Assessment FAQ's

Property assessment is the estimated value of a property for municipal and education taxation purposes. The City of Grande Prairie Assessment Department employs experienced and qualified assessors who value your property based on provincial assessment legislation and regulations. 

Market value is the most probable price that a property would sell for on the open market as of a given date. An assessor reviews and measures the real estate market to establish typical market rates. 

The market sets the value of your property. 

Three methods may be used to estimate market value assessments:

• A comparison and analysis of similar properties that have sold,
• Analysis of the rental income properties generate, and
• The replacement cost on a building plus a value for vacant land.

Market value assessments consider factors such as location, building style, and size and type of property.

The supply and demand for property of particular types or locations affects market value.

The community or where the home is located in the community plus the surroundings in the neighbourhood have a bearing. For example, a location beside a large park may add to value, whereas a location on a traffic corridor may reduce the market value.

Physical attributes such as size of house, type of construction, lot size, age and condition, existence and type of garage all affect market value.

If you believe we have made an error on your assessment, please give us the opportunity to review it with you. Once you have talked to an assessor, if you are still not satisfied, you may file a written complaint to the Assessment Review Board within 30 days of receiving your assessment notice. Contact the City Clerk's Department for more information on filing an assessment appeal.

Re-assessments are conducted annually to ensure that recent market fluctuations are reflected in the assessed value of your property. With the market conditions in Grande Prairie, you can expect your assessment to change annually.

Mass appraisal is the process of valuing many properties as of a specific valuation date, using standard methods, employing common data, and allowing for statistical testing.

The use of a mass-appraisal process results in assessments that are accurate in comparison to the market standard and uniform in comparison to similar properties.

The assessments mailed at the end of May reflect the physical condition of the property as of December 31st. If a house was partially complete as of that date, the assessment includes a value for the lot plus a value for the building based on the per cent complete.

If your house is completed or occupied this year, you will receive a supplementary assessment notice that reflects the total value of the property less the amount that has already been assessed for the land and building as partially complete. The supplementary assessment is pro rated to reflect the number of months the house is complete or occupied.

To make a proper assessment on a building, it is desirable that an assessor see the inside as well as the outside. A purchaser would not buy a building without looking inside. Similarly, to estimate market value, the assessor must conduct interior inspections of buildings. If the assessor is unable to inspect the interior, the assessment will be based on existing assessment data and buildings similar to the subject.