151 definitions. One definitive reference.

Building with no recesses and/or projections.

Used in the measurement of a building or occupant space to identify the boundaries of a geometric space.

A Portion of the plannable area on a floor that can be assigned to occupants or functions.

Areas that are assigned or apportioned and often provide benefit to specific retail, store or office areas.

A mezzanine that is adjacent to the exterior enclosure (Method A) or drip line (Method B) of a building.

A real estate term generally to mean a commercial structure without tenant improvements or what is the basic structure of a building without occupancy.

BOMA GROSS AREA STANDARD 2009 A floor of a building that has an elevation below that of the average adjacent grade plane by a distance of more than two thirds of the vertical dimension between the elevation of that floor level and the elevation of the floor immediately above it.

To determine the usable area of below grade, cellar and sub-cellar areas, follow the same procedures as are appropriate for single or multiple tenant floors except that the following additional areas should be deducted from usable area: -Machine rooms and pump rooms and their enclosing walls.

Currently referring to one of the following measurement standards published by BOMA: ANSI/BOMA Z65.1-2010, OFFICE; ANSI/BOMA Z65.2-2012, INDUSTRIAL; ANSI/BOMA Z65.3-2009, GROSS; ANSI/BOMA Z65.4-2010, RESIDENTIAL; ANSI/BOMA Z65.5-2010, RETAIL; ANSI Z65.6-2012, MIXED-USE.

BOMA INDUSTRIAL STANDARD 2012 A portion of a building that adds a convenience for all occupants of a building and that is not used exclusively by any one occupant.

The area included within surrounding exterior walls (or exterior and fire walls) exclusive of vent shafts and courts.

Fully-enclosed space within a building that benefits all occupants of that building but which does not accommodate tenant personnel, furniture, fixtures or equipment.

Term used to describe boundaries of the exterior walls of a building or structure when placed on a piece of property.

Along with publishing multiple leading measurement standards, BOMA International is a primary source of information on building management and operations, development, leasing, building operating costs, energy consumption patterns, local and national building codes, legislation, occupancy statistics, technological developments and other industry trends.

BOMA INDUSTRIAL STANDARD 2012 The sum of building service areas and building amenity areas on a floor level.

An industrial property that consists of two or more physically separate industrial buildings with related ownership and occupying a single industrial site.

When multiple buildings share common service areas within a Campus the apportionments of the common services are expressed through a factor or R/U ratio for the Campus which is added to the other R/U ratio to determine the total Rentable Area of each tenant or occupier with in a building .

The lesser of the market load factor and the load factor A (if using Method A) or the load factor B (if using Method B) on each floor level of a building.

The product of the capped load factor and the occupant area on each floor level of a building.

BOMA MIXED USE STANDARD 2012 BOMA INDUSTRIAL STANDARD 2012 BOMA GROSS AREA STANDARD 2009 A line connecting points that are equidistant between both base-building finished surfaces of a wall, not taking into account special finishes for adjacent occupants or furring or chases to accommodate pipes, wiring or equipment that serve adjacent occupants.

Corridors, aisles and other similar space required for occupants to move within the building.

The actual surface areas of floors square footage of (office, corridors, bathrooms, and the like) that require cleaning in order to maintain sanitary conditions and good appearance.

The rate of change in the size or length of a building component or a measuring device caused by a given change in temperature.

That portion of the Complex Common Area apportioned to each building within a complex of buildings that share the common area being apportioned (central plan, engineers office, etc.).

BOMA OFFICE STANDARD 2010 Portion of a building complex or campus that provides services that enables occupants to work in one or more buildings within the complex or campus.

The creation and distribution of various types of electronic information within a computer file structure

Collectively, the drawings, specifications, general conditions, addenda and instructions that are used to construct, bid or finance a building.

(See Working Drawings or Construction Documents )

The total of all the horizontal floor areas (as viewed on a floor plan) of all floors of a building contained within their building perimeters excluding voids (except for occupant voids), interstitial space, roofs, unexcavated areas, crawl spaces, un-structured on-grade parking and other site improvements.

