KBKG Alternatives: 6 Cost Segregation Firms Worth Comparing

Most people searching for KBKG alternatives have already seen one of two offers: a proposal for a full KBKG cost segregation study, or a price from CostSegregation.com, the self-guided software KBKG built for smaller properties. Both are legitimate options. The real question is whether either one fits your property, your filing deadline, and the way you want to work with the people producing the study.

As co-founder of Seneca Cost Segregation and a real estate investor myself, I regularly speak with owners and CPAs who are holding a KBKG quote and want a second opinion before they sign. Seneca is one of the firms on this list, so I have kept the comparison to facts you can check: Seneca’s figures come from our own records and published terms, and every other firm’s figures come from that firm’s own website as of October 2026.

The sections that follow cover what KBKG offers today, six alternatives with their published turnaround and pricing, how to match a firm to your property, and the IRS standard any study should meet.

What KBKG Offers Before You Compare

KBKG sells two different products under one brand, and the right alternative depends on which one you were quoted.

KBKG’s Full-Service Cost Segregation Studies

KBKG is a specialty tax consulting firm established in 1999, with offices across the US and a team of engineers, attorneys, and tax experts. Several of its cost segregation principals hold the Certified Cost Segregation Professional (CCSP) designation, including its chairman, Gian Pazzia.

A KBKG study reviews available cost detail and blueprints and includes a physical inspection of the property. The firm also separates structural components such as the roof, windows, and HVAC units, so a loss deduction can be claimed when one of them is replaced, and it offers a free preliminary analysis before any engagement.

Cost segregation is one service line among many at KBKG, alongside research and development tax credits, 179D deductions, 45L credits, repair versus capitalization reviews, transfer pricing, and IC-DISC work. Its cost segregation page does not list a full-study fee or turnaround, and it pitches the full study to owners who have spent more than $1,500,000 on a building in the last 15 years. Our three-way comparison of Seneca, KBKG, and Madison SPECS covers the full-service side in more depth.

CostSegregation.com, KBKG’s Self-Guided Software

For investment properties with $1.5 million or less of building basis, excluding land, KBKG points owners to CostSegregation.com, a self-guided platform it built and backs. The owner enters the address and property details, the software produces the report, and KBKG says a report takes 15 minutes or less.

Pricing is set by a basis slider, with $495 listed for a residential property at a $750,000 tax basis and $1,295 for a commercial property at a $1,000,000 basis. Each report includes audit support, report corrections, and a Section 481(a) calculation schedule.

The trade-off is who does the work. The owner supplies the inputs and no inspection is part of the published process, which is why owners who want a property-specific engineered review start looking elsewhere; our guide to cost segregation software compares the two routes.

Why Property Owners Look for KBKG Alternatives

KBKG is a well-established firm, so the reasons owners keep shopping usually come down to fit:

• ●An engineer instead of software: KBKG steers properties with $1.5 million or less of building basis toward its software, so owners in that range who want an engineered study of their own building often compare other proposals.
• ●Only cost segregation: An owner with no research credit, 179D, or 45L work in play may prefer a firm whose whole team works on cost segregation.
• ●A published price: KBKG’s software has a price list but its full-service page does not, and some buyers want a starting fee before the first call.
• ●A dated turnaround: KBKG’s residential page describes a full study as taking a few weeks to several months, and owners with a filing deadline close often want a specific delivery date in writing.
• ●A specific inspection model: Some owners want an on-site visit for a small property, and others want a virtual walkthrough for a rental three states away.

The Six Alternatives at a Glance

Each card summarizes what the firm publishes about fit, timing, price, and inspections.

The Best KBKG Alternatives for Cost Segregation

The order reflects how well each firm fits most rental and commercial owners leaving KBKG.

1. Seneca Cost Segregation

Seneca is a veteran-founded firm, launched in January 2024, that does cost segregation and nothing else. Its in-house engineering team has assessed 10,200+ properties and analyzed more than $5B in cost basis, with an average first-year deduction of $171,000.

That work runs from small Midwest single-family homes to multi-million-dollar mansions, long- and short-term rentals, small self-storage facilities to multi-million-dollar manufacturing plants, 120+ unit hotels, and office buildings over 40,000 square feet. Seneca does not set a minimum basis, so an owner below KBKG’s $1.5 million software line gets a fully engineered study without being routed to software.

