In 2026, an engineer-signed cost segregation study on a short-term rental typically ranges from $1,500 to $10,000+, depending on vendor and property complexity. Software-only studies run $495–$2,500. Pre-purchase estimators (a different product category, useful during house-hunting) run $99 per property. Full pricing by vendor below — with an honest read on where DepreciMax fits and where it doesn't.
Ask "how much does cost seg cost" on any real estate investor forum and you'll get answers ranging from "$495" to "$15,000." Both are true — they're describing different products. This guide compares the pricing across the actual vendors STR investors are choosing between in 2026, with the caveat every honest cost seg pricing page needs: the study cost doesn't determine your Year-1 deduction. The property's classification mix does. A $1,800 study using IRS Audit Techniques Guide-compliant methodology yields the same deduction as a $10,000 traditional study on the same property.
2026 vendor pricing (residential / STR properties)
Ranges reflect vendor-published pricing and industry-typical ranges for single-family and small multifamily short-term rentals. Individual quotes vary by property size, complexity, and state; get a written quote before assuming a figure applies. Prices below are for residential-tier products only — commercial buildings and mixed-use are priced separately.
| Vendor | Product type | 2026 price range | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DepreciMax | Pre-purchase estimator (not a study) | $99 / report $149 / mo Pro |
Screening candidate STR listings before writing an offer. Different product category — see the honest positioning below. |
| Cost Seg Smart | Software-only self-serve study | $495–$2,500 | Small-portfolio investors comfortable with a no-engineer-visit product. You supply all inputs. |
| FreeCostSeg (Modern CFO) | AI-assisted, engineer-signed SFR study | $1,800 flat | Owners of a straightforward single-family STR who want the cheapest genuinely-defensible study. |
| R.E. Cost Seg | Residential-focused engineering firm | $1,500–$5,000 | Rental investors who want a residential-specialist firm without commercial-firm pricing. |
| Cost Segregation Guys | Fully-virtual engineering study | $2,000–$4,500 | SFR investors who want a rep-guided study without an on-site engineer visit. |
| Cost Seg EZ | DIY-style software plus paid study behind it | $2,500–$6,000 (paid study) |
Investors starting from a free-estimate calculator and converting to a paid study through the same vendor. |
| KBKG | National engineering firm — residential and commercial | $3,000–$10,000+ | Investors and CPAs who want a name-brand study with audit-defense support. Higher price, sales-led intake. |
| CSSI | National engineering firm — one of the largest cost seg providers | $3,000–$15,000+ | Investors wanting a volume-leader firm with a national engineer network and standardized deliverables. |
| Traditional engineering firm | On-site engineer inspection + hand-classified report | $5,000–$15,000+ | Complex or high-value properties (large multifamily, mixed-use, heavy renovation) where more site expertise is genuinely required. |
Pricing valid as of update date above. Commercial (non-residential) cost seg is priced separately — expect 2×–5× the residential range for mid-market commercial buildings.
What actually drives the price
Cost seg pricing is not arbitrary. Five factors move a study from $1,500 to $15,000:
- Property class. Single-family residential is the cheapest bucket. Large multifamily, mixed-use, and commercial each add complexity and cost. A 12-unit apartment building starts around $5,000 with any credible provider; a strip mall or self-storage facility can run $10K–$25K.
- Purchase price. Larger properties have more assets to classify and more line items in the final deliverable. A $2M luxury vacation home takes more engineer time than a $400K cabin, all else equal.
- Site-visit requirement. Vendors that require an on-site engineer inspection have travel costs baked into the fee. AI-assisted vendors that work from property records + satellite imagery + owner-submitted photos skip that expense, which is most of the reason FreeCostSeg can offer $1,800 flat rate.
- Engineer signature and audit-defense. A study signed by a licensed engineer with professional-liability insurance costs more than a software-only report. The difference matters if you're ever audited — insured-engineer sign-off is what an IRS agent looks for.
- Turnaround time. Rush pricing (2-week turnaround vs. standard 6–8 weeks) typically adds 25–40%. Not worth paying unless you're up against a filing deadline.
Study types compared: what you're actually buying
Full engineering study ($3,000–$15,000+)
An engineer visits the property (or reviews detailed documentation), hand-classifies every asset, and produces a written report with photos, cost calculations, and IRS Audit Techniques Guide references. Signed by a licensed engineer. This is the deliverable a lender's underwriter or an IRS auditor expects for high-value or complex properties.
AI-assisted study ($1,500–$2,500)
AI pulls property records, satellite imagery, and construction-cost databases; owner submits photos; licensed engineer reviews the classification decisions and signs the final report. IRS ATG-compliant. Same deliverable format as a full engineering study — the automation is on the data collection, not the classification decision.
