Worked example · Single-Family Rental

Cost segregation on a $1M Single-Family Rental reclassifies $160,000 into accelerated depreciation.

Engineering-based study using industry-standard 2026 construction cost data and IRS Audit Techniques Guide methodology. Numbers below are computed from the same formula our production studies use — adjust for your actual property with the calculator at the bottom.

Accelerated depreciation
$160,000
20% of $800,000 basis
Year-1 federal tax savings
$59,200
at 37% marginal bracket
Return on study cost
46×
study fee $1,295
MACRS class breakdown

How the $160,000 splits across 5-, 7-, and 15-year property.

These percentages are illustrative for a single-family rental of this size and age. Your study reports component-level detail so your CPA can place each item on the correct depreciation schedule.

60%
10%
30%

5-year property

$96,000

Personal property: appliances, carpet, FF&E, decorative finishes. Fully bonus-eligible at 100% under OBBBA (2025+).

7-year property

$16,000

Office furniture, certain equipment, specialty fixtures. Also bonus-eligible.

15-year property

$48,000

Land improvements: driveways, fencing, landscaping, site lighting. Bonus-eligible.

Year-1 deduction comparison

Without a study vs. with one.

Standard depreciation
800,000 ÷ 27.5 years
$29,091
Year-1 deduction (no study)
With cost seg + 100% bonus
5/7/15-yr accelerated
$160,000
Year-1 deduction
Difference
+$130,909 pulled forward into Year 1

At a 37% federal bracket, that's $59,200 in cash you keep instead of paying — a 46× return on the $1,295 study. Run it on your actual property below.

What $160,000 is worth to you

The $1M single-family rental at four federal brackets.

The headline figure assumes the top 37% bracket. Most owners are not in it, so here is the same $160,000 Year-1 deduction valued at other federal rates, before and after the $1,295 study fee. State income tax comes on top where your state conforms to federal bonus depreciation.

Federal bracketYear-1 tax valueAfter the $1,295 fee
24%$38,400$37,105
32%$51,200$49,905
35%$56,000$54,705
37%$59,200$57,905

A $1M purchase price falls in the $1M–$1.5M band of our Single-family / STR / Condo / ADU pricing, a flat $1,295. At $1,500,000 and above the next band applies ($1,595). See the full pricing table.

The first five years

Depreciation on a $800,000 basis, with and without the study.

The Year-1 reclassification of $160,000 equals about 5.5 years of standard 27.5-year depreciation on this property. After Year 1 the study's annual deduction is smaller, because the reclassified $160,000 has already been taken and only the $640,000 remaining building basis is still depreciating. Full years shown; the purchase year is shorter under the mid-month convention.

YearNo studyWith studyCumulative extra deduction
Year 1$29,091$183,273$154,182
Year 2$29,091$23,273$148,364
Year 3$29,091$23,273$142,545
Year 4$29,091$23,273$136,727
Year 5$29,091$23,273$130,909

The cumulative gap narrows by $5,818 a year and closes over the recovery period; cost segregation changes when you deduct, not how much. Depreciation taken is generally recaptured on a taxable sale.

Nearby examples
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