
Cost Approach Solutions
Our company
Information is at the core of smart decision-making. It drives strategy, solutions, revenue and ultimately, business success. It is only logical that it come from a superior source—that’s Cotality®.
The addition of Marshall & Swift® to Cotality creates an even stronger foundation, deeper expertise and increased versatility in property risk data, analytics and portfolio management for your business workflow.
Cotality produces the proprietary Marshall & Swift Residential, Commercial and Agricultural Building Cost Data and delivery methods that feature a comprehensive product suite of cost manuals, specialty publications and software solutions used by a diverse range of professionals.
Property Records Spanning 50+ Years
Analytic Models
The Cost Approach: A critical reality check for value
The Cost Approach, which is the theory that the value of a property can be estimated by summing the land value and the depreciated value of improvements, has always served as a crucial quality control function to verify market-based estimates and help identify a potential runaway or rapidly declining market. It's one of the most reliable valuation methods, providing a much needed reality check in both strong and weak markets.
Proudly serving the following building professionals:
Appraisers and Appraisal Management Personnel
Real Estate Lawyers
Assessors
Real Estate Inspectors
Educators
Banking Professionals
Commercial Property Insurers
Real Estate Agents
Property and Preservation Contractors
CAMA Resellers
Products
Cost Manuals
Marshall & Swift Valuation Service
Our flagship cost manual is the complete and authoritative appraisal guide for developing replacement costs and depreciated values of commercial structures. It references more than 30,000 component costs, over 300 building occupancies and includes costs for “green” features.
Residential Cost Handbook
With six classifications for building quality and corresponding descriptions and photographs of a wide variety of construction styles and qualities, this cost manual helps eliminate the guess work of residential valuations. You get thousands of square foot and component costs for every type of residence. Improve the consistency and accuracy of your property valuations.
Desktops
Commercial Estimator™
This desktop application gives you access to accurate costs on more than 300 building occupancies. You can create detailed reports with as little as five pieces of data. Get defendable values that help you stay in full regulatory compliance.
Residential Estimator™
Residential Estimator™ allows you to create unlimited cost approach reports with an easy-to-use desktop application. You can produce an entire report for new replacement costs values by entering building data into as few as five specified fields. Produce and manage accurate cost reports in a fraction of the time.
Online

SwiftEstimator® is a powerful online suite of property appraisal applications that delivers real time cost data for all of your appraisal needs. You can create fast, reliable valuations for any residential or commercial property. Get data available 24/7 from any location.
Training
Cost Approach Certification Program
The Cost Approach Certification Program prepares you with the knowledge and skills necessary to put Marshall & Swift market data to work for your organization. Understand construction costs as well as we do.
Solutions
Appraisal Services
We provide the appraisal industry with the data necessary to complete Cost Approach valuations for any commercial or residential property in the field. Meet your unique challenges with our acclaimed cost data and innovative new solutions.
Training Services
Designed with the busy appraisal and financial professional in mind, our industry leading training improves your product knowledge, while enhancing your productivity, level of expertise and overall performance. You get state-of-the-art, web-based technology. Stay ahead of the curve and address the rapidly changing demands of the appraisal and financial industries.
Tax Consulting Services
Tax consultants and cost segregation professionals rely upon our building/component cost data to determine depreciation values of assets for cost segregation studies. Get a deeper look at the valuation/classification of allowed deductions for residential properties with our customized online reporting applications.
Lending Services
Accurate valuations are at the heart of any successful real estate finance program. In order to ensure the integrity of prospective loans, lending institutions must employ an effective review that confirms figures and prevents over-inflated estimates. Keep your appraisal divisions organized and help reduce the potential for lending losses with our Lending Services.
Government Services
State, local and federal government agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada hold Marshall & Swift costs and methodologies as the standard for calculating the Cost Approach. Get fresh new insights with automated valuation technologies that integrate with Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
For more information, contact CSInquiry@corelogic.com or call 1-800-544-2678.
© 2026 Cotality. All Rights Reserved.
Cotality, the Cotality logo, and MARSHALL & SWIFT are trademarks of Cotality and/or its subsidiaries.