Our study identifies at least 20x its fee in first-year deductions on commercial property, or at least 30x on a short-term rental, or it is free.
Looking for a Madison SPECS Alternative?
By Steven Ellis, Founder, Basis Property Group · Cost Segregation Guides · Comparisons · Updated October 17, 2026
Quick answer
Madison SPECS is an established national cost segregation firm, part of Madison Commercial Real Estate Services. A third-party review says it works with companies of all sizes, including small companies and real estate investors. Basis serves the same mechanics, IRS Audit Techniques Guide aligned engineered studies, but is built with a budget tier and a free estimate first, and is weighted toward short-term rental and single-property owners who want a number before committing.
See this applied to your building.
A few questions, 30 seconds. You see which tests matter and the first-year deduction range a study would look for. No email to see the range.
Madison SPECS is an established national cost-seg firm that offers a free feasibility analysis
Basis offers a budget tier alongside a full engineered study, both 70-page ATG-aligned reports
A free Preliminary Benefit Estimate at /qualify comes before any commitment
Basis's guarantee: 20x the fee on commercial, 30x on an STR, or the study is free
STR studies at Basis run entirely off listing photos, no site visit required
What Madison SPECS is known for
Madison SPECS is an established national cost segregation firm. Its public site did not return readable content for review beyond its name and category as of this writing, so this page relies on a third-party review from Merchant Maverick rather than page-by-page specifics pulled directly from its site. Details about Madison SPECS come from that review, last updated April 2026; tell us if something is out of date, and we will correct this page.
The review also describes in-house engineers and a Smart Tour kit: an on-site employee receives video and digital equipment while an off-site engineer assists in capturing the property's components.
We would rather say that plainly than pretend to know details we could not confirm. If Madison SPECS publishes a clearer breakdown of its service tiers, pricing approach, or property-type focus, this page will be updated to reflect it rather than left to guess. The category it operates in, established national cost segregation, is a real one, and firms in it typically bring long track records to complex, high-value engagements.
Benchmark run: a $1,911,675 building basis (Office / Warehouse, less land). Straight-line 39-year depreciation without a study runs about $49,017 in year one. The benchmark run identified $330,674 in first-year increased deductions on the same building (the section 481(a) catch-up plus year-one depreciation), at a $9,900 fee.
Get your free Preliminary Benefit Estimate
See your building's likely number in 60 seconds at /qualify before comparing firms any further.
Basis Property Group runs cost segregation for commercial and short-term rental owners, based in Pennsylvania, serving the whole US. Two tiers exist for a reason: a full engineered study for properties that warrant deeper site-level review, and a budget engineered study for owners who want the same 70-page, IRS Audit Techniques Guide aligned report at a lighter scope. Neither tier requires a portfolio relationship to access. One property is enough to start, and there is no minimum transaction size or asset count to qualify for either tier.
For short-term rentals the process is even lighter: the Airbnb or VRBO listing photos feed the component classification directly, no site visit and no owner homework required, which matters for an owner who does not have a facilities team coordinating access for a site walkthrough. That same principle carries into the commercial side of the business: an owner with one building can start with just a property and an estimate request.
The number that separates a study before you commit
The Merchant Maverick review reports that Madison SPECS offers a free feasibility analysis that starts with an online form, followed by a proposal with a flat fee. Basis is built for speed on that first number. A free Preliminary Benefit Estimate models the likely first-year acceleration for your specific building before you spend a dollar, through the qualifier at /qualify, and nothing about the process requires a phone call to get that first number.
Property type
Building basis (less land)
First-year deductions
Fee
Deductions : fee
Medical Clinic
$1,404,500
$241,839
$10,000
24.2 : 1
That medical clinic example is a benchmark run on a single commercial property, the same size of asset a smaller owner is likely comparing quotes on, not a portfolio-scale engagement spanning dozens of properties. A direct estimate lets a single-owner practice compare quotes on a building that size.
The 60-Second Qualifier
Four questions. Our engineering team's model shows the estimated first-year acceleration a study of your property would target, free, before you commit to anything.
Basis backs every study with a floor: at least 20 times the fee in first-year deductions on commercial property, or at least 30 times on a short-term rental, or the study is free. That guarantee exists precisely because every property is different, and it is the mechanism that makes the free estimate a real commitment rather than a marketing number attached to nothing. Ask any firm whether the number it quotes is a floor or an estimate.
Whichever firm you choose, ask four things before you sign: which documents the study is built from, whether a site visit is part of it, who answers your CPA's written questions afterward, and exactly what the fee covers.
Getting your number
Whether a national practice or a smaller, estimate-first shop fits your situation better usually comes down to portfolio size and how much you want to see before committing to a fee. The free qualifier at /qualify gives you a real number either way, in about 60 seconds, with no commitment attached and no obligation to move forward. There is no reason to wait for a proposal from a larger firm before you know roughly what your own building is likely to produce.
If you later decide a larger national relationship makes more sense for your situation, the estimate still tells you something useful: whether the number in play is worth the extra coordination a bigger engagement usually requires. Seeing the number first turns that decision into an actual comparison, instead of a guess based on firm size alone.
Which firm and which tier fits your tax situation is a question for your CPA. What the estimate shows is the number the mechanics produce for your specific building.
Frequently asked questions
Is Madison SPECS a national cost segregation firm?
Yes, it is an established national cost-seg practice. Its detailed public materials were not fully available for review as of this writing; this page relies on a third-party review and will be corrected if more specifics become available.
Does Basis work with single-property owners, not just portfolios?
Yes. Basis does not require a portfolio relationship. One commercial property or one short-term rental is enough to start, with a budget tier available for smaller-scope engagements.
How fast can I see a number from Basis?
The free Preliminary Benefit Estimate at /qualify takes about 60 seconds and requires no commitment or phone call. It models the likely first-year acceleration for your specific building before you pay anything.
What does the Basis guarantee cover?
Every study identifies at least 20 times its fee in first-year deductions on commercial property, or at least 30 times on a short-term rental, or the study is free. That floor applies regardless of which tier you choose.
Educational information, not tax advice. This page describes how federal
depreciation rules and tests work in general. Whether any rule fits your facts is a determination for
you and your CPA. Our study gives your CPA the engineering and the numbers to make that call.
IRS ATG Aligned · Methodology per IRS Pub 946 & Treas. Reg. §1.168 · Engineering-based component studies · Form 3115 / 481(a) look-back · Works directly with your CPA
Basis works with commercial and short-term rental owners in all 50 states, with guides covering 44 vacation rental markets. Estimates run off the county's own assessment records, including a proprietary data engine covering more than 14,000 Pennsylvania commercial and industrial parcels.