How much does a cost segregation study cost? The short answer
Cost segregation study cost, in short: Among the cost segregation providers ClickDrag Finance compared, published prices start at $495 for a residential rental (Cost Seg Smart and KBKG's CostSegregation.com, read October 22, 2026), a starting price rather than a quote for a particular property. Engineering firms that publish a figure state a starting price or a range, such as KBKG's engineered studies, typically $5,000–$15,000 (read October 22, 2026), depending on building size, building type, number of tenants and other physical characteristics; that figure is not a quote for a particular property. A cost segregation study is worth it when three conditions hold: the basis is large enough for the accelerated deductions to outweigh the fee (roughly $500,000 for a study priced in the thousands, a pricing threshold, not a tax rule), you can use the deduction this year given your passive-activity position, and you hold long enough to survive recapture.
What ClickDrag Finance charges for cost segregation: For a property whose purchase price plus construction costs total under $2.0 million, ClickDrag Finance's lowest-priced cost segregation product costs $499*: it is a workpaper for the taxpayer's tax preparer, prepared from the information the buyer provides. It is reviewed before release. The cost segregation workpaper is for rental or business property: for an owner whose property's purchase price plus construction costs total under $2.0 million, and for a CPA or tax advisor ordering for a client whose property is under $2.0 million, from the client-order form. A black-label cost segregation study starts at $15,000 per study, before optional add-ons, and is prepared and signed by ClickDrag Finance on its own letterhead, for a property whose purchase price plus construction costs total up to $250 million, for an owner whose property's purchase price plus construction costs total $2.0 million or more or for a CPA firm that wants ClickDrag Finance’s name on its client’s study. A white-label cost segregation study starts at $10,000* per study, before optional add-ons, and is reviewed, approved and signed by the CPA firm as its own, on its own letterhead (ClickDrag Finance’s technology and know-how facilitate it, and what ClickDrag Finance delivers is workpapers in the form of a study), for a property whose purchase price plus construction costs total up to $250 million, for CPA firms with an account with ClickDrag Finance (two firms per metro area, confirmed by ClickDrag Finance, with no annual fee or subscription). Each study’s label is the CPA firm’s call: one study it orders can be white label and the next black label. For either study, book a call to receive your proposal. *$10,000 is the starting white-label study price, before optional add-ons, for a study the CPA firm reviews, approves and signs as its own on its own letterhead. Above $250 million in purchase price plus construction costs, a ClickDrag Finance cost segregation study is scoped with an advisor on a call before any price is quoted. These prices are as of October 25, 2026. *For a property whose purchase price plus construction costs total under $2.0 million. The ClickDrag Finance pricing page carries the same figures and the optional add-ons, and the same prices are readable by an AI agent from our pricing endpoint.
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What do other cost segregation providers charge?
Each figure below is what the provider's own page showed on the date given, not a quote for a particular property: R.E. Cost Seg — Fully Engineered lists from $2,320 (residential) and from $2,730 (commercial), with a turnaround of about 15–20 business days (roughly 3–4 weeks) (read October 22, 2026). R.E. Cost Seg — Rapid Report lists from $950, with a turnaround of as little as 5 business days; its page states residential properties under 3,500 sq ft and up to 4 units, depreciable basis of $1.2M or less, renovation costs of $80K or less; not for multifamily properties with different layouts, mixed uses or varying placed-in-service dates (read October 22, 2026). Cost Seg Smart lists from $495 (residential and short-term rental) and from $995 (commercial), with a turnaround of 1–2 business days for most residential and small-commercial studies; the same page also shows multifamily of 5+ units from $1,995 (read October 22, 2026). KBKG's CostSegregation.com lists $495 (residential, up to a $500,000 tax basis, rising to $675 at $750,000 and $1,195 from $1.2M) and $1,295 (commercial, up to a $1,000,000 tax basis, rising to $1,795 at $1.5M); priced by tax basis; its page states properties up to $1.5M of building basis, less land; above that, a custom quote (read October 22, 2026). RentalWriteOff lists $899 flat fee per property, with a turnaround of two business days after complete intake and payment; its page states residential rentals up to four units (read October 22, 2026). Virtual Cost Segregation lists $2,200 per study, or $1,980 per property for three or more properties, with a turnaround of 3 to 5 business days (read October 22, 2026). SMF Cost Segregation Advisors lists $1,750 per study (1 unit) and $2,750 (2–4 units) and $3,250 (5–10 units), with a turnaround of 1–3 business days after the virtual site visit is completed and all documents are submitted; its page states residential properties of 1–10 units with a cost basis of at least $200,000 (read October 22, 2026). Modern CFO lists $1,200–$2,500 (residential and small) and $2,500–$6,000 (standard commercial) and $6,000–$12,000 (large and complex); set by the engineering scope, and above the highest band quoted individually (read October 22, 2026). 