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Commercial Cost Segregation Market Guide
Pricing, methodology, and provider comparison — by property type.
Edition: July 2026
Next data review: September 2026
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Reference

Component & asset-class reference

How common commercial components map to MACRS recovery periods and Rev. Proc. 87-56 asset classes. Classification depends on function, permanence and installation — the class is a pointer to authority, not a guarantee for every component in every building.

How to read an asset class. The Rev. Proc. 87-56 tables come in two halves, and they are chosen differently. Table B-1 covers specific depreciable assets used in all business activities — office furniture (00.11), information systems (00.12), land improvements (00.3) — and is keyed to what the asset is. Table B-2 is keyed to the taxpayer's business activity: class 57.0, Distributive Trades and Services, covers "assets used in wholesale and retail trade, and personal and professional services," so it is available because of the business being carried on, not because a component is inherently a "57.0 item." IRS Pub. 946 directs you to check Table B-1 first, and if the asset is described there, to also check Table B-2 for the activity in which it is used. So a 57.0 citation on this page is shorthand for "this is the class a study would normally reach for an asset of this kind used in this activity" — the recovery period still turns on the facts of the property.
MACRS asset classes in commercial cost segregation
Asset classRecovery periodWhat it coversExample components
57.0
Distributive Trades & Services
5-year (§1245) Trade fixtures and equipment-serving MEP — components that serve identifiable removable equipment or the property's specific business function rather than the building generally. Dock equipment; kitchen exhaust hoods; roll-up storage doors (contested — see the self-storage guide); car-wash tunnel equipment; medical gas & specialty plumbing; specialty athletic flooring; showroom & service-bay equipment.
00.12
Information Systems
5-year (§1245) Removable low-voltage data, communications and electronic security systems not embedded in the building structure. Structured cabling & fiber; POS/data/security cabling; cameras, card readers and access control; nurse-call and clinical low-voltage.
00.11
Office Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment
7-year (§1245) Freestanding office/admin furniture and fixtures — the 7-year office-content baseline that rides many commercial fit-outs. Reception & admin office furniture; parts-department / NOC office furnishings; customer-lounge FF&E.
00.3
Land Improvements
15-year (§1250) Site work outside the building. Excavation and grading remain non-depreciable land; the improvements on top are 15-year. Truck-court & drive-aisle paving; forecourt & display-lot paving; site & pole lighting; fencing, gates & bollards; site drainage; monument signage; underground yard fire loop.
—
Nonresidential real property (building shell)
39-year (§1250) The structural shell and building-serving systems that stay in the long-life pool. A defensible study is disciplined about what stays here. Slab, load-bearing walls, roof & envelope; base-building HVAC (human-comfort); interior fire sprinklers (ESFR); life-safety electrical; the insulated envelope of a walk-in or cold-storage box.

Component index

Every named component modeled in the live property-type guides, with its typical recovery period and where it appears.

ComponentTypical recovery periodProperty type
Above-slab specialty kitchen plumbing5-yearquick-service & drive-thru restaurants
Above-slab specialty kitchen plumbing (pre-rinse, dishwasher rough-ins)5-yearrestaurants
Amenity FF&E — dining, salon, theater, therapy and common-area furnishings/fixtures5-yearassisted-living & senior-living facilities
Amenity-space FF&E (dining, salon, library, activity rooms)5-yearage-restricted (55+) senior apartments
Animal-facility plumbing — floor/trench drains, hose bibs, hydrotherapy5- or 39-yearveterinary clinics
Appliances & electronics (kitchen packages, TVs, small appliances)5-yearshort-term rental (STR) portfolios
