Worked example · Single-Family Rental

Cost segregation on a $250K Single-Family Rental reclassifies $40,000 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
$40,000
20% of $200,000 basis
Year-1 federal tax savings
$14,800
at 37% marginal bracket
Return on study cost
30×
study fee $495
MACRS class breakdown

How the $40,000 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

$24,000

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

7-year property

$4,000

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

15-year property

$12,000

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

Year-1 deduction comparison

Without a study vs. with one.

Standard depreciation
200,000 ÷ 27.5 years
$7,273
Year-1 deduction (no study)
With cost seg + 100% bonus
5/7/15-yr accelerated
$40,000
Year-1 deduction
Difference
+$32,727 pulled forward into Year 1

At a 37% federal bracket, that's $14,800 in cash you keep instead of paying — a 30× return on the $495 study. Run it on your actual property below.

What $40,000 is worth to you

The $250K 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 $40,000 Year-1 deduction valued at other federal rates, before and after the $495 study fee. State income tax comes on top where your state conforms to federal bonus depreciation.

Federal bracketYear-1 tax valueAfter the $495 fee
24%$9,600$9,105
32%$12,800$12,305
35%$14,000$13,505
37%$14,800$14,305

A $250K purchase price falls in the <$300K band of our Single-family / STR / Condo / ADU pricing, a flat $495. At $300,000 and above the next band applies ($895). See the full pricing table.

The first five years

Depreciation on a $200,000 basis, with and without the study.

The Year-1 reclassification of $40,000 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 $40,000 has already been taken and only the $160,000 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$7,273$45,818$38,545
Year 2$7,273$5,818$37,091
Year 3$7,273$5,818$35,636
Year 4$7,273$5,818$34,182
Year 5$7,273$5,818$32,727

The cumulative gap narrows by $1,455 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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