24 Hour Cost Seg lists from $499 per property, with a turnaround of completed in 24 hours or less; its home page also calls $499 a flat rate (read October 22, 2026). Cost Seg EZ lists $595 (DIY) and $895 (engineer reviewed) · from $2,500 (fully engineered, based on property complexity), with a turnaround of dIY instant; engineer reviewed 3–5 business days; fully engineered 3–4 weeks; its page states for the DIY study, residential excluding condos, purchase price under $1 million and renovations under $10,000; for the engineer-reviewed study, residential, purchase price under $1 million and renovations under $100,000 (read October 22, 2026). WeCostSeg lists $795 (Rapid Report) and $2,495 (Fully Engineered Residential) · from $2,995 (Fully Engineered Commercial), with a turnaround of 5–10 business days (Rapid Report); 2–3 weeks (Fully Engineered Residential); 3–4 weeks (Fully Engineered Commercial); its page states for the Rapid Report, residential under $800K basis; for Fully Engineered Residential, residential and small multifamily up to $2M basis (read October 22, 2026). KBKG lists for its engineered studies typically $5,000–$15,000, depending on building size, building type, number of tenants and other physical characteristics, with a turnaround of typically 45–60 days, depending on how quickly the information arrives (read October 22, 2026). CSSI lists from $2,500 for most commercial properties, with larger or more complex buildings possibly costing more, with a turnaround of about three to six weeks from receipt of all documentation; the same page says a study typically ranges from $2,000 to $15,000, depending on the size, complexity and location of the property, with fees based on project scope and potential tax savings; its page states properties with a cost basis of at least $200,000 (read October 22, 2026). Madison SPECS lists typically $4,000–$11,000, with a turnaround of set by the property's complexity and how quickly the information arrives (no figure published); a fixed fee per study, priced individually by the size and complexity of the property (read October 22, 2026). Maven Cost Segregation lists $2,500–$4,000 (smaller properties) and $5,000–$10,000+ (large or complex properties and portfolios), with a turnaround of a few weeks after property records are received and the site inspection is complete; general ranges, not fixed quotes (read October 22, 2026). CSA Partners (Cost Segregation Authority) lists from $3,000, varying with the size, complexity and scope of the property, with a turnaround of typically 3–4 weeks from engagement to final report; other pages on its site say 2–3 weeks after the site visit; the fee is given in a no-cost benefit analysis before engagement (read October 23, 2026). Engineered Tax Services has no published price of its own (quote on request); its cost segregation page says most professionally prepared studies range from $3,000 to $12,000, depending on property size and complexity (read October 22, 2026). Capstan Tax Strategies has no published price (quote on request) (read October 22, 2026). The same rows, with what each product includes and the limits each provider states, are in our comparison of cost segregation providers.
What actually drives the price of a cost segregation study?
Cost segregation prices differ first because the products differ: some providers sell an online report at a published price, and engineering firms quote a study for the property. In our provider comparison, these had no published price for an engineered study (quote on request): Engineered Tax Services and Capstan Tax Strategies (read October 22, 2026). Whichever provider you use, the same handful of factors move the number up or down:
- Property type and complexity: a single-tenant retail building is simpler to classify than a multi-building apartment complex or a manufacturing facility with heavy process systems. More component categories means more analysis.
- Building size and basis: a larger depreciable basis usually means more line items to review, and some providers price by the size of the basis; the rows in the provider comparison show which.
- Quality of your documentation: with AIA pay applications (G702/G703), construction drawings and a trial balance, the analysis is faster; costs reconstructed from estimates take more work.