Apron & taxilane paving15-yearaircraft hangars
ATM surrounds & through-wall installations — ATM housings, night-depository units5- or 39-yearbank & credit-union branches
Audiovisual systems & stage rigging5-yearentertainment venues
Backup generator & transfer switchgearengineer reviewassisted-living & senior-living facilities
Backup generator & transfer switchgearengineer reviewskilled-nursing facilities
Backup generators & dedicated refrigeration switchgear5-yearcold-storage & refrigerated warehouses
Bar millwork & back-bar fixtures5-yearbars & breweries
Bar systems — speed rails, glass washers, underbar refrigeration, CO₂/N₂ & draft lines5-yearrestaurants
Bedside medical gas & vacuum, where present — headwall O₂/vacuum outlets5-yearskilled-nursing facilities
Boat lifts & travel-lift equipment5-yearmarinas
Branded interior finishes, specialty interior signage, fitting rooms5-yearretail
Brewhouse, fermentation tanks & process piping5-yearbars & breweries
Building management & low-voltage systems5-year (engineer review)data centers
Built-in banquettes, booth seating, branded dining millwork & bar5-yearrestaurants
Bulkheads, seawalls & shoreline stabilization15-yearmarinas
C-store gondolas, checkout counters, coolers & merchandising fixtures5-yeargas stations & convenience stores
Cabinetry, countertops & unit-level finish carpentry5- or 27.5-yearmultifamily & apartment buildings
Canopy graphics/branding, store signage, dispensers & controls5-yeargas stations & convenience stores
Carpet & removable floor coverings5-yearmultifamily & apartment buildings
Cart paths & bridges15-yeargolf & country clubs
Casework & cubbies5-year to 7-yearschools & childcare centers
CBCT / panoramic imaging electrical & mounts; amalgam separators5-yeardental offices
Central vacuum & air compressor systems5-yeardental offices
Chapel AV & sound systems5-yearfuneral homes
Clean-agent fire detection & suppression5-year (engineer review)data centers
Client parking, outdoor dog run/exercise yard, site lighting, signage15-yearveterinary clinics
Climate-control HVAC (climate-controlled units)5-year (engineer review)self-storage facilities
Clinical low-voltage — nurse call, patient monitoring, clinical data cabling5-yearmedical office buildings
Clubhouse FF&E & kitchen equipment5-yeargolf & country clubs
Cold-storage refrigeration equipment (refrigerated warehouses)5-yearwarehouses & distribution centers
Cold-storage refrigeration equipment (where present)5-yearmanufacturing facilities
Commercial kitchen & laundry — cooking line, hoods, walk-ins, industrial washers/dryers5-yearskilled-nursing facilities
Commercial kitchen & laundry — cooking line, hoods, walk-ins, washers/extractors5-yearassisted-living & senior-living facilities
Commercial kitchen & laundry — cooking line, hoods, washers/extractors, dryers5-yearhospitals
Commercial kitchen & laundry equipment5-yearhotels
Commercial kitchen equipment5-yearschools & childcare centers
Common-area finishes — lobby, corridor and amenity flooring, décor lighting5- or 15-yearmixed-use buildings
Compressed-air distribution & drops; specialty process plumbing / process gas5-yearmanufacturing facilities
Compressed-air distribution & shop reticulation5-yearauto-service & collision centers
Compressed-air distribution, exhaust extraction, lube/oil/waste-oil reels5-yearauto dealerships
Compressor racks, dedicated condensers & refrigerant piping5-yeargrocery & supermarket buildings
Concession & bar equipment5-yearentertainment venues
Condensate & case drainage above slab5-yeargrocery & supermarket buildings
Cook-line exhaust hood, fire suppression & make-up air5-yearquick-service & drive-thru restaurants
Corridor & accent decorative lighting5-yearhotels
Course irrigation system & pump house equipment15-year / 5-yeargolf & country clubs
CRAC/CRAH units & chilled-water cooling5-year (engineer review)data centers
Cross-dock levelers, seals, shelters, restraints & bumpers5-yeardistribution centers
Cultivation benching & racking5-yearcannabis cultivation & retail
Customer parking, pylon/monument signage, site lighting, landscaping15-yearretail
Decor, window treatments & removable soft goods5-yearshort-term rental (STR) portfolios
Decorative & accent lighting5-yearbars & breweries
Decorative & accent lighting5-yearfuneral homes
