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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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Directory

Cost segregation guides by property type

Each guide covers what reclassifies in that property type (with the tax authority and its caveats), the modeled result range, market pricing, and a fixed-rubric comparison of the providers who do the work. We publish a guide only when it has type-specific substance.

Industrial & logistics

Property typeModeled reclass rangeGuide
Warehouse & distribution
Truck-court paving and yard site-work often drive the result more than the box itself.
10–38% Read guide →
Distribution center
High-throughput cross-dock buildings on large paved yards — paving and dock equipment lead.
12–28% Read guide →
Manufacturing
Process-support power and specialty systems drive the reclass more than the shell.
6–38% · ~14% Read guide →
Cold storage
Refrigeration equipment is §1245; the insulated box envelope stays long-life.
20–40% Read guide →
Flex / light industrial
Flex and light-industrial build-out with modest short-life pools.
10–30% Read guide →
Truck terminal
Cross-dock doors and vast paved laydown dominate the short-life pool.
15–30% Read guide →
Airport hangar
Hangar doors, apron paving and specialty systems on a simple shell.
12–30% Read guide →
Industrial yard / laydown
Nearly all site-work: paving, fencing, yard lighting and drainage.
20–45% Read guide →

Healthcare

Property typeModeled reclass rangeGuide
Medical office
Dedicated clinical systems and build-out — not the shell — carry the reclass.
8–35% · ~19% Read guide →
Dental office
Per-operatory plumbing drops are the number-one cost variable.
8–35% Read guide →
Veterinary
Clinical and kennel systems concentrate short-life value.
8–38% · ~22% Read guide →
Ambulatory surgery center
Surgical suites concentrate medical gas, OR power and specialty HVAC.
15–35% Read guide →
Hospital
Medical gas, emergency power and clinical systems across a large plant.
15–32% Read guide →
Imaging center
Imaging equipment power, cooling and shielding lead the reclass.
18–38% Read guide →
Laboratory
Fume hoods, process gas and dedicated exhaust concentrate short-life value.
20–40% Read guide →
Senior / assisted living
Nurse-call, commercial kitchen/laundry and unit finishes across many units.
12–28% Read guide →
Skilled nursing
Clinical systems and generators on top of a residential-style plant.
12–30% Read guide →

Retail & food service

Property typeModeled reclass rangeGuide
Single-tenant retail
Storefront, signage and tenant build-out drive the split.
10–38% · ~27% Read guide →
Strip / neighborhood center
Tenant build-out plus large parking fields and pylon signage.
12–28% Read guide →
Big box
Simple shell, big parking fields; refrigeration if grocery-anchored.
12–28% Read guide →
Grocery
Refrigeration cases and specialty electrical carry the acceleration.
20–38% Read guide →
Shopping mall
Common-area finishes, food-court equipment and parking structures.
12–26% Read guide →
Restaurant
Kitchen exhaust, hoods and turnkey equipment sit in the short-life pools.
12–42% · ~21–29% Read guide →
QSR / drive-thru
Compact, equipment-dense builds with drive-thru systems and canopy.
22–42% Read guide →
Bar / brewery
Brewing and tap systems, bar millwork and specialty drainage.
20–40% Read guide →
Gas station & c-store
Canopy, forecourt paving and dispensers; RMFO 15-year may apply on the facts.
10–38% Read guide →
Car wash
Mostly equipment and site-work wrapped around a thin shell — one of the highest reclass profiles.
25–60% · ~48% Read guide →
Auto dealership
Showroom, service bays and lot improvements across a large footprint.
10–35% Read guide →
Auto service / collision
Lifts, paint booths, compressed air and floor drains lead the reclass.
18–38% Read guide →

Residential rental

Property typeModeled reclass rangeGuide
Multifamily (5+)
Per-unit finishes and site amenities; note AmeriSouth-era caution on aggressive splits.
12–30% Read guide →
Build-to-rent community
Detached-rental communities with extensive site work and amenities.
15–30% Read guide →
Student housing
Unit FF&E, common amenities and heavy low-voltage across many beds.
15–32% Read guide →
Senior apartments (55+)
Amenity-rich age-restricted rental with elevators and generators.
14–28% Read guide →
Mobile home / RV park
Almost entirely land improvements: pads, utilities, roads and amenities.
20–45% Read guide →
Short-term rental portfolio
Furniture, appliances and outdoor amenities drive furnished-rental acceleration.
20–35% Read guide →

Hospitality & leisure

Property typeModeled reclass rangeGuide
Hotel & motel
Per-room FF&E and amenity spaces; central HVAC generally stays long-life.
Note: Crowded specialist category. Compared on published, observable facts.
6–35% · ~14% Read guide →
Limited-service hotel
Guest FF&E and breakfast/pool amenities on a repeatable plan.
20–35% Read guide →
Resort
Guest FF&E plus extensive pools, spa, kitchens and landscaping.
25–42% Read guide →
Motel
Room FF&E, exterior corridors and canopies on a simple shell.
18–35% Read guide →
Fitness & gym
Specialty flooring, locker/shower build-out and equipment power.
10–35% Read guide →
Golf & country club
Course irrigation, cart paths and clubhouse FF&E dominate.
20–40% Read guide →
Marina
Docks, piers, fuel systems and slip utilities carry the reclass.
25–45% Read guide →
Entertainment venue
AV, stage systems and specialty lighting/sound lead.
20–40% Read guide →

Office & mixed-use

Property typeModeled reclass rangeGuide
Office
Tenant improvements and building systems drive most of the reclass.
12–35% Read guide →
Office (CBD high-rise)
Tenant improvements and supplemental systems on a structural shell.
10–24% Read guide →
Coworking / flex office
Demountable partitions and heavy AV/low-voltage across a fit-out.
15–32% Read guide →
Bank branch
Vault and security systems, drive-thru and teller millwork.
15–32% Read guide →
Mixed-use
Blended by gross building area; upper-floor residential kept conservative.
5–32% · ~12% Read guide →
Parking structure
Lighting, ventilation and revenue-control on a mostly-structural asset.
8–20% Read guide →

Specialty

Property typeModeled reclass rangeGuide
Self-storage
Drive-up facilities sit on 2–3× their footprint in paving; roll-up doors are equipment.
8–38% · ~23% Read guide →
Data center
Electrical infrastructure and specialized cooling dominate — a distinct engineering problem.
Note: Data-center studies are engineer-signed and by-proposal; specialized national engineering firms lead this category. Positioned honestly, not force-ranked.
38–60% Read guide →
Cannabis cultivation / retail
Grow lighting, dedicated HVAC/dehumidification and fertigation lead.
25–50% Read guide →
Church / religious facility
AV, decorative lighting and site work on a long-life assembly shell.
8–22% Read guide →
School / childcare
Playground/site equipment, kitchen and heavy low-voltage.
10–25% Read guide →
Funeral home
Prep-room specialty plumbing/HVAC and chapel AV drive the reclass.
12–28% Read guide →
Agricultural / processing
Process equipment, refrigeration and site systems concentrate value.
20–45% Read guide →