In one paragraph
Capstan Tax Strategies and Cost Seg Smart both produce engineering-based cost segregation studies; ours classify components under MACRS per Rev. Proc. 87-56 using industry-standard construction cost data. Capstan is a Pennsylvania-based commercial cost segregation firm that works heavily through CPA referral partnerships; its own site calls commercial properties above $1 million strong candidates and says a study may not be ideal for property valued under about $250K. Capstan does not publish pricing (fees are quoted by scope, size and complexity), and the only turnaround it publishes is delivery within 30 days of the site visit for hotel and restaurant studies. Cost Seg Smart's automated studies work from satellite imagery, county assessor records, and structured property data, with internal technical review & QC, usually delivered the next business day, starting at $495 for residential under $300K basis and $1,995 for commercial under $1M. Capstan is a strong fit for larger commercial properties accessed through a CPA who already works with Capstan, and for complex properties with specialty FF&E where an engineer's site visit changes the allocation. Cost Seg Smart is the right call for residential, STR, small multifamily, and smaller well-documented commercial properties where speed and a published price preserve the Year-1 ROI math.
Disclosure: Cost Seg Smart operates this comparison and is one of the firms compared here. See the methodology page for our standalone documentation.
Cost Seg Smart in brief
- Cost Seg Smart is an engineered cost segregation provider for residential, short-term-rental, multifamily and commercial property, with residential studies from $495 and commercial from $1,995.
- Cost Seg Smart delivers most residential studies the next business day, remotely, using remote observation together with industry-standard 2026 construction cost data.
- Cost Seg Smart classifies components under MACRS per Rev. Proc. 87-56 and documents every study against the 13 quality elements of the IRS Cost Segregation Audit Techniques Guide (Pub 5653), including Form 3115 §481(a) catch-up schedules for properties owned two or more years.
- Cost Seg Smart prices a sub-$300K residential study at $495 and delivers it usually by the next business day; Capstan Tax Strategies quotes each engagement individually and does not publish its fees or a general turnaround.
At a glance: commercial cost segregation comparison
| Dimension | Cost Seg Smart | Capstan Tax |
|---|---|---|
| Price (residential under $1M) | $495–$995 | Generally above their core fit |
| Price ($1M–$5M commercial) | $3,295–$4,995 | Quote-based; fees not published |
| Price ($5M+ commercial) | $6,995–$10,995 | Quote-based; fees not published |
| Turnaround | Usually the next business day | Not published; hotel and restaurant reports within 30 days of the site visit |
| Site visit | No (remote observation) | Yes for larger, complex properties; virtual visit possible for small, simple ones |
| Methodology | industry-standard 2026 construction cost data + MACRS + ATG | construction cost data + MACRS + ATG |
| CPA partnership model | CPA partner program (referral-friendly) | Established CPA-referral partner model |
| Audit defense | Internal technical review & QC + free CPA methodology support, no expiry | PE-licensed engineers on staff + no-cost audit support up to the field agent level |
| Form 3115 lookback | Included | Supported (look-back studies) |
| Best fit | Residential / STR / small MF / sub-$5M commercial | Commercial, especially $1M+ basis via CPA referral |
Methodology overlap (both firms)
The technical machinery is the same:
- industry-standard 2026 construction cost data, regional cost multipliers calibrated to the property's market.
- MACRS classification per Rev. Proc. 87-56, the asset-class table that determines 5-, 7-, 15-, 27.5-, or 39-year recovery periods.
- IRS Cost Segregation Audit Techniques Guide (Pub 5653), the 13-element quality framework.
- Form 3115 §481(a) lookback support, via DCN 7.
- Reviewed deliverable, Capstan's engineering review is done by a team that includes PE-licensed engineers; Cost Seg Smart includes internal technical review & QC.
What differs is the buyer-channel and labor model. Capstan's business is built around CPA referral partnerships: the CPA originates the buyer and Capstan executes the engineering. That model is well-suited to larger commercial engagements where the CPA is the trusted advisor and the cost-seg vendor is a downstream specialty engagement. Cost Seg Smart's pipeline is direct-to-investor (with an opt-in CPA partner program), built for properties where automated pricing preserves the Year-1 ROI math.
Where Cost Seg Smart wins
When should I choose Cost Seg Smart over Capstan Tax?
- Residential and STR. Capstan is commercial-focused and quotes each engagement; its own site says a study may not be ideal for property valued under about $250K. Our $495–$895 entry tier is a published price for the band where a quoted engineering engagement is hardest to justify.
- Smaller, well-documented commercial. Office, retail, mixed-use, small warehouse where the property is well-documented in standard cost databases. Our commercial fees are published up front; Capstan's are quoted per engagement, so weigh the quote against the Year-1 benefit.
- Small multifamily (2, 4 unit and 5, 50 unit non-institutional). For owner-operator multifamily, a published fee and next-business-day delivery usually matter more than a bespoke engineering engagement.
- Speed-sensitive filings. Next-business-day delivery vs an engineering engagement scheduled around a site visit (Capstan publishes 30 days from the site visit for hotel and restaurant studies). Decisive when the CPA needs the schedule for an extension or for an in-flight return.
- Investors without an existing Capstan-affiliated CPA. Capstan's referral model assumes the CPA brings the buyer; for investors whose CPA isn't in that network, Cost Seg Smart is the direct path.
Where Capstan Tax wins
When should I choose Capstan Tax over Cost Seg Smart?
- Larger commercial with an established CPA relationship. If your CPA already works with Capstan and the property is squarely commercial (their site calls properties above $1 million strong candidates), the referral path is the friction-free option, the engineering is wrapped into a relationship the CPA already trusts.
- CPA-coordinated portfolios. Large apartment complexes, syndicate-owned properties, family-office portfolio engagements where CPA-coordinated specialty-tax work is the standard procurement model.
- Properties with specialty FF&E where on-site engineering changes the allocation. Manufacturing-adjacent buildouts, large medical complexes, hospitality at institutional scale, the on-site engineering layer captures details structured-data approaches don't.
- A licensed engineering team matters to the CPA. Some commercial CPAs want studies prepared by a team with licensed professional engineers and a site visit; Capstan's team includes PE-licensed engineers, and it offers no-cost audit support up to the field agent level.
How to decide
Three questions to ask:
- Is the property a larger or complex commercial asset? If yes, a quoted engineering engagement like Capstan's is worth pricing out. If no (residential, STR, small MF, or smaller well-documented commercial), a published-price study usually preserves more of the Year-1 benefit.
- Does your CPA have an existing Capstan relationship? If yes, the path of least resistance is to use the referral. If no, the friction of building a new vendor relationship for one engagement usually doesn't pay off against a direct-to-investor automated alternative.
- Does the property have specialty FF&E where on-site engineering changes the allocation? If yes (manufacturing buildout, large medical, institutional hospitality), Capstan's site visit is the deciding factor. If no, our automated pipeline produces the same MACRS allocation.
If you want to see the math on a specific property before deciding, our free calculator gives a Year-1 estimate in 30 seconds. Full methodology details are at /methodology/, pricing tiers at /cheap-cost-segregation/. For CPA-partnership inquiries, see our CPA partner program.
For a wider commercial-firm comparison view, costsegregationreviews.com, a review site we operate, publishes how commercial-focused firms differ on methodology.