What makes a good comparable home

A comparable is a home similar enough to yours that its assessment says something about yours.

Same kind of home

Detached with detached, condo with condo, the same building style where the municipality publishes it (bungalow, two-storey, split level).

Similar size and age

Floor area, lot size and year built close to yours. Large differences in any of them make a comparison weak.

Close by

The same neighbourhood or the next street over. Location drives value: a home three communities away is a weaker comparison.

Checkable

Give each one’s address and roll number so the assessor or the Board can look it up. Use the municipality’s own published figures.

Honest about differences

Condition, renovations, a corner lot or a view are not in the open data. Note what you know about each comparable, including the differences that don’t help your case; a Board weighs evidence that is complete.

The evidence pack picks comparables by a fixed rule (same home type, similar age and size where published, nearest first) and lists every figure with its source.

Other guides

• How property assessment works in Alberta
• Why a higher assessment doesn't mean your taxes rise by the same amount
• Review period or formal complaint: the steps
• Alberta's 2027 education property tax change

General information about Alberta property assessment, not legal advice.