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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% Read guide →
Cold storage
Refrigeration machinery is the §1245 argument; 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 →
Airport hangar
Apron paving and specialty systems; the door itself stays with the shell.
10–18% 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
Above-slab per-operatory plumbing drops are usually the largest cost variable; in-slab runs often stay 39-year.
8–35% Read guide →
Veterinary
Clinical and kennel systems concentrate short-life value.
8–38% · ~22% Read guide →
Hospital
Medical gas, emergency power and clinical systems across a large plant.
15–32% 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 lead; dedicated equipment branch circuits may follow them on the facts.
20–38% 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, beverage-gas lines and bar millwork; embedded trench drains usually stay 39-year.
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 and compressed air lead the reclass; embedded floor drains usually stay with the building.
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 →
Senior apartments (55+)
Amenity-rich age-restricted rental; elevators and generators generally stay in the shell.
14–28% 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% 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 →
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; the unit doors are the contested line.
8–38% · ~23% Read guide →
Data center
Electrical infrastructure and specialized cooling dominate — a distinct engineering problem.
Note: Data-center studies are by-proposal, and a contracted P.E. signs data-center studies per engagement; 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.
Note: §280E may limit whether a cannabis operator can actually use the resulting deductions. The reclassification range describes the property; usability is an entity-level question for a CPA, and it is the question to settle first.
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 →