Lafayette Parish tax assessor: everything homeowners need to know

Last updated 2026-07-09

What does the Lafayette Parish tax assessor actually do?

The Lafayette Parish Assessor is an independently elected official who sets the assessed value of every parcel of real and personal property in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. That value is the starting point for every property tax bill you get. The assessor does not set the tax rate and does not collect a dime. Those jobs belong to the various taxing bodies (parish government, school board, and special districts) and to the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office, which acts as tax collector. ^[1]

The assessor's one job is to estimate fair market value and then apply Louisiana's constitutional assessment ratios. Residential property gets assessed at 10% of fair market value. Commercial property gets 15%. Agricultural land is assessed at its use value, which is often far below market value. ^[2]

Here's a concrete example. If your Lafayette home appraises at $300,000, the assessor puts your assessed value at $30,000. Your tax bill is then $30,000 multiplied by the local millage rate, minus any exemptions you qualify for. That layered structure is exactly why knowing each piece pays off.

Who is the Lafayette Parish tax assessor and how do I contact the office?

Conrad Comeaux has been the Lafayette Parish Assessor since 1999, making him one of the longest-tenured assessors in Louisiana. His office is at the Lafayette Parish Courthouse, 1010 Lafayette Street, Lafayette, LA 70501. The main office phone is (337) 291-7080. The office also runs a website at www.lafayetteassessor.com where you can search property records, review your assessment, and download exemption forms. ^[1]

Office hours are generally Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., though you should confirm current hours with the office before you drive out. The office also has a satellite location at the Eastside Branch that covers the eastern parts of the parish.

For most homeowners, the online property search is the fastest starting point. You can pull up your parcel, see the assessed value, review the property characteristics the assessor used, and compare the sales data the office considered. If something looks wrong, that search result is your first piece of evidence.

How does the Lafayette Parish assessor calculate your home's value?

Louisiana law requires assessors to value property at fair market value, defined in Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:2321 as "the price for which the property would sell under ordinary circumstances." ^[2] The Lafayette Parish Assessor uses three standard appraisal approaches, weighted by property type.

The sales comparison approach is the main method for houses. The assessor finds recent arm's-length sales of similar homes near yours, adjusts for differences in size, age, condition, and features, and lands on an indicated value. In active neighborhoods with plenty of comparable sales, this method tends to produce reliable numbers.

The cost approach estimates what it would cost to rebuild your home from scratch, then subtracts depreciation for age and wear. It works better for newer construction or unusual properties where few true comps exist.

The income approach applies mostly to commercial and investment property. It turns the net operating income a property can produce into a value estimate.

Here's where homeowners find errors: square footage recorded wrong in parish records, bedrooms or bathrooms overcounted, a garage counted as finished living space, or a condition rating that ignores actual wear. Check those details in your parcel record before you do anything else. ^[1]

What assessment ratio applies to my Lafayette Parish property?

Louisiana's assessment ratios are fixed by Article VII, Section 18 of the Louisiana Constitution, so they apply statewide and no assessor can deviate. ^[2] The table below shows the ratios by property class.

Property Class	Assessment Ratio	Example: $300,000 FMV	Assessed Value
Residential (1-4 family)	10%	$300,000	$30,000
Commercial / industrial	15%	$300,000	$45,000
Personal property (business)	15%	$100,000	$15,000
Agricultural (use value)	10%	Varies	Use-value based

These ratios mean Louisiana homeowners pay taxes on a much smaller slice of value than homeowners in states like Texas, where the ratio is 100%. You still have to watch whether the fair market value the assessor assigned is accurate, because that number drives everything downstream.

What exemptions can Lafayette Parish homeowners claim?

Louisiana offers several property tax exemptions that cut real money off your bill. The homestead exemption is the big one for most owners.

Homestead Exemption: Owner-occupants who use their home as their primary residence can exempt the first $75,000 of fair market value from parish property taxes. Because the assessment ratio is 10%, that works out to a $7,500 reduction in assessed value. At a typical Lafayette Parish millage rate, that exemption saves homeowners several hundred dollars a year. You file once. The exemption renews automatically as long as you own and occupy the home. ^[3]

Special Assessment Level ("Senior Freeze"): Louisiana law provides a special assessment level for homeowners who are 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled, whose adjusted gross income does not exceed the current limit (the income threshold has changed over time, so confirm the current figure with the assessor's office). Once approved, your assessed value is frozen at its current level even if the market rises. ^[2]

Disabled Veteran Exemption: Veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 100% from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are exempt from all ad valorem property taxes on their primary residence in Louisiana. Surviving spouses may also qualify. ^[3]

Special exemptions for surviving spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty also exist under Louisiana law. If you think you qualify for an exemption you haven't claimed, the assessor's office can tell you which forms to file. Most exemption applications are due by the last day of the reassessment year's open-rolls period.

