Property-first provider comparisons
Cherry Bekaert Alternatives: Cost Segregation Providers
Explore alternatives to Cherry Bekaert, including Stratum and other researched providers. Compare service fit, report scope and the work your property requires.
Published by Stratum Cost Segregation, a provider discussed here. This is a commercial comparison, not an independent ranking or customer review. Provider names belong to their respective owners; no competitor affiliation is implied.
$1 per square foot$2,000 minimum per property
Find a provider for the work you need
Choosing an alternative to Cherry Bekaert
Your acquisition and renovation overlap, so the study and tax team need an agreed cost boundary before work starts.
Your decision
Ask how acquisition costs, subsequent work and any prior-year implementation are separately documented.
Cherry Bekaert official service information — researched 2026-10-13.
Stratum’s published study fee
$1 per square foot. $2,000 minimum per property.
Each property in a portfolio uses the same rate and minimum. Confirm measurements, evidence collection and report deliverables in the engagement.
Book a Cost Seg Discovery CallStart with the reason you are comparing Cherry Bekaert
Your acquisition and renovation overlap, so the study and tax team need an agreed cost boundary before work starts.
Ask how acquisition costs, subsequent work and any prior-year implementation are separately documented.
Confirm whether accounting-method preparation and filing are included in your actual engagement.
What the published materials establish
Describes combined engineering and tax services, including property inspection and report delivery. Commercial and residential owners comparing engineering and tax coordination may consider the published offering. This is a service-fit observation, not a judgment about report quality, client satisfaction or the result for your property.
Read Cherry Bekaert official information — research 2026-10-13. Obtain current terms directly.
Other providers to investigate
The following is an unranked editorial shortlist from our researched directory. It includes different proposal questions so you can identify a useful alternative. Inclusion is not confirmation of availability or suitability for every property. Stratum is the publisher and appears separately below.
| Provider | Published service description | Question to verify before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Accelerated Cost Recovery Solutions | Describes cost segregation and fixed-asset disposal studies for commercial and residential property. | Owners comparing a study with separate disposal analysis. How will removed assets be identified without duplicating new improvement costs? |
| Anchin | Describes engineering-based cost segregation and an upfront estimate of potential net present value savings. | Real estate owners evaluating study economics before commissioning work. Which assumptions drive the preliminary net present value estimate? |
| Aprio | Describes cost segregation services for commercial owners, apartment owners, manufacturers and short-term rental owners. | Owners comparing a study across commercial and STR holdings. Are the warehouse and STR priced and reviewed as separate projects? |
| Baker Tilly | Describes cost segregation alongside fixed-asset, repair and related incentive services. | Owners whose property analysis intersects with repairs, disposals or other incentives. Which analyses are separate deliverables, and how are overlapping costs reconciled? |
When to compare Stratum
Consider a Stratum proposal when you want property-level component analysis with a discovery conversation coordinated through AE Tax Advisors. Use the commercial, multifamily, small-rental or STR path to frame the scope. Confirm the assigned team, evidence collection, final schedules and any separately engaged advisory or return work.
For the two-provider decision, read Cherry Bekaert vs Stratum. For a wider search, use the complete alternatives directory.
Compare a specialist engagement with your actual building
A dedicated cost segregation practice, a specialty-tax team and a broader accounting firm can each be a candidate. The useful distinction is the work assigned to this property. Ask for the inspection plan, technical reviewer, relevant property experience and the asset file your preparer receives.
For a large or complex building, define shared systems, tenant improvements, multiple construction phases and any unit sampling before comparing fees. For a small rental, compare the complete project cost with the timing benefit your preparer expects you can use. A broad service menu does not establish that every analysis is included.
A question specific to this comparison
Does the proposal identify inspection, study review and accounting-method responsibilities separately?
Request a written answer and the supporting sample or deliverable. Keep unresolved points separate from confirmed inclusions. If the proposal changes after new records arrive, ask for the revised scope and fee before work proceeds.
Before replacing an existing provider
If a study has already been prepared, give the new provider the report and give your preparer the existing depreciation schedule. Explain whether you need a correction, a second technical opinion, additional improvement analysis or a separate filing project. Do not commission a replacement study without agreeing how prior work and duplicate costs will be handled.
Compare the full price
Request the study, inspection, revisions, technical support and any implementation charges separately. Stratum’s published study pricing is $1 per square foot, with a $2,000 minimum per property; confirm the scope for your building. Competitor fees are not estimated here. Bring both proposals to your preparer with the property’s expected holding period and current tax position.
Continue your alternatives research
Cherry Bekaert proposal comparison worksheet
Use the same facts for every proposal. This worksheet starts with the specific decision on this page: Your acquisition and renovation overlap, so the study and tax team need an agreed cost boundary before work starts.
Download the Cherry Bekaert proposal checklist (CSV)
Record each provider’s written answer beside the relevant proposal clause. The worksheet includes Stratum’s fee formula and separate rows for study work, implementation and support.
Questions before choosing an alternative
What should I ask an alternative to Cherry Bekaert?
Does the proposal identify inspection, study review and accounting-method responsibilities separately? Ask how acquisition costs, subsequent work and any prior-year implementation are separately documented.
Can I keep my existing CPA when changing providers?
You can keep your existing preparer when commissioning a Stratum study. Identify who reviews the report, updates depreciation schedules and handles any separately engaged filing work. Ask Cherry Bekaert to specify those responsibilities in its own proposal.
What would Stratum charge for my property?
The fee is the greater of $2,000 or property square footage × $1. A 1,500-square-foot property costs $2,000; a 3,500-square-foot property costs $3,500. Calculate the fee and review scope. A study fee is separate from any separately engaged planning or return preparation.
Stratum + AE Tax Advisors
One coordinated path from property study to tax strategy
Stratum prepares the property-level cost segregation study. AE Tax Advisors hosts discovery and discusses how the study fits your broader tax position. Your return preparer confirms filing treatment and implementation responsibilities.
- Discuss the property, timing and goals with AE Tax Advisors.
- Confirm Stratum’s study scope, records, fee and delivery assumptions.
- Coordinate the completed study with AE or your existing CPA under the agreed engagement.
Understand the Stratum and AE connection · Explore AE’s cost segregation tax planning
Compare a written Stratum proposal for your property
Bring your purchase records, existing depreciation schedule and questions. AE Tax Advisors will help you discuss the study and wider tax strategy; confirm all services in writing.
Book a Cost Seg Discovery CallSources and scope
- Cherry Bekaert official information — source research 2026-10-13; verify current scope directly.
- Accelerated Cost Recovery Solutions official information — source research 2026-10-13; verify current scope directly.
- Anchin official information — source research 2026-10-13; verify current scope directly.
- Aprio official information — source research 2026-10-13; verify current scope directly.
- Baker Tilly official information — source research 2026-10-13; verify current scope directly.
- Stratum services and published pricing
- IRS Cost Segregation Audit Technique Guide
Updated October 19, 2026. Provider research dates are shown beside the sources. Numeric fees are attributed where verified; no savings guarantees or quality rankings are inferred. Availability, deliverables and fees depend on the actual proposal.
Compare Cherry Bekaert with other firms
- Baker Tilly vs Cherry Bekaert: Acquisition studies, renovation costs and implementation