Mission

The Gloucester County Department of Real Estate Assessment is committed to the assessment of all real property in the County of Gloucester based on fair market value, with the end result being fair and even distribution of the tax burden among all property owners.

The Real Estate Assessment Department does not set market values, it reacts to market sales and changes in order to produce fair and equitable assessments. Mass appraisal procedures are utilized to determine assessed values. Mass appraisal is defined by the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) as “the process of valuing a group of properties as of a given date, using standard methods, employing common data, and allowing for statistical testing”. The mass appraisal method is the industry standard for tax assessment purposes and is necessary to accomplish the valuation of the thousands of parcels within a locality.

Below is a summary of the services provided by the Real Estate Assessment Department:

• Biennial (every other year) reassessment of all real property located in the County of Gloucester and notification of new assessments
• Review assessments and perform property inspections as requested
• List, appraise and inspect new construction as per building permits
• Provide property and sales data to other county departments, taxpayers, agents, fee    appraisers, title examiners, etc., as requested
• Serve as support staff to the Board of Equalization of Real Estate Assessments

For more information on the valuation processes, please view the Virginia Department of Taxation’s Guide to Understanding Real Estate Assessment Values Opens a New Window. .