When does Lafayette Parish reassess property, and when are the rolls open?

Louisiana reassesses property on a four-year cycle set by the Louisiana Tax Commission. Lafayette Parish follows that statewide schedule. The most recent reassessment was in 2024, so the next full reassessment is scheduled for 2028. ^[4]

After a reassessment year, the assessor opens the tax rolls for public inspection, usually in late August or September. State law (Louisiana RS 47:1992) requires the assessor to give written notice of any change in assessed value during that open-rolls period. Once you get that notice, the clock starts on your appeal window.

Even in non-reassessment years, the assessor can adjust your value if there's been a physical change to the property (new construction, demolition, damage) or a correction of error. And you can appeal in any year if you think your value is wrong, not only in reassessment years. Many homeowners miss that.

Key dates to track every year, regardless of the reassessment cycle:

Event	Typical Timing	Governing Statute
Tax rolls open for inspection	Late August / September	RS 47:1992
Last day to appeal to assessor	15 days after rolls close	RS 47:1992
Appeal to Louisiana Tax Commission	10 days after board of review decision	RS 47:1998
Property taxes due (no penalty)	December 31	RS 47:2127

Exact dates shift year to year. Check the Lafayette Parish Assessor's website or call the office each fall for the specific open-rolls dates. ^{[1] [4]}

How do you appeal your Lafayette Parish assessment?

The appeal runs in a fixed sequence. You can't skip straight to the state level without going through the local steps first.

Step 1: Talk to the assessor's office during the open-rolls period. This is informal and free. Bring whatever evidence you have: recent sales of comparable homes, a recent appraisal, photos of condition issues, or corrected property data. Many errors get fixed right here without any formal filing. The assessor's staff wants accurate records, and a politely documented factual error usually gets corrected fast.

Step 2: If the assessor's office won't reduce your value to something you accept, file a formal appeal with the Lafayette Parish Board of Review (also called the Board of Assessment Review). This board is separate from the assessor. File your written objection within the timeframe the assessor's office specifies, usually 15 days after the close of the open rolls. The board schedules a hearing where you present your case. ^[4]

Step 3: If the board upholds the assessment, you can appeal to the Louisiana Tax Commission within 10 days of the board's decision. The Commission is the state-level body that hears property tax disputes. Their proceedings are more formal, but still open to self-represented owners. ^[4]

Step 4: If you lose at the Tax Commission and still think the assessment is wrong, you can petition district court. That step usually needs an attorney and makes sense only when the dollar difference justifies the cost.

For most residential homeowners, the informal meeting or the Board of Review hearing settles the matter. Preparation is the whole game. Walk in with two or three well-documented comparable sales showing your home's market value is lower than the assessor's number, and you have a real argument. Walk in saying "it seems too high," and you won't get far.

If you want to organize your evidence systematically, TaxFightBack's appeal kit walks you through pulling the right comps, formatting your argument, and calculating the savings before you file. But the process described here is exactly what you'd follow on your own.

What evidence wins a Lafayette Parish assessment appeal?

Evidence of fair market value is what changes an assessor's mind or wins at a board hearing. The strongest evidence is recent sales of homes genuinely like yours.

Comparable sales (comps): Look for arm's-length sales within the last 12 months (6 is better), within a mile or two of your home, of houses with similar square footage, age, condition, and lot size. The Louisiana Tax Commission expects this kind of data and gives it the most weight. Pull sales from the assessor's own website, from Zillow, or from Realtor.com. Three to five comps that consistently point to a lower value than your assessment make a strong case. ^[4]

A licensed appraisal: A formal appraisal from a Louisiana-licensed appraiser is the single strongest piece of evidence you can bring. It costs $300 to $600 for a residential report, and the savings if you win can easily beat that. The appraisal follows the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and carries real credibility with boards and the Tax Commission.