Decorative & accent lighting — pendants, cove, feature-wall and reception lighting5-yearoffice buildings
Decorative & dining lighting; POS/AV/surveillance5-yearrestaurants
Decorative & millwork lobby / public-space finishes5-yearhotels
Decorative, track & accent (merchandising) lighting5-yearretail
Dedicated power drops to conveyor & racking5-yeardistribution centers
Dedicated tenant electrical & specialty branch circuits5-yearstrip & neighborhood shopping centers
Dedicated tenant power & specialty branch circuits5-yearflex & light-industrial buildings
Deli, bakery & prepared-foods kitchen equipment & hoods5-yeargrocery & supermarket buildings
Dispensary build-out (retail fit-out)5-yearcannabis cultivation & retail
Display & inventory lot paving, high-mast lot lighting15-yearauto dealerships
Display infrastructure — built-in shelving, gondolas, slatwall, display cases5-yearretail
Dock & grade-level doors, levelers and hardware5-year / door leaf: engineer reviewflex & light-industrial buildings
Dock equipment — levelers, seals, shelters, bumpers, restraints5-yearwarehouses & distribution centers
Door operating machinery — hydraulic power unit, motor, controlsengineer reviewaircraft hangars
Draft, tap, CO₂ & N₂ beverage-gas systems5-yearbars & breweries
Drainage — trench drains, oil/water separators, pumps5- or 15-yearparking structures
Drive-thru canopy & lane structuresengineer reviewquick-service & drive-thru restaurants
Drive-thru lanes, canopy & pneumatic tube system — customer stations, deal drawers, carrier tubes5- or 15-yearbank & credit-union branches
Drive-thru order, pickup & menu-board systems5-yearquick-service & drive-thru restaurants
Drives, aprons & loading-lane paving15-yearself-storage facilities
Dryers & blowers; vacuum systems5-yearcar washes
Electrical distribution (switchgear, PDUs, busway)5-year (engineer review)data centers
Emergency & normal power — generators, paralleling switchgear, transfer switchesengineer reviewhospitals
Emergency & standby generators5- or 27.5-yearage-restricted (55+) senior apartments
Epoxy floor coatings & hangar-floor finishes5-yearaircraft hangars
EV chargers — charging stations, dedicated conduit and switchgear5-yearparking structures
Exam & treatment casework; surgical O₂/anesthesia/scavenging5-yearveterinary clinics
Exam-room casework — sink cabinets, procedure counters5-yearmedical office buildings
Exterior signage & monument identification15-yearhotels
Fellowship / commercial kitchen equipment5-yearchurches & religious facilities
Floating & fixed docks, piers, and gangways15-year / 5-yearmarinas
Forecourt paving, pump-island concrete15-yeargas stations & convenience stores
Front-office tenant build-out — partitions, finishes, break-room casework5-yearflex & light-industrial buildings
Fuel & oil systems, dispensing equipment15-year / engineer reviewaircraft hangars
Fuel systems & dispensers5- or 15-yearmarinas
Full-wall mirror systems5-year (installation-dependent)fitness & gyms
Furniture (beds, sofas, tables, seating, outdoor furniture)5-yearshort-term rental (STR) portfolios
Grab bars, ADA fixtures & accessibility hardware5- or 27.5-yearage-restricted (55+) senior apartments
Grain / bulk storage & handling systems7-year (engineer review)agricultural & food-processing facilities
Grocery-anchored refrigeration package5-yearbig-box retail
Ground-floor retail/restaurant build-out — storefronts, dedicated kitchen equipment, feature finishes5- or 15-yearmixed-use buildings
Grow lighting & dedicated electrical5-yearcannabis cultivation & retail
Guest-room FF&E — case goods, seating, and soft goods where owned5-yearhotels
Gym AV & low-voltage systems5-yearschools & childcare centers
Hangar door leaf, track & frame — bi-fold, hydraulic-swing or fabric39-yearaircraft hangars
Hangar structure, roof & foundation39-yearaircraft hangars
High-amp electrical service drops to production equipment5-yearmanufacturing facilities
HVAC, dehumidification & CO2 systems5-yearcannabis cultivation & retail
Imaging power/mounts, surgical lighting & booms, in-house lab/pharmacy casework5-yearveterinary clinics
Imaging-suite MEP — MRI conditioning, CT cooling, panoramic power, equipment mounts5-yearmedical office buildings
