In the spring of 2025, Calais began its town-wide reappraisal of properties. Every Calais property will be inspected by representatives from our reappraisal firm, the New England Municipal Resource Center, and property values will be recalculated based on current market value.
To access your individual property account, please go to: https://www.nemrc.info/Calais/
To contact the reappraisers directly, call them at 802-227-7383 or email calais2026@nemrc.com.
The following are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding reappraisal:
PROPERTY REASSESSMENT QUESTIONS:
- Will this affect my 2026 property taxes?
Yes, the new values will be used to calculate the 2026 tax rate. Tax bills will be mailed in August as usual.
- The assessors have visited my property. What happens next?
You should have been given a personal code for your property. You can go https://www.nemrc.info/Calais/ to enter that code, and then you’ll be able to see the data collected on your property. - When will I know the updated value of my property?
NEMRC estimates that it will send out updated value assessments in early April of 2026. Every resident will be mailed their new assessment. - My assessment changed substantially. Does that mean my taxes will increase/decrease by the same amount?
Not necessarily. Taxes are determined by dividing the total town budget (approved by the voters at Town Meeting) by the total assessed value of town properties. Because all or nearly all town properties will increase in value, and the total budget needs will be divided by all properties, there shouldn’t be a substantial change in the percentage of the town budget that you will pay in your property taxes.
If the assessed value of your property increases in exact proportion to the total valuation of all properties, your taxes will not change except to the degree that the town and school budgets increased. If your property value increases more as a percentage than the town average, your taxes will increase more substantially, and if your property value increase is less than the average as a percentage, your taxes will go down or not increase as much.
- I have not made any formal improvements to my house, but I have performed maintenance to keep it in good shape. Why did the value go up or down?
The real estate market has changed a lot since the last reappraisal in 2015. While the town listers have made ongoing updates to individual property values as land has been subdivided or combined or residents have reported major changes to their properties, there has been no effort since 2015 to update all properties with reference to current market value. The purpose of the reappraisal is to bring the values established several years ago to current market values and to establish equity across parcels. The 2015 reappraisal was an update of values rather than an inspection of properties.
NEMRC will be offering the opportunity for you to review the details of your specific property value. NEMRC has reserved the Town Hall on April 27-29 from 9 am to 3 pm. You can email calais2026@nemrc.com or call Marla at 802-227-7383 to reserve a time, either in person or by phone, for that review of your property value.
- How did you determine my value?
The property characteristics of each property were entered into a computerized assessment system. Property sales in the Calais area over the past three years have been examined to develop a model used to predict the market value of the properties that have sold. After fine-tuning the model, it is applied to all property in the town to establish an updated value, which is used to generate an updated grand list. - How come my property value went up or down more than other people I know?
The purpose of a reappraisal is not only to update the values to current market values, but also to equalize the values across town. Some properties may have physically changed since the last reappraisal (bought or sold land, added or removed finished area).Other properties may be located in areas where the market value has changed at a different rate relative to most properties (developments, commercial properties). Still others may have been incorrectly assessed during the last reappraisal (wrong square footage, wrong land size, incorrect bath count, incorrect quality grades, and incorrect land values). Therefore, comparing percent changes in value across properties is not a measure of equity because of changes in properties and changes in the base due to actual sales.
- What if I am unsatisfied with the updated property value?
Formal grievance hearings will be held at the Town Hall May 18-20 from 9 am to 3 pm. They will be offered by appointment only and will last 15 minutes. Be prepared to present relevant evidence regarding the appeal. All appeals must be in writing. An email is an acceptable grievance request. Please call 802-227-7383 for an appointment. Letters must be received and appointments made on or before May 19, 2026 at 3:00 pm. If unable to attend, your appeal will be based on the information provided in the letter.
An appeal form and additional information will be included in your property value mailing.
Please contact the Town Office at townclerk@calaisvermont.gov or 802-456-8720 if you have additional questions or concerns.
You can also take a look at this handout from the International Association of Assessing Officers:
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