- Methodology: the IRS Cost Segregation Audit Techniques Guide (Chapter 3, section C.1) describes the detailed engineering approach from actual cost records as, in general, the most methodical and accurate approach, and the IRS has not established a required method (Chapter 3, section D).
- Site visit: a product whose provider sends someone to the property carries travel and on-site time in its fee. A ClickDrag Finance study can include a site visit, by appointment, and a visit is preferred; when a site visit is not feasible because of cost or timing, the property is documented from its own records and from photographs linked to the components they support, and each photograph’s embedded date and location data are read and recorded.
"The preparation of cost segregation studies requires knowledge of both the construction process and the tax law involving property classifications for depreciation purposes." — IRS Cost Segregation Audit Techniques Guide (Publication 5653, rev. 2-2025), Chapter 4, C.1
For the mechanics behind the fee (what a study does, what it produces and the IRS authority under it), see the complete 2026 guide to cost segregation studies.
Why beware "free" and contingency cost segregation pricing?
A cost segregation study offered at "no cost unless we save you money", or priced as a percentage of the tax benefit it generates, creates an incentive problem: the more aggressively a component is reclassified into a shorter recovery period, the more the preparer earns. A flat, published fee tied to the work, not to your tax outcome, removes that incentive.
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What is the ROI: how does the fee compare with the first-year tax deferred?
A cost segregation study is one of the few professional services where the return can be estimated before you commit, for an owner who can use the deduction this year: the study accelerates depreciation by reclassifying parts of your building from 27.5- or 39-year property into 5-, 7- and 15-year property, and the tax that first-year deduction defers is the return on the fee.
As a hypothetical illustration, not a projection for any property: if a study reclassifies 25% of a $2 million depreciable basis, $500,000 of short-life property at 100% bonus depreciation (available for qualified property acquired after January 19, 2025, under IRC §168(k)) and a 37% federal rate defers about $185,000 of first-year tax for an owner who can use the whole deduction this year. Cost segregation accelerates deductions rather than creating them: over the life of the building the same basis is recovered, and a taxable sale brings recapture.
You do not have to take that on faith. Estimate your own savings with the free cost segregation calculator before spending a dollar, then compare that figure with the fee you are quoted.
A simple way to decide
- Estimated first-year tax savings ÷ study fee gives a rough ROI multiple. If it is well above 1x, the first-year tax deferred exceeds the fee.
- Time horizon matters: the benefit is largest for an owner who holds the property long enough to use the deductions, and on a taxable sale the depreciation taken is recaptured (the Opportunity Zone section below covers the one exclusion).
When is a cost segregation study worth it?
A cost segregation study tends to make clear financial sense when:
- Your building's depreciable basis is large enough that the deduction outruns the fee. The $500,000 threshold you will see quoted elsewhere is a pricing threshold for a study priced in the thousands of dollars, not a tax rule.
- The property is income-producing: commercial, multifamily, self-storage, short-term rental or other rental real estate.
- You have tax liability to offset, or you can use the deductions against other income within the applicable passive-activity rules.
- You will hold the property long enough for the accelerated deductions to be worth more than the recapture a taxable sale brings (the Opportunity Zone section below covers the one exclusion).
- You acquired, built or substantially improved the property recently, or it is a property you placed in service in an earlier tax year and still own. Under the automatic change procedures of Rev. Proc. 2015-13 and section 6.01 of Rev. Proc. 2025-23, the missed depreciation is claimed on Form 3115 with no amended returns when the property has been depreciated on two or more filed returns, or on one filed return if the taxpayer placed it in service in the tax year immediately before the year of change (the year of the return the Form 3115 is filed with), and the taxpayer still owned the property at the start of the year of change and meets the other eligibility rules.
It tends to be less compelling for small properties with minimal basis, owners about to sell with no exit-tax planning, or entities with no taxable income to shelter now or in the near term. The most reliable way to know which product fits is to check the property on the cost segregation qualifier, or compare cost segregation providers. For a study taken apart line by line, see is cost segregation worth it?, and for software buyers, an AI agent can pull the study fee and a first-year deduction estimate, but cannot buy a study.
How does an Opportunity Zone change the depreciation recapture math on a cost segregation study?
