The Lewis County Assessor’s Office is set to begin in-person assessments of local properties for property taxes to be paid in 2027.
The assessor’s office assesses a sixth of the properties in the county in person each year and sets new home values for the rest of the properties in the county based on property value trends.
This year, county officials with the assessor’s office will be doing in-person assessments in the Winlock, Vader and Toledo areas. The county, in accordance with state law, values every property in the county in person at least once every six years.
In a news release from the assessor’s office sent out last week, the county asks residents to be aware that appraisers will be out in the field and that they may knock on doors or leave business cards if a resident is not available.
Appraisers may measure parts of the property, take photos or ask property owners and residents questions about the property being valued. The office asks property owners to inform appraisers of any significant changes to a property to improve the accuracy of a value assessment.
Appraisers should be easy to spot as they are required to ride in a white county-marked vehicle and will wear high-visibility orange or green safety vests.
While the recent news release asks residents to expect appraisers to show up at their property, it also asks property owners to remain vigilant as there have been reports in previous years of impersonators seeking to gain access to properties. All county appraisers should be clearly identifiable.
Property owners who wish to report a major change to their property and have not seen an appraiser or have other questions can call the county assessor’s office at 360-740-1392. For more information about the county’s property valuation process, residents can also visit https://lewiscountywa.gov/offices/assessor/. Finally, to take a look at the county’s property evaluation cycle, visit https://tinyurl.com/2p824jsb.