Imaging-suite power & cooling — dedicated feeders and chilled water to CT/MRI/PET5-yearhospitals
In-floor drainage & oil-water separators15-yearaircraft hangars
In-floor drains & oil-water separators39-yearauto-service & collision centers
Insulated building shell, roof & interior sprinklers39-yeardistribution centers
Insulated metal panel envelope, vapor barriers & structural box39-yearcold-storage & refrigerated warehouses
Interior decorative finishes & department millwork5-yearbig-box retail
Irrigation & fertigation systems5-yearcannabis cultivation & retail
Kennels, runs & animal housing (removable cages, gates, enclosures)5-yearveterinary clinics
Kitchen exhaust hood, fire suppression, ducting & make-up air5-yearrestaurants
Landscaping & irrigation15-yearmultifamily & apartment buildings
Landscaping & site improvements15-yearchurches & religious facilities
Landscaping & site improvements around the clubhouse15-yeargolf & country clubs
Landscaping, irrigation & site drainage15-yearstrip & neighborhood shopping centers
Landscaping, irrigation & site improvements15-yearshort-term rental (STR) portfolios
Landscaping, irrigation & site lighting15-yearage-restricted (55+) senior apartments
Landscaping, irrigation, site drainage & detention15-yearself-storage facilities
Lead-lined partitions & doorsengineer reviewmedical office buildings
Lighting & ventilation / CO monitoring — LED fixtures, exhaust fans, CO sensor network5- or 39-yearparking structures
Low-voltage — data cabling, security, cameras5-yearflex & light-industrial buildings
Material-handling infrastructure — conveyor rough-ins, tugger/forklift charging5-yearwarehouses & distribution centers
Material-handling infrastructure (conveyor rough-ins, tugger charging); dock equipment5-yearmanufacturing facilities
Mechanical refrigeration — compressors, condensers, evaporators, ammonia/CO₂ plant5-yearcold-storage & refrigerated warehouses
Medical gas & vacuum plant — bulk oxygen, manifolds, riser distribution to headwallsengineer reviewhospitals
Medical gas distribution — O₂, vacuum, medical air, nitrous oxide5-yearmedical office buildings
Merchandising refrigeration (grocery/convenience) — cases, condensers, condensate drains, dedicated power5-yearretail
Movable corridor partitions, aisle lighting, wayfinding5-yearself-storage facilities
Nitrous oxide / oxygen distribution5-yeardental offices
Nurse-call & clinical low-voltage — bedside stations, code alerts, monitoring cabling5-yearskilled-nursing facilities
Nurse-call & patient monitoring — code-blue, telemetry, headwall integration5-yearhospitals
Nurse-call & wander-management — call stations, door controls, resident locating/egress5-yearassisted-living & senior-living facilities
Odor-control & carbon filtration5-yearcannabis cultivation & retail
Outdoor amenities — pool, hot tub, deck, fire pit5- or 15-yearshort-term rental (STR) portfolios
Paint spray booths & booth exhaust5-yearauto-service & collision centers
Parking & drop-off lanes15-yearschools & childcare centers
Parking & landscaping15-yearfuneral homes
Parking & site lighting15-yearchurches & religious facilities
Parking field & site lighting15-yeargrocery & supermarket buildings
Parking field paving, curbing & striping15-yearbig-box retail
Parking lot paving, curbing, striping & wheel stops15-yearstrip & neighborhood shopping centers
Parking lot, striping & landscaping — surface lot, curbs, site irrigation, plantings15-yearoffice buildings
Parking, apron paving & site lighting15-yearauto-service & collision centers
Parking, drive aisles & modest truck court15-yearflex & light-industrial buildings
Parking, drive-thru lane paving & site lighting15-yearquick-service & drive-thru restaurants
Parking, drives & surface paving15-yearmultifamily & apartment buildings
Parking, outdoor functional-fitness/turf area, site lighting, signage15-yearfitness & gyms
Parking, patio hardscape, site lighting, monument sign, drive-thru lane15-yearrestaurants
Parts-department racking, customer-lounge FF&E, sales/F&I millwork, pylon sign electrical5-yearauto dealerships
Passenger elevators27.5-year (review)age-restricted (55+) senior apartments
Patient parking, site lighting, canopy, signage15-yearmedical office buildings
Patient parking, site lighting, signage, landscaping15-yeardental offices