Seneca delivers studies for every property type, complex commercial included, in 5 to 10 business days, provided the client sends documents and access promptly. Fully engineered residential studies start at about $2,000, and commercial studies are priced to complexity and typically start at $3,500, after a free preliminary estimate and proposal built by the engineering team; clients pay only if they decide to move forward.

Clients choose an on-site tour or a virtual one based on the property and timing, and they work directly with a dedicated Project Manager, the Engineering team, and an Advisor, with no outside sales reps in between. Every report receives a full component breakdown, goes through the same internal review, and is signed off by the Head of Engineering, and clients get real-time updates as the study moves through defined stages.

Seneca also performs Qualified Production Property (QPP) studies, includes audit defense, and publishes a money-back guarantee: a 100% fee refund if, during an IRS audit, a Seneca-caused issue leads to a depreciation adjustment greater than 5%. Its record stands at zero IRS audits triggered or lost.

• ●Best for: Owners of any property type, from a single rental to a manufacturing plant, who want an engineer on the file and a firm date.
• ●Keep in mind: Seneca handles cost segregation only, so research credit, 179D, or 45L work stays with your CPA or another specialist.

2. Engineered Tax Services

Engineered Tax Services (ETS) is the closest like-for-like swap for a KBKG client who uses more than one incentive. Founded in 2001 by Julio Gonzalez, ETS describes itself as the nation’s largest specialty tax incentives firm, with a team of engineers, tax attorneys, and specialists.

ETS states a typical timeline of 4 to 6 weeks from start to finish, including the property inspection, with larger or more complex properties taking longer. Its FAQ puts most professionally prepared studies at $3,000 to $12,000, and every study includes full audit defense.

• ●Best for: Owners who want cost segregation, research credits, 179D, and 45L handled by one provider.
• ●Keep in mind: The multi-week timeline needs planning when a filing deadline is close.

Our head-to-head of Seneca and Engineered Tax Services compares the two firms line by line.

3. CSSI

CSSI reports more than 23 years in the industry, 65,000+ completed studies, and over $10B in client tax savings. Its site says a study takes about three to six weeks from the time it receives all documentation, and it asks for access to the property for an on-site inspection and walk-through.

A CSSI FAQ says a study typically costs $2,000 to $15,000, depending on size, complexity, and location. If a study comes into question during an audit, CSSI says it will defend the audit at no cost, and the firm also offers 179D and research credit work.

• ●Best for: Owners who want an established national firm and an in-person inspection.
• ●Keep in mind: The three-to-six-week clock starts only once every document is in.

For a closer look, see our comparison of Seneca and CSSI.

4. Madison SPECS

Madison SPECS is a national cost segregation firm headquartered in New Jersey and part of the Madison family of companies. The firm says its team of 60+ professionals includes 22 engineers and a nine-person accounting team, and that one of its in-house engineers tours each property on site.

Madison starts with a no-cost feasibility analysis and will tell an owner when it does not see a real benefit. Its site promises a rapid turnaround without a number, so ask for the fee and delivery date in the written proposal.

• ●Best for: Owners who want CPAs and engineers inside one firm.
• ●Keep in mind: Compare its proposal against the published numbers above before you commit.

5. R.E. Cost Seg

R.E. Cost Seg sells two tiers. Its Rapid Report starts at $950, involves no inspection, and is prepared from a questionnaire and the documents you submit, for residential properties of up to four units with under $1.2 million of depreciable basis.

The Fully Engineered Study starts at $2,320 for residential property and $2,730 for commercial property and includes a 30 to 60 minute virtual inspection, with in-person visits available for an added fee. The firm quotes 15 to 20 business days for an engineered study once documents and the inspection are complete, reports more than 20,000 studies, and includes audit support.

• ●Best for: Owners who want a published price menu and are comfortable with a virtual inspection.
• ●Keep in mind: Confirm which tier your proposal covers, since the Rapid Report skips the inspection entirely.

6. Cost Segregation Guys

Cost Segregation Guys promises a free proposal, with estimated first-year savings and a quote, within 5 hours. Clients choose a fully virtual study or an on-site visit, and the firm lists full audit support at no charge.

Its homepage states an engineered report in 3 to 7 business days, while its FAQ says a study can take 1 to 2 weeks depending on property size and service level. The firm also offers a Rapid Report service for simpler properties.

• ●Best for: Owners who want a quote within hours.
• ●Keep in mind: Ask which timeline and which report type apply to your property before you sign.

How to Match an Alternative to Your Property

The right firm depends on the building, the deadline, and whatever else you need from a tax provider.

