Chelan County Assessor

Real Property

Real property includes land, improvements to land, structures, and certain equipment affixed to structures. Characteristics of real property that influence the value include but are not limited to zoning, location, view, geographic features, easements, covenants, and the condition of surrounding properties.

State law requires that County Assessors value all taxable property at 100% of its true and fair market value in terms of money, according to the highest and best use of the property.   That means that the Assessor must first know what similar properties are selling for and what it would cost to replace it.  There are three basic approaches to the valuation of real property:

  1. Market or sales approach:  Comparison of a property with the characteristics of similar properties that have recently been sold.
  2. Cost approach:  Estimate of the replacement cost of a structure, and adjusting that estimated value to account for depreciation and obsolescence.
  3. Income approach:  For Commercial/industrial property; an analysis of a property’s value based on its capacity to generate revenue for the owner.
Fair market value is the amount that a willing and unobligated buyer is willing to pay a willing and unobligated seller.  In other words, it is the price most people would pay for your property in its present condition.  The Assessor does not create the fair market value nor does one sale within a neighborhood or area create the fair market value.  Multiple sales of comparable properties within a neighborhood or area are used to establish the fair market value for that area.  By law, our office is required to use sale data from 2016 to set the fair market value for your property’s 2017 assessed value which was set on January 1, 2017.

Posted: 12/09/2014 02:03 PM
Last Updated: 11/15/2018 05:11 PM

Chelan County Calendar

Upcoming events and schedules at the county!

  • 21
    May 2025
    01:00 PM - 02:00 PM

    Hearing Examiner - May 21,2025

    Posted by: Community Development

    By Zoom Video Conference or in person at 400 Douglas St. Wenatchee WA 98801
  • 14
    May 2025
    10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    Chelan County Civil Service Commission

    Posted by: Human Resources

    The Chelan County Civil Service Commission will be meeting on May 14, 2025.

    Chelan County Commissioners Office, CM Conference Room 1
  • 12
    May 2025
    08:00 AM - 05:00 PM

    Final day to withdraw from the ballot

    Posted by: Chelan County Elections

    Final day to withdraw from the ballot

  • 09
    May 2025
    05:00 PM - 05:30 PM

    Lot Drawing for Candidates

    Posted by: Chelan County Elections

    Lot drawing for candidates placement on the ballot.

    Chelan County Elections Office
  • 07
    May 2025
    09:00 AM - 10:00 AM

    Hearing Examiner - May 7,2025

    Posted by: Community Development

    By Zoom Video Conference or in person at 400 Douglas St. Wenatchee WA 98801