Pay stations, POS & site controllers5-yearcar washes
Per-operatory utility drops (water, air, vacuum, drain)5- or 39-yeardental offices
Perimeter & play-yard fencing15-yearschools & childcare centers
Perimeter fencing, guard shack & gates15-yeardistribution centers
Perimeter fencing/gates, site lighting, gate arm & call box, monument signage15-yearself-storage facilities
Playground (if a school is attached)15-yearchurches & religious facilities
Playground & site play equipment15-yearschools & childcare centers
Pneumatic tube system — stations, blowers, tubing network5-yearhospitals
Pool & spa mechanical equipment5-yearhotels
Porte-cochère / entry canopy15-year to 39-yearfuneral homes
POS counters/cash wraps and POS/data/security cabling5-yearretail
Preparation-room specialty plumbing & ventilation5-yearfuneral homes
Pro-shop fixtures & display casework5-yeargolf & country clubs
Process equipment & dedicated power5-year to 7-yearagricultural & food-processing facilities
Pylon & monument signage structures15-yearstrip & neighborhood shopping centers
Pylon sign structure, canopy foundations, spill containment / oil-water separator, bollards15-yeargas stations & convenience stores
Raised access floor5- or 39-yeardata centers
Receiving-dock equipment — levelers, seals & bumpers5-yearbig-box retail
Reception/pro-shop millwork; branded finishes; sauna/steam, pool mechanical (where present)5-yearfitness & gyms
Refrigerated display cases & removable walk-in fixtures5-yeargrocery & supermarket buildings
Refrigeration5-yearfuneral homes
Refrigeration & cold rooms5-year to 7-yearagricultural & food-processing facilities
Removable floor coverings & accent lighting5-yearshort-term rental (STR) portfolios
Rental-office FF&E, low-voltage & data5-yearself-storage facilities
Rental-office furniture7-yearself-storage facilities
Resident-room finishes & specialty HVAC — casework, finishes, treatment-area air handlingengineer reviewskilled-nursing facilities
Resident-unit finishes, appliances & cabinetry5-yearassisted-living & senior-living facilities
Revenue-control equipment (PARCS) — entry/exit gates, ticket dispensers, pay-on-foot stations, LPR5-yearparking structures
Roll-up storage unit doors5-year (contested)self-storage facilities
Sanctuary AV & sound systems5-yearchurches & religious facilities
Sanitary stainless fit-out5-year to 7-yearagricultural & food-processing facilities
Security & access-control systems5-yearcannabis cultivation & retail
Security, alarm & camera systems — DVR/NVR, motion and glass-break sensors, duress alarms5-yearbank & credit-union branches
Security, cameras, keypad & gate access5-yearself-storage facilities
Security, CCTV, access control & low-voltage cabling5-yeardistribution centers
Service-bay vehicle lifts, alignment racks, tire/balancer equipment5-yearauto dealerships
Shared parking & podium — structured or grade parking serving both uses15- or 39-yearmixed-use buildings
Showroom OEM image-program finishes, display/accent lighting, digital signage/AV5-yearauto dealerships
Signage & monument — exterior identification, wayfinding5- or 15-yearoffice buildings
Signage & paving — pylon signage, branded canopy graphics, lot striping5- or 15-yearbank & credit-union branches
Signage & wayfinding — level markers, dynamic space-count displays, directional signage5-yearparking structures
Site & parking-lot lighting15-yearbig-box retail
Site amenities — pool, clubhouse FF&E, playground, grills5- or 15-yearmultifamily & apartment buildings
Site amenities — walking paths, garden, covered parking15-yearage-restricted (55+) senior apartments
Site amenities & paving — courtyards, walking paths, landscape features, parking15-yearassisted-living & senior-living facilities
Site improvements — plaza paving, landscaping, exterior lighting, signage15-yearmixed-use buildings
Site lighting — pole bases, fixtures & site branch wiring15-yearstrip & neighborhood shopping centers
Site lighting, signage & fencing15-yearmultifamily & apartment buildings
Site lighting, signage & landscaping15-yearflex & light-industrial buildings
Site work (paving, utilities, yard)15-yearagricultural & food-processing facilities
Sitework, paving & dock aprons15-yearcold-storage & refrigerated warehouses