An Opportunity Zone changes two of the three worth-it conditions for a cost segregation study: whether the depreciation the study accelerates is usable during the hold, and whether it is recaptured at exit. It does not change ClickDrag Finance's base price, which is set by the property's purchase price plus construction costs, not by Opportunity Zone status.
Recapture at exit. On a qualifying investment held 10 years, an investor who elected deferral and sells the interest in a Qualified Opportunity Fund taxed as a partnership may elect to step basis to fair market value under IRC §1400Z-2(c), and on that sale the election removes both the ordinary recapture and the unrecaptured §1250 gain, which is what converts cost segregation from a timing benefit into a permanent one. On a taxable sale before year 10, recapture behaves normally: §1245 recapture on the 5- and 7-year property is ordinary income, as is §1250 recapture of the depreciation taken above straight-line (bonus included) on 15-year land improvements held more than one year, and the rest of the depreciation on those land improvements and on the 27.5- or 39-year structure is unrecaptured §1250 gain, taxed at up to 25% for a noncorporate taxpayer. Nothing about Opportunity Zone status shields that.
Usable during the hold. A Qualified Opportunity Fund interest funded with deferred gain starts at a $0 basis under IRC §1400Z-2(b)(2)(B), and partnership losses are deductible only up to basis under §704(d); a partner's share of partnership debt counts as basis under §752, so the accelerated depreciation is usually still usable. Whether it is usable depends on the investor's capital account and debt basis.
The cost segregation questions specific to Opportunity Zone funds, from the substantial improvement test to the form of the exit, are on Opportunity Zone cost segregation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a cost segregation study cost?
Among the cost segregation providers ClickDrag Finance compared, published prices start at $495 for a residential rental (Cost Seg Smart and KBKG's CostSegregation.com, read October 22, 2026), a starting price rather than a quote for a particular property. Engineering firms that publish a figure state a starting price or a range, such as KBKG's engineered studies, typically $5,000–$15,000 (read October 22, 2026), depending on building size, building type, number of tenants and other physical characteristics; that figure is not a quote for a particular property. ClickDrag Finance publishes its own cost segregation prices, for a workpaper and for black-label and white-label studies, on its pricing page, with the property-size test for each.
What factors affect the price of a cost segregation study?
Cost segregation prices differ first by product (an online report or an engineering firm's study), then by property type and complexity, building size and depreciable basis, the quality of your cost documentation, whether the provider's product includes an on-site inspection, and the methodology used (the IRS Cost Segregation Audit Techniques Guide calls the detailed engineering approach from actual cost records, in general, the most methodical and accurate).
Is a cost segregation study worth the cost?
A cost segregation study is worth it when three conditions hold together: the basis is large enough for the accelerated deductions to outweigh the fee (roughly $500K of basis for a study priced in the thousands of dollars, which is a pricing threshold rather than a tax rule, and lower for a lower-priced report), the deduction is usable this year given the owner's passive-activity position, and the hold is long enough to survive recapture. All three, or the honest answer is no. You can estimate your own savings with the free calculator before committing.
Why are some cost segregation studies so much cheaper than others?
Cost segregation prices differ because the products differ: some providers sell an online report at a published price, and engineering firms quote a study for the property. In our provider comparison, these had no published price for an engineered study (quote on request): Engineered Tax Services and Capstan Tax Strategies (read October 22, 2026). Compare what each product includes, who signs it and the limits its provider states for it, not the price alone.
Should I avoid contingency or percentage-of-savings pricing?
Contingency or percentage-of-savings pricing for a cost segregation study deserves caution, because it rewards more aggressive reclassification: the preparer earns more as more of the building moves into shorter recovery periods. A flat, published fee tied to the work performed removes that incentive.
Does a cost segregation study cost more for an Opportunity Zone property?
At ClickDrag Finance it does not: the base price of cost segregation is set by the property's purchase price plus construction costs, not by Opportunity Zone status. What the zone changes is the value of the depreciation: on a qualifying investment held 10 years in a Qualified Opportunity Fund taxed as a partnership, an investor who elected deferral and sells the fund interest with the IRC §1400Z-2(c) basis election removes both the ordinary recapture and the unrecaptured §1250 gain on that depreciation, and on a taxable sale before year 10 recapture behaves normally.