The amount of Rent that is generated is generally determined by the Rentable Area of a floor or tenants space.

A portion of occupant area that is located outside the physical enclosing walls of an occupant’s premises and between it and the hypothetical or multi-occupant corridor.

The Rentable Area currently assigned to a tenant as it appears on the current lease agreement.

An interior wall dividing one occupant from an adjacent occupant on the same floor or mezzanine.

A line on the ground, a plaza, roof terrace or balcony in the same vertical plane as the outside edge of a roof or overhang that occurs at the level of the floor or roof of a floor level immediately above.

A method of measuring Industrial Space defined in the BOMA Industrial Standard.

Includes all areas the are related to the electrical operations of the building including electrical rooms, switch gear rooms, etc.

Enclosed areas that are for the use, accessed by and maintained for the benefit of the occupants that are not recognized as Rentable Area.

Identifies the corridor configuration constructed on a specific floor of a building at a specific date.

BOMA OFFICE STANDARD 2010 BOMA INDUSTRIAL STANDARD 2012 BOMA GROSS AREA STANDARD 2009 The wall, roof or soffit that constitutes the envelope necessary to enclose a building.

When a Factor system is used, each floor of the building may have a different factor based on the common areas apportioned to each floor and size of the floor.

Once the Load Factor on a floor has been established it is “fixed” (not to change).

Usable Area multiplied by the Floor Conversion Factor equals Net Rentable Area

Alternative method to express a factor.

This is a factor that represents the total amount of Floor Common, Multi-Floor Common and Building Common Areas apportioned to a floor or tenant of similar office types.

Dimensions acquired from on-site measurements of a building using various measurement devices.

The method by which a building or property is physically measured, inventoried and examined.

Developed to the extent of the addition of the following improvements or at least incorporating other similar improvements: Frame and drywall partition fully separating the finished areas from adjacent unfinished areas of the building, constructed at least to the height of an intersecting finished interior ceiling

BOMA OFFICE STANDARD 1989 A wall, ceiling or floor surface, including glass, as prepared for tenant use, excluding the thickness of any special surfacing materials such as paneling, furring strips and carpet

BOMA INDUSTRIAL STANDARD 2012 Space in a building designed to accommodate industrial, office or retail use, or any mixture (including 100% of any one) of those uses.

BOMA GROSS AREA STANDARD 2009 A normally horizontal, load-bearing structure constituting the bottom level of each story in a building including its associated permanent mezzanine, if any exists

Portion of a floor that adds a convenience for all occupants of the floor and that is not used exclusively by any one occupant.

The term that has become generic to represent areas that are of common use to a floor.

Are major holes in the floor(s) of the building where there is no floor.

A floor opening in excess of (1)square foot (0.1 square meter) that serves vertical building systems or vertical occupant circulation functions.

Usually represents a two dimension graphic representation of a single floor of a building.

In enclosed malls, an area devoted to permanent food vendor stalls offering a range of prepared foods for on-premises consumption and served by a common, shared seating area.

The “Footprint” of a building is the area of land occupied by a building, or portion of a larger building, calculated based on its Exterior Dimensions.

A floor not including any mezzanine that may be associated with it.

A common term to mean the line determined by glass along the perimeter of a building.

The total enclosed area of a floor or building measured to the inside surface of the permanent exterior walls of the building or structure or to a predetermined surface, or plane as in the case of overhangs and projections to the outside surface of the building.

A term used by federal agencies to measure multi-family properties.

The total enclosed area of a floor or building measured to the outside surface of the permanent exterior walls of the building or structure or to a predetermined surface, or plane as in the case of overhangs and projections to the outside surface of the building.

The total floor area contained within the measure line (generally, the outside surface of the exterior enclosure of a building) including structured parking.

A term used to expresses the Gross Area of a floor less the area occupied by the thickness of the exterior walls

The “Gross Building Area” of a building is the total area comprised of the building’s Footprint plus Rentable Mezzanine, based on Exterior Dimensions.

Term used in retail leasing.

The Greater Washington Commercial Association of Realtors.