Slip utility pedestals — power & water5-year / 15-yearmarinas
Sound / AV distribution; studio specialty lighting & controls5-yearfitness & gyms
Sound reinforcement systems5-yearentertainment venues
Specialty & supplemental HVAC5-year / 39-yearentertainment venues
Specialty athletic flooring (rubber / cushioned / sprung)5-year (installation-dependent)fitness & gyms
Specialty electrical serving refrigeration & departments5-yeargrocery & supermarket buildings
Specialty floor drains & trench drains39-yearbars & breweries
Specialty freezer & rapid-close doors, air curtainsengineer reviewcold-storage & refrigerated warehouses
Specialty high-bay lighting & dedicated power5-yearaircraft hangars
Specialty plumbing — scrub sinks, dialysis loops, eyewash5-yearmedical office buildings
Specialty pressure-relationship HVAC — isolation rooms, OR suites, pharmacy clean roomsengineer reviewhospitals
Stacking-lane & vacuum-pad paving, oil-water separator, canopies, lot lighting15-yearcar washes
Standby generators & paralleling gear5-year to 7-yeardata centers
Storefront, entry vestibule & display lighting5-yearbig-box retail
Structured data & low-voltage cabling — Cat-6/fiber backbone, patch panels, IDF/MDF racks5-yearoffice buildings
Supplemental & tenant HVAC — restaurant make-up air, retail dedicated units5-yearmixed-use buildings
Supplemental HVAC — server-room CRAC units, conference-room dedicated cooling5-yearoffice buildings
Teller-line millwork & undercounter equipment — teller counters, cash recyclers, under-counter steel5-yearbank & credit-union branches
Tenant improvements — carpet & resilient flooring, glass storefronts, demountable partitions, casework5- or 15-yearoffice buildings
Tennis, pool & racquet amenity systems15-year / 5-yeargolf & country clubs
Theatrical & decorative lighting5-yearchurches & religious facilities
Theatrical & specialty lighting5-yearentertainment venues
Tiered & fixed seating5-year / 39-yearentertainment venues
Traffic coatings & deck sealers — waterproofing membranes, wearing-surface coatings5- or 15-yearparking structures
Trailer court & staging apron — heavy reinforced paving15-yeardistribution centers
Truck-court & trailer paving — heavy-duty reinforced concrete15-yearwarehouses & distribution centers
Truck-court & trailer paving, heavy site lighting, drainage, fencing15-yearmanufacturing facilities
Tub / bathing-room specialty plumbing — therapeutic tubs, spa lifts, dedicated hot water5-yearskilled-nursing facilities
Tunnel equipment — conveyor/correlator, wash arches, applicators5-yearcar washes
Under-bar refrigeration & glass washers5-yearbars & breweries
Under-slab floor heating / frost-heave protection15-yearcold-storage & refrigerated warehouses
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) & battery plant5-yeardata centers
Unit appliances (ranges, refrigerators, dishwashers, disposals)5-yearmultifamily & apartment buildings
Unit finishes, appliances & removable cabinetry5-yearage-restricted (55+) senior apartments
Upland paving & site lighting15-yearmarinas
Upper-floor residential finishes — unit flooring, cabinetry, appliances5-yearmixed-use buildings
Vault door & modular vault — day-gate, modular panel vault or safe-deposit modules5- or 39-yearbank & credit-union branches
Vehicle lifts & alignment racks5-yearauto-service & collision centers
Vehicle-exhaust extraction systems5-yearauto-service & collision centers
Walk-in cooler & freezer — removable fixtures5-yearquick-service & drive-thru restaurants
Walk-in coolers & freezers (box, refrigeration, insulated panels)5-yearrestaurants
Warehouse low-voltage & security — data backbone, WiFi, scanners, cameras5-yearwarehouses & distribution centers
Wash-down specialty plumbing & floor drains5-year to 15-yearagricultural & food-processing facilities
Water reclamation & treatment; chemical delivery & tunnel controls5-yearcar washes
White-box tenant build-out finishes5-yearstrip & neighborhood shopping centers
Yard & pole lighting on the trailer court15-yeardistribution centers
Yard fire loop, hydrants & yard fire pump15-yearwarehouses & distribution centers

See the glossary for the underlying terms, and each property-type guide for the component's full authority and caveat.