Software-only self-serve ($495–$2,500)
You supply the inputs; software produces the classification. Some products include engineer review, some don't. Adequate for straightforward SFRs where the owner is confident about the property details. Weaker audit defense (no independent engineer sign-off on assumptions).
Pre-purchase estimator ($99 — DepreciMax)
A different product category. Not a cost seg study — an estimator that runs before you own the property, so you can compare candidates or decide whether to make an offer. Ships as a line-item PDF you can share with your CPA. See the honest scope below.
Where DepreciMax fits (and where it doesn't)
DepreciMax is the outlier in the table above because it's not competing on the same product axis. Every other row is a post-purchase, tax-return-ready deliverable. DepreciMax is a pre-purchase decision tool.
What DepreciMax is. Address-based bonus depreciation estimator built on IRS depreciation tables, state DOR classification data, and photo-derived amenity scoring. Priced at $99 per report or $149/month for Pro (unlimited). Closely calibrated to formal cost seg studies on validation properties. Delivers in minutes.
What DepreciMax is not. Not an engineer-signed study. Not IRS-defensible on its own. Not a replacement for hiring a real study on the property you actually close on.
Honest positioning: use DepreciMax when comparing 3–8 candidate properties (a $99 report on each is cheaper than a single $1,800 study on the one you might not even buy). After you close, hire an actual study — R.E. Cost Seg or FreeCostSeg for straightforward SFRs, KBKG or CSSI for complex or high-value properties. See our vendor comparison for the full breakdown by use case.
If you own the property, you need a real study, not our estimator. If you're deciding whether to buy the property, our $99 report is cheaper than the study you'd otherwise waste on a deal you don't close.
How much should you actually pay?
Three-question decision framework:
- What's the property purchase price? Under $500K residential SFR — a $1,500–$1,800 AI-assisted study is right-sized. Over $1M or complex — pay for a full engineering study; the added deduction quality is worth the incremental $3,000–$6,000.
- Is the property straightforward? Single-family, no unusual outbuildings, no heavy renovation — AI-assisted is fine. Multi-family, mixed-use, heavy renovation, ADUs, commercial-adjacent — pay for a firm with more engineers.
- Do you (or your CPA) want audit-defense support included? National firms like KBKG and CSSI include this in their standard pricing. AI-assisted vendors typically charge extra, or don't offer it at all. If you're likely to be audited (large deduction, aggressive classification), pay for the coverage.
For an STR investor buying a $600K vacation home with a hot tub and pool, the sensible math is: $1,800 for FreeCostSeg's flat-rate SFR study. For a CPA advising a client on a $2.5M luxury coastal home with a boat dock and detached ADU, the sensible math is $6,000–$9,000 for KBKG or CSSI.
Before you spend $1,500 on a study — screen the property for free
DepreciMax estimates first-year bonus depreciation on any listing address before you make an offer. If the property doesn't clear your minimum bonus %, don't buy it — and definitely don't pay for a study on it.
Search a Market — Free →Frequently asked questions
How much does a cost segregation study cost for a short-term rental?
Engineer-signed studies range from $1,500 (residential-specialist firms) to $10,000+ (national engineering firms). Software-only studies run $495–$2,500. Pre-purchase estimators are $99 per property — a different product category, not a filing-grade deliverable.
Is a $99 estimator enough, or do I need the $5,000 study?
The $99 estimator answers "which property should I buy?" The $5,000+ study answers "what do I file on my tax return?" Serious STR investors typically use both — the estimator during house-hunting across multiple candidates, then a full study on the one they close on.
Why is cost seg cheaper than it used to be?
Traditional firms charged $5,000–$15,000+ because they required on-site inspection, hand-classified every asset, and produced hand-written reports. AI-assisted vendors (FreeCostSeg, Cost Seg Smart, some R.E. Cost Seg products) use property records, satellite imagery, and construction-cost databases with engineer review — collapsing the labor cost. Result: engineer-signed studies for $495–$1,800 on straightforward residential properties.
Does the study cost affect the deduction I can claim?
No. Classification methodology matters, not the vendor's price. A $1,800 AI-assisted study using IRS Audit Techniques Guide-compliant methodology yields the same Year-1 deduction as a $10,000 traditional study on the same property. Where price does affect outcome: complex properties (large multifamily, mixed-use, heavy renovation) where more expensive firms have more engineers, and the analysis is genuinely harder.
Should I bundle a study with my CPA or hire a separate cost seg firm?
Usually separate. Most CPA firms don't do cost seg in-house — they refer to KBKG, CSSI, or a similar national firm and charge a coordination fee on top. Going directly to a cost seg firm saves the coordination markup, and any competent CPA can incorporate the deliverable into your return.
Not tax advice. Vendor pricing above reflects published ranges and industry norms as of the update date. Individual quotes vary. Consult a qualified CPA and licensed cost segregation engineer for advice on your specific property and situation.