Property record errors: If the assessor has your home recorded as 2,400 square feet when it's actually 1,900, or shows a finished basement you don't have, correct those errors with documentation: a floor plan, a recent appraisal that measured the home, or contractor records. These factual fixes can drop your value without any argument about market conditions.

Photos of condition: If your home has deferred maintenance, foundation issues, roof damage, or other problems the condition rating ignores, dated photographs with repair estimates support a lower value.

What doesn't work: saying your taxes are too high without addressing the assessed value, comparing your bill to a neighbor's bill without addressing values, or arguing about the tax rate (the assessor controls none of that).

How do Lafayette Parish property taxes compare to the rest of Louisiana?

Louisiana has some of the lowest effective property tax rates in the country. The Tax Foundation ranked Louisiana 5th lowest in the nation for property tax burden as a percentage of home value in 2023, with an average effective rate around 0.55% of market value statewide. ^[5]

Lafayette Parish's combined millage rates vary depending on which taxing districts cover your specific parcel. The Lafayette Parish Consolidated Government, the Lafayette Parish School Board, and various special service districts each levy their own millages. As of the most recent tax year, combined millage rates across Lafayette Parish generally run from roughly 70 to 120 mills for residential property, depending on location. One mill equals $1 per $1,000 of assessed value. ^[1]

Using a midpoint of 90 mills and the 10% assessment ratio, a home with a $300,000 fair market value would carry an annual tax bill of roughly $2,700 before exemptions. Apply the homestead exemption ($7,500 off assessed value), and the bill drops to about $2,025. Those are rough estimates. Your actual bill depends on your specific millage district.

For context, parishes like East Baton Rouge and Orleans tend to run higher combined millages. Parishes with fewer urban services run lower. Lafayette sits in a middle range for Louisiana, and it's still well below the national average for property taxes.

Homeowners in other states looking for comparison points: the Maricopa property tax system in Arizona and the Los Angeles County property tax system both run under very different assessment frameworks, but the core appeal logic is the same.

How does Lafayette Parish compare to other Louisiana assessors?

Louisiana has 64 parishes and 64 elected assessors. Each one is independent, so practices vary even though the same statutes apply everywhere.

Assessors in larger parishes like East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, and Orleans tend to have bigger staffs and more automated mass-appraisal systems. Lafayette Parish, one of the state's larger parishes by population (roughly 240,000 residents as of the 2020 Census), ^[6] runs a more sophisticated operation than small rural parishes but still leans on personal relationships and local knowledge.

The Ouachita Parish tax assessor (covering Monroe and surrounding areas in northeast Louisiana) works under the same constitutional framework and four-year reassessment cycle. Appeals there follow the identical statutory sequence: assessor's office, Board of Review, Louisiana Tax Commission, district court. The assessed value ratios are identical: 10% for residential, 15% for commercial. What differs are the local millage rates and the practical culture of each office. Ouachita Parish homeowners should confirm their specific open-rolls dates directly with their assessor.

The common thread across all Louisiana parishes: the assessor is reachable, the informal step is worth taking, and you don't need a lawyer or a contingency firm to get through the first two levels of appeal. Homeowners in other states with county-level systems, like Georgia's Gwinnett County tax assessor or Bibb County tax assessor, face different structures but the same basic principle: the assessor's first estimate is not final.

What personal property does the Lafayette Parish assessor assess?

Louisiana assesses business personal property, which includes furniture, fixtures, machinery, equipment, and inventory used in a trade or business. Own a business in Lafayette Parish, and you're required to file a personal property return with the assessor's office each year, usually by April 1. The assessor uses those returns to set assessed values on business assets. ^[1]

Residential personal property (your household furniture, cars, bank accounts) is generally not subject to Louisiana property tax. Louisiana does not tax vehicles the way some states do.

If your business gets a personal property assessment you think is too high, the same appeal sequence applies: assessor's office first, then the Board of Review, then the Louisiana Tax Commission. Businesses often have more documentation to work with (depreciation schedules, purchase invoices, equipment appraisals) and can make strong cases for lower values on older or depreciated assets.

For comparison, St. Louis County personal property tax covers vehicles and other personal property in ways Louisiana's system explicitly does not, which makes Louisiana relatively friendly to individual taxpayers on that dimension.

How do I search property records through the Lafayette Parish tax assessor's office?

