has a MAI designation from the Appraisal Institute.  He holds the Certified Assessment Evaluator designation from the International Association of Assessing Officers, where he serves as a senior national instructor.

Goals

Eldridge’s goals as County Appraiser include public engagement, integration of technology and effective leadership.

Douglas County Courthouse

1100 Massachusetts Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
United States

County Courthouse