Industrial and R&D cost segregation in Silicon Valley.
R&D flex, advanced-manufacturing and data-center property across San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Fremont and Milpitas. Engagements include an on-site observation, and most studies are delivered within about two weeks.
What makes Silicon Valley R&D and flex different for cost seg
Silicon Valley owners often think of the value as "the building," when on R&D and flex product the building you bought is mostly the tenant's interior. Santa Clara's municipally-owned Silicon Valley Power — among the lowest electric rates in California — has made the valley a magnet for power-dense tenants, from data centers to advanced manufacturing like Applied Materials' 180,000-SF cleanroom EPIC Center. That tenant base loads cost into specialty and redundant power, dedicated and process cooling, cleanroom envelopes, raised floors and heavy casework — much of it §1245 personal property rather than 39-year shell — and because flex space is re-tenanted and re-fit repeatedly, improvements arrive in different years and recovery periods.
Because we're on site, our engineering review documents the interior build-out first-hand — cleanroom wall and ceiling systems and filtration, raised access flooring, specialty and redundant power and UPS, dedicated and process cooling, and process piping and casework — the §1245 value that defines a Silicon Valley R&D building, and separates each improvement generation so it lands in the correct year and recovery period rather than being buried in the shell.
Why R&D and flex property rewards an on-site study
An R&D or flex building hides its value indoors. The components that matter most — specialty and redundant power, process cooling, cleanroom envelopes, raised floors and heavy build-out — are installed and removed by successive tenants, and none of it is described in a closing file or a listing photo.
Walking the property is how the build-out, the specialty systems and the improvement generations become a documented record instead of an assumption. Where records already support the components at issue, our remote model applies and costs less.
Specialty & redundant power
Dedicated equipment feeds, redundant service, UPS, backup generation and busway — the equipment-serving power that defines a data-center or advanced-manufacturing tenant. We document service size, panels and what each feed serves before treating power as equipment-related.
Process cooling & cleanroom
CRAC/CRAH units, chilled-water and condenser loops and supplemental cooling serving labs and equipment, plus cleanroom wall and ceiling systems, HEPA/FFU arrays and process utilities — documented as installed systems, not building HVAC.
Raised floors & build-out
Raised access flooring, lab and process casework, partitions and specialty finishes. Fixed-versus-mobile and vintage matter, and these buildings are re-fit repeatedly, so one shell can carry several improvement generations.
Site & service improvements
Service and loading areas, parking, generator yards and pads, exterior lighting, drainage and landscaping — real, but a smaller share than the interior on R&D and flex product.
One building, three kinds of answer
Illustrative. Actual classifications are made per property, on the facts.
Dedicated and redundant power, UPS and backup generation, process cooling serving identified equipment, raised access flooring, removable casework, process piping and specialty gas, and site improvements such as parking, generator pads and lighting.
Cleanroom envelopes and their dedicated HVAC and filtration, supplemental cooling of mixed use, equipment pads and floor reinforcement, and tenant build-out of uncertain vintage — turning on how each installation functions and what the records show.
Shell, structural frame, foundation and floor slab, exterior walls, roofing, general-purpose lighting, and building-wide HVAC, plumbing and fire protection — nonresidential real property depreciated over 39 years.
How the engagement works
Silicon Valley submarkets we serve
Related: our East Bay warehouse and South San Francisco life-science coverage, data-center cost segregation, and our San Francisco Bay Area commercial hub.
Frequently asked
Do you visit R&D and flex buildings in Silicon Valley?
Yes. Bay Area engagements include an on-site property observation by one of our technicians, typically within about a week. On R&D and advanced-manufacturing product the visit matters more than usual, because the specialty power, cooling and cleanroom build-out that carries the value is rarely legible from a closing file.
How long does a Silicon Valley industrial study take?
Most commercial studies are delivered within about two weeks after the property visit, varying with build-out complexity and record availability.
How much does a Silicon Valley R&D or flex study cost?
Engineered commercial and industrial studies start at $2,495 and step with the improvement basis. You get a fixed written fee before any work begins, not a percentage of your deduction — or call us at (213) 444-2776.
What makes Silicon Valley flex property distinctive for cost segregation?
The value is in the interior. Specialty and redundant power, dedicated and process cooling, cleanroom envelopes, raised floors and heavy tenant build-out carry a large share of the basis on R&D and advanced-manufacturing product — and these buildings are re-tenanted and re-fit repeatedly, so improvements land in different years and recovery periods.
Ready to scope your building?
Tell us the address, basis, and placed-in-service date. We generally return a written scope and quote within one business day — or call the office at (213) 444-2776.