The Lafayette Parish Assessor's website (www.lafayetteassessor.com) has a public property search tool that lets you look up any parcel by owner name, address, or parcel number. ^[1] The search result shows:

• Owner of record
• Legal description and parcel number
• Fair market value and assessed value
• Property characteristics (square footage, year built, bedrooms, bathrooms, construction type)
• Exemptions currently applied
• Recent sales history for the parcel

This is where every appeal starts. Pull your own record and review every characteristic listed. Errors in square footage, bedroom count, or condition class are more common than you'd expect, and they're usually the easiest corrections to get made. If your neighbor's similar home shows a lower market value in the records, note that discrepancy too.

You can also search nearby parcels to see what the assessor valued similar homes at. That comparison is informal evidence, but it helps you gauge whether your value looks out of line before you sink time into a formal appeal.

Recording an ownership change after a sale runs through the Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court, not the assessor's office directly. The assessor picks up ownership changes from recorded deeds.

Should you hire a property tax firm or appeal on your own in Lafayette Parish?

Contingency-fee property tax firms charge 25% to 50% of first-year tax savings in most markets. In Louisiana, some firms run similar models. For a residential homeowner whose tax bill might drop by $400 if the appeal works, paying 40% of that savings ($160) to a firm is a real cost for something you can genuinely do yourself.

The Lafayette Parish appeal process at the informal and Board of Review levels is built for unrepresented homeowners. The assessor's staff will tell you what evidence they need to see. The Board of Review hearing is not a courtroom. You can present your own comparable sales and make your own argument.

Where outside help earns its keep: commercial property disputes with big dollar amounts at stake, cases heading to the Louisiana Tax Commission or district court where legal procedure matters, or situations where the owner simply can't spare the time to research and present the case.

For residential homeowners who want to keep every dollar of savings, TaxFightBack's DIY appeal kit gives you the comparable sales worksheet, the evidence checklist, and the step-by-step argument format, without giving up a share of your refund.

One honest caveat belongs here: nobody has solid statewide data on Louisiana's appeal success rates by representation type. The Louisiana Tax Commission doesn't publish those numbers. Anecdotally, well-prepared self-represented homeowners do fine at the local levels.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Lafayette Parish Assessor's phone number and address?

The Lafayette Parish Assessor's Office is at 1010 Lafayette Street, Suite 402, Lafayette, LA 70501. The main phone number is (337) 291-7080. Office hours are generally Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can also reach the office through the assessor's website at www.lafayetteassessor.com.

At what percentage is residential property assessed in Lafayette Parish?

Residential property in Louisiana, including Lafayette Parish, is assessed at 10% of fair market value. This ratio is set by Article VII, Section 18 of the Louisiana Constitution and applies statewide. A home with a fair market value of $250,000 would carry an assessed value of $25,000 before any exemptions are applied.

How do I claim the homestead exemption in Lafayette Parish?

File a homestead exemption application with the Lafayette Parish Assessor's Office. You need to be the owner of record and use the home as your primary residence. You only file once; the exemption renews automatically each year as long as you continue to own and occupy the property. The exemption shelters the first $75,000 of fair market value from parish property taxes, which equals $7,500 of assessed value.

What is the deadline to appeal my Lafayette Parish property assessment?

After the assessor opens the tax rolls for public inspection (typically late August or September), you generally have 15 days after the close of the open-rolls period to file a formal appeal with the Board of Review. If you lose at the Board of Review, you then have 10 days to appeal to the Louisiana Tax Commission. Exact dates vary by year, so confirm them with the assessor's office each fall.

Can I appeal my assessment in a non-reassessment year?

Yes. Louisiana law allows appeals in any year, not only during the four-year reassessment cycle. If you believe the assessor's market value for your property is inaccurate, you can challenge it each year during the open-rolls period. This matters particularly if your neighborhood's market has dropped significantly since the last reassessment or if your property has physical damage.

Who collects property taxes in Lafayette Parish?

The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office collects property taxes in Lafayette Parish. The assessor sets values and the various taxing bodies (parish government, school board, special districts) set millage rates, but the Sheriff's Office sends the bills and collects the payments. Property taxes are due by December 31 each year without penalty.

Does Lafayette Parish assess cars and household personal property?

No. Louisiana does not impose property tax on personal vehicles or household belongings of individuals. The assessor does assess business personal property, including equipment, fixtures, and furniture used in a trade or business. Business owners must file a personal property return with the assessor by April 1 each year to report those assets.

How often does Lafayette Parish reassess property?