Single-Family Rentals and Short-Term Rentals

Most single-family and short-term rental owners sit below KBKG’s $1.5 million software threshold, so the real choice is a self-guided report or an engineered study. Seneca, R.E. Cost Seg’s engineered tier, and Cost Segregation Guys all run engineered work at this size, and Seneca’s residential studies start at about $2,000 with a virtual tour available.

Furnished rentals carry a lot of short-life property, from appliances to outdoor amenities, which is where an engineer’s component detail pays off. Our guide to a cost segregation study for short-term rentals walks through how those studies work.

Multifamily and Standard Commercial Properties

Small multifamily, retail, office, and self-storage owners benefit most from a firm that inspects the property and documents every component. Seneca, CSSI, and ETS all fit, and Seneca’s on-site option and 5 to 10 business day delivery suit owners who want both the inspection and a fast handoff to their CPA.

For larger commercial assets, ask each firm how it handles tenant improvements, shared systems, and multiple buildings on one parcel before you compare fees.

Owners Who Also Need Research Credit, 179D, or 45L Work

If cost segregation is one of several incentives on your list, a multi-service firm removes coordination work. ETS and CSSI both offer 179D and research credit services, and ETS adds 45L, much like KBKG’s own menu.

Owners whose only need is cost segregation gain little from that breadth and can choose a specialist instead.

Investors Working Against a Filing Deadline

Turnaround matters most when a filing deadline is close. Seneca’s 5 to 10 business days, once documents are in, leaves time for CPA review, while firms quoting three to six weeks need to start well before the deadline.

Timing also affects the size of the deduction. Components a study moves into 5-, 7-, and 15-year property qualify for 100% bonus depreciation when the property was acquired and placed in service after January 19, 2025, under the One Big Beautiful Bill, so a study delivered before your next return lets your CPA claim that first-year benefit.

What the IRS Audit Techniques Guide Says About Study Quality

The IRS Cost Segregation Audit Techniques Guide is the closest thing to a buyer’s checklist, because it tells examiners how to judge any study, whoever prepared it.

The guide describes six common approaches, from a detailed engineering approach built on actual cost records down to a “rule of thumb” approach. The guide calls the detailed engineering approach, in general, the most methodical and accurate, and it tells examiners to view rule-of-thumb studies with caution because they lack documentation.

The IRS has not set required standards for preparing a study. Instead, the guide lists 13 principal elements of a quality study, including preparation by someone with expertise and experience and the use of appropriate documentation, which it says includes a site visit, and it notes that a preparer’s credentials can affect a study’s accuracy.

Membership in the American Society of Cost Segregation Professionals is one credential to ask about. Whatever the firm, ask which of the guide’s approaches the study follows and how the site visit is handled, whether on-site or by documented video walkthrough.

Questions to Ask Before You Switch From KBKG

Put the same questions to every firm on your shortlist so the proposals line up:

• ●Methodology: Which approach from the IRS guide does the study follow, and who signs the final report?
• ●Inspection: Is there an on-site visit, a virtual walkthrough, or no inspection at all, and is it recorded?
• ●Turnaround: How many business days from complete documents to final report, and is that date in writing?
• ●Fee: Is the quote a flat fee, and what would change it after the work starts?
• ●Audit terms: Which IRS questions will the firm answer for you, and does any refund apply if its own error drives an adjustment?
• ●Deliverables: Does your CPA get a return-ready fixed asset schedule, plus help with a Form 3115 filing if one is needed?
• ●Prior work: If you already have a KBKG study or a CostSegregation.com report, what does the new firm need from it?

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the questions we hear most from owners comparing KBKG with other cost segregation firms.

Why Investors Choose Seneca

Our in-house engineers build every Seneca study, our Head of Engineering signs off before the report reaches your CPA, and audit defense is part of every engagement. With 10,200+ properties assessed and zero IRS audits triggered or lost, we are a natural first call if you are moving on from a KBKG quote, so request a free estimate and put our proposal beside it.

Conclusion

KBKG remains a solid choice for owners who want one firm for several tax incentives, and its software suits owners comfortable entering their own property data. For everyone else, the six firms above give you real options on speed, price, and inspection style.

Start with the property and the deadline, then shortlist two or three firms and ask each the same questions. Recovery periods under IRS Publication 946 apply the same way whichever firm prepares the study, so the differences that matter are method, timing, and the terms in writing.

A free engineer-built estimate from Seneca is an easy way to put a real number beside the KBKG quote you already have.