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.
Can You Get a Cost Segregation Study Same Day?
By Steven Ellis, Founder, Basis Property Group · Cost Segregation Guides · Timing · Updated September 30, 2026
Quick answer
Nearly. A residential or short-term rental study is delivered within one business day after you have signed, paid and sent your documents (the closing statement, listing or property photos, and any improvement receipts), and it can land the same day when they arrive early. The rush is $995 on top of the normal study fee, which starts at $1,295 for residential. Commercial properties are quoted individually with no rush promise.
Key takeaways
The promise is one business day after you sign, pay and send your documents.
It can land the same day when documents arrive early. The promise stays at one business day.
The rush is $995 on top of the normal study fee, which starts at $1,295 for residential.
Residential and short-term rental only. Commercial is quoted individually, with no rush promise.
Every study is reviewed before delivery. You get the report PDF, a CPA import CSV and a fixed asset schedule.
Steven's Take
Rush exists because I did not want a real deadline to be the reason someone skipped a study they should have run. It is $995 on top of the study fee, delivered within one business day after you sign, pay and send the documents. It works because the residential process never needed a site visit to begin with, and we review every study before it goes out.
Steven Ellis, Founder
How the one business day clock works
The clock does not start when you first reach out. It starts when three things are done: you have signed, you have paid, and your documents are in. From that point, delivery is due within one business day.
Business days, not calendar days. Complete the package on a Friday and delivery is due the next business day. We do not promise a time of day, and we do not promise the same calendar day. When documents arrive early and the property is straightforward, a study can land the same day. That is a bonus. The promise is one business day.
The order matters because the work is built from your documents and your photos. A missing closing statement or a half-finished photo set keeps the clock from starting.
The clock starts when the package is complete, not when you first ask.
Residential turnaround. Normal delivery: 1 to 2 weeks. Tax season: 2 to 3 weeks. Same-week rush: $250 upcharge. One-business-day rush: $995 upcharge, counted from signing, payment and documents. The photos-only process needs no site visit, which is what makes the rush options possible. Commercial studies run 4 to 6 weeks in season, 2 to 3 weeks in January and February (not shown here).
Need it fast?
See the one-business-day offer and start a same-day study. $995 on top of the normal study fee, residential and short-term rental only.
The closing statement. It gives the purchase price and closing date, which is where cost basis starts. Land comes out first, because only the building depreciates.
Listing or property photos. The photos already on the Airbnb or VRBO listing work. So do your own photos of the property. The residential process classifies components from photos, with no site visit.
Any improvement receipts. A renovation, an addition, new flooring, a new deck. Receipts document what the improvements actually cost.
Have all three ready before you sign. Sending the full package the moment you pay is the fastest way to start the clock. Not sure whether something counts? Send it. An extra document costs nothing. A missing one can cost you a day.
What you get
Three deliverables.
The full report PDF. Components sorted into 5-year, 7-year and 15-year property, with the building itself staying on its standard schedule: 27.5 years for a residential rental, or generally 39 years for a short-term rental with an average guest stay of 7 days or less.
A CPA import CSV. The numbers in a file your CPA can load instead of retyping.
A fixed asset schedule. The asset-by-asset list your CPA sets up depreciation from.
Basis reviews every study before it is delivered. The rush changes when it arrives, not whether it gets looked at. Your CPA prepares and files the return. We never file it.
Who this is for, and the deadline rule
Rush requests tend to come from three situations.
A return is coming due and a study feeds it.
A closing or refinance is this week, and a lender, buyer or partner wants the depreciation documentation in the file.
A K-1 is waiting on a co-owner, and a study is the last input.
On the first one, the rule turns on which return carries a study's first-year depreciation. That depends on the year the property was placed in service, meaning ready and available to rent. The closing date is not the test. If your 2025 return is on extension, it is due October 15. A property placed in service in 2026 belongs on a 2026 return, which has its own due date.
Due dates vary by entity type and by year. Confirm the date for your return with your CPA. A rush gets the report to your CPA sooner. It does not move any due date.
No date pressing? Then skip the rush. A residential study normally takes 1 to 2 weeks, and 2 to 3 weeks in tax season. Paying for speed you do not need makes no sense. See how long a study takes, or the rush page for deadlines if a week is enough.
What Starts the Clock
A signed agreement, payment, and your documents: the closing statement, listing or property photos, and any improvement receipts. Then one business day.
Residential rental and short-term rental properties. That covers single-family rentals, cabins, beach houses and condos, including the ones listed on Airbnb or VRBO.
Why residential can move this fast: the process runs on listing photos and documents, with no site visit, and Basis reviews every study before delivery. There is nothing to schedule and no one to coordinate access with.
Commercial is quoted individually, with no rush promise. A commercial building carries more asset classes and more systems, and the timeline depends on the property. Commercial studies normally run 2 to 3 weeks in January and February and 4 to 6 weeks in tax season.
How one business day compares
The market runs at two speeds. Software tools return a report in minutes. That suits an owner who wants a number fast and does not need a person to look at it first. Engineered firms usually quote 3 days to 4 weeks, since an engineer is working the file.
One business day, with a review on every study, sits between the two. It is slower than a tool that returns a report in minutes. It is faster than most engineered quotes. To see how the two models differ, read engineered versus software cost segregation and why Basis offers both.
What the rush costs
The rush is $995 on top of the normal study fee. It does not replace the fee. It sits on top of whatever the normal fee is for your property.
Residential study fees start at $1,295 and are published in the pricing tables. At the starting fee, the rush brings the total to $2,290. A larger property carries a higher study fee. Commercial is quoted individually.
What a rush does not change
The rush changes the calendar. It does not change what a cost segregation study does: sort a building's components into faster depreciation schedules and leave the structure on the standard one. It does not change the tax rules that apply to the property. It does not change who files the return. Your CPA does that, with the files we deliver.
The rush fits an owner with a real date and a complete package. An owner with neither is better off on the normal timeline.
Frequently asked questions
Is same-day cost segregation really same-day?
The promise is one business day after you have signed, paid and sent your documents. It can land the same day when documents arrive early, but we do not promise a time of day or the same calendar day.
What starts the one business day clock?
Three things: a signed agreement, payment, and your documents. The documents are the closing statement, listing or property photos, and any improvement receipts. The clock starts when the last of the three is in.
How much does the rush cost?
$995 on top of the normal study fee. Residential study fees start at $1,295, so at the starting fee the total is $2,290. Fees by property value are published on the Why Basis page.
What do I get at delivery?
The full report PDF, a CPA import CSV and a fixed asset schedule. Basis reviews every study before it goes out. Your CPA prepares and files your return.
Can a commercial property get the rush?
There is no rush promise on commercial. Commercial properties are quoted individually, and the timeline depends on the building.
Why can a residential study be delivered this fast?
The residential process runs on listing photos and documents with no site visit, and Basis reviews every study before delivery. There is nothing to schedule on site.
What if my deadline is October 15?
If your 2025 return is on extension, it is due October 15. Count backward from that date: delivery is due one business day after you sign, pay and send documents, and your CPA needs time with the files. Confirm the date for your return with your CPA.
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.