Louisiana law requires a statewide reassessment every four years. Lafayette Parish's most recent general reassessment was in 2024, making the next scheduled one 2028. Between reassessment years, the assessor can still adjust values for physical changes to a property or correction of errors, and homeowners can still appeal if they believe the value is wrong.

What is the senior freeze exemption in Lafayette Parish?

Louisiana's special assessment level allows homeowners who are 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled, to freeze their assessed value so it does not increase even if market values rise. An income limit applies (adjusted gross income threshold, confirm the current figure with the assessor's office). Once approved, the frozen value stays in place as long as you own and occupy the home.

How do I find comparable sales to appeal my Lafayette Parish assessment?

Start with the Lafayette Parish Assessor's own website, which shows recent sales data for parcels. You can also use Zillow, Realtor.com, or the Louisiana Multiple Listing Service (accessible through a real estate agent). Look for sales within the past 12 months, within a mile or two of your home, of properties similar in size, age, and condition. Three to five consistent comps showing a lower value than your assessment make a solid appeal argument.

What is the Louisiana Tax Commission and how does it handle appeals?

The Louisiana Tax Commission is the state agency that acts as the second formal level of property tax appeal after the local Board of Review. If you lose at the Board of Review, you can appeal to the Commission within 10 days. Hearings are more formal than board-level proceedings but still open to self-represented homeowners. The Commission can order the assessor to change a value. Further appeals go to district court.

Does a 100% disabled veteran pay property taxes in Lafayette Parish?

No. Louisiana law exempts the primary residence of a veteran with a 100% service-connected disability rating from all ad valorem property taxes. The surviving spouse of a qualifying veteran may also claim the exemption. Apply with the Lafayette Parish Assessor's Office and bring your VA disability rating documentation.

How does the Lafayette Parish assessor differ from the Ouachita Parish tax assessor?

Both offices work under the same Louisiana constitutional framework: 10% assessment ratio for residential property, four-year reassessment cycles, and the same appeal sequence (assessor, Board of Review, Louisiana Tax Commission). The practical differences are local millage rates, office resources, and the specific staff you'll interact with. Ouachita Parish homeowners should contact their assessor directly for open-rolls dates and local procedures.

Is it worth hiring a property tax consultant to appeal in Lafayette Parish?

For most residential homeowners in Lafayette Parish, the informal meeting with the assessor's office and a Board of Review hearing are accessible enough to handle on your own with good comparable sales data. Contingency firms typically charge 25% to 50% of first-year savings, which can exceed what you'd save on a modest residential bill. Outside help makes more financial sense for commercial properties or cases heading to the Louisiana Tax Commission.

Sources

1. Lafayette Parish Assessor's Office - Official Website: Office address, phone number, property search tool, and assessor information for Lafayette Parish
2. Louisiana Legislature - Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 47 (Revenue and Taxation): Louisiana RS 47:2321 defines fair market value; Article VII Section 18 of the Louisiana Constitution sets assessment ratios of 10% for residential and 15% for commercial property
3. Louisiana Legislature - Homestead Exemption (RS 47:1703): Homestead exemption exempts first $75,000 of fair market value for owner-occupants; disabled veteran exemption for 100% service-connected disability
4. Louisiana Tax Commission - Property Tax Appeal Procedures: Four-year reassessment cycle, open-rolls period timing, Board of Review procedures, 10-day window to appeal to the Louisiana Tax Commission after Board of Review decision
5. Tax Foundation - Property Taxes by State 2023: Louisiana ranked 5th lowest in the U.S. for property tax burden as a percentage of home value in 2023, with an effective rate around 0.55%
6. U.S. Census Bureau - Lafayette Parish, Louisiana QuickFacts: Lafayette Parish population approximately 240,000 as of the 2020 Census
7. Louisiana Constitution - Article VII, Section 18: Constitutional basis for assessment ratios: 10% residential, 15% commercial, and special assessment level (freeze) for seniors and disabled homeowners
8. Louisiana Tax Commission - Reassessment Schedule and Rules: Statewide four-year reassessment cycle; most recent Lafayette Parish reassessment in 2024
9. Louisiana Legislature - RS 47:1992 (Open Rolls and Notice Requirements): Assessor must open rolls for public inspection and provide written notice of value changes; governs the open-rolls period and appeal deadlines
10. Louisiana Legislature - RS 47:2127 (Property Tax Due Date): Louisiana property taxes are due by December 31 each year without penalty