Columbus homeowners are gearing up for another round of valuation nerves as Franklin County prepares its 2026 triennial property value update. Tentative new numbers are expected to hit mailboxes in June, following the major 2023 reappraisal that sent many residential assessments sharply higher. This time around, officials say they will lean on sales records and permit data instead of sending people out to eyeball every property.
To walk residents through the process, the Auditor's Office rolled out a "Know Your Home Value" website in mid-January that lays out the schedule, informal review options, and how to double-check what the county has on file for each property, according to the Franklin County Auditor. The site links directly to the property search tool so owners can confirm basics like square footage and permit history before the review window opens.
Per a county community bulletin, the auditor expects to send proposed values to the Ohio Department of Taxation in March. Once those are approved, tentative numbers will go online and into the mail in June, with Informal Property Value Review sessions scheduled from July through September. Final values are slated to be certified in December, according to the Franklin County community bulletin.
The auditor's office is projecting an average countywide value change of about 7% to 8%, as reported by NBC4i. That same coverage notes the 2026 update will be largely computer-driven, leaning on recent sales and documented improvement permits instead of the full exterior inspections used in the 2023 reappraisal.
That 2023 reappraisal was a jolt: the auditor's office reports a median residential value increase of about 41% for that cycle, which significantly boosted the county's total real estate valuation. Those big moves are exactly why so many homeowners are watching this triennial update with a wary eye, according to the Franklin County Auditor.
Auditor Michael Stinziano has emphasized that a spike in valuation does not automatically mean an equal spike in property taxes, since tax bills are shaped by the taxable portion of value plus voter-approved levies and credits, as he told NBC4. In practice, that means a big jump in market value can look a lot smaller once millage rates, credits and levy outcomes are factored into the bill.
How Homeowners Can Respond
For now, property owners are being urged to get their homework done early. That starts with pulling up the county record, confirming square footage and recent permits, and gathering any documents or photos they might want to bring to a value review. For a step-by-step walkthrough of how to schedule an informal review and what evidence actually helps, residents can turn to local explainers like Columbus Underground.
As Columbus Underground notes, the numbers arriving in June are just a tentative value, not the final word. Homeowners can challenge those figures during the informal review period, and only after that process wraps up will final values be mailed in December. If an owner does nothing and accepts the tentative value, that number rolls straight into the December certification that is used to calculate tax bills.