The Standard Method of Measurement, A Formula for Calculating Rentable Office and Retail Space, published by the GWCAR and used only in the District of Columbia and nearby areas of Virginia and Maryland.

In multi-story common interest communities, a plane of elevation relative to an established benchmark that defines either an upper or a lower boundary of a unit.

IPMS International Property Measurement Standards (IPMS) A collection of measurement standards developed by the International Property Measurement Standards Coalition.

The Floor Area available on an exclusive basis to an occupier.

The Floor Area available on an exclusive basis to an occupier, but excluding Standard Facilities, and calculated on an occupier-by- occupier or floor-by-floor basis for each building.

A widely used measurement standard in Europe, published by ISO and available through ANDSI, titled ISO 9836, “Performance Standards in Buildings – Definition and Calculation of Area and Space Indicators.”

Published under the title “The Standard Classification for Building Floor Area Measurements for Facility Management."

A type of building typically used to house equipment and personnel for distributing and changing the form of raw materials or of assembling components and parts, packaging, warehousing and transporting finished products.

Space suitable for industrial use, characterized by ceilings higher than 12 feet and interior finishes, HVAC, lighting and power unsuitable for office, institutional or retail occupancy.

A property that consists of two or more buildings that have one or more floors that are shared among the buildings, or are closely integrated and share significant building service and amenity areas.

Fully-enclosed space on a floor that benefits all occupants on multiple floors without being used exclusively by any one occupant.

The area, measured in a horizontal plane, of a floor level of a building that is circumscribed by the IGA boundary, without deductions for columns or projections necessary to the building.

The inside finish surface comprising 50% or more of the surface area for each vertical section forming an internal perimeter.

Applicable Standards: IPMS RETAIL IPMS RESIDENTIAL The inside finished surface comprising more than 50% of the floor to ceiling height for each IDF Wall Portion.

A measure of floor area that excludes the area taken up by exterior enclosing walls.

A systems to manage the ongoing measurements and other lease information required by building owners to properly maintain the accounting of building and occupancies.

A horizontal line forming a perimeter that encompasses all the constructed elements of a given occupant space.

Another term for the BOMA R/U Ratio that is not defined in the BOMA Standard

BOMA OFFICE STANDARD 2017 A Factor based on the pro-rata apportionment of Service/Common Area to Usable Area that services an occupant or floor of a building.

A term used correctly only in conjunction with the REBNY Standard.

Major openings in the floor to accommodate vertical building elements such as stairs, elevators, HVAC shafts, atriums and the like.

A load factor established at the sole discretion of the ownership of a building.

The firm or individual who is expert in practices and standards of commercial space measurement.

The minimum corridor is the shortest possible corridor necessary to provide legal access to the required stairways, elevator lobby, and any common areas, such as restrooms or mechanical areas.

A use component, mixed-use common area, or parking component in a mixed-use property.

A floor on which the Usable or Occupant Area can be leased to more than one tenant or occupant.

A name of a type of space or area that is shared or provide service to multiple (but not all) floors of a single building.

Abbreviation for Net Assignable Square Footage.

This term is used in facilities programming and planning to describe functional areas such as classrooms and laboratories without required building support spaces like circulation, mechanical and structural areas.

A term used in building codes to describe the actual occupied area of a floor, not including accessory unoccupied areas (stairs, elevator & HVAC shafts, mechanical rooms, etc.) or the thickness of walls.

Another term sometimes used in the real estate market for the area or space that is leased without any additional apportionments.

Net Rentable Area = Usable Area + Floor Common Share Note: The Net Rentable area is always the same whether the floor is leased to a single tenant or multiple tenants.

A term used in facilities programming and planning as a measure of building efficiency, it is a number less than one, the numerator of which is the Net Assignable Area and the denominator of which is the Gross Area.

A term used in the REBNY Standard to describe the usable area available to a tenant on a multi-tenant floor, excluding corridors.

This applies only to New York City, not the State of New York.

The Non-Rentable and Non-Usable areas of the building not apportioned to all tenants.

A term developed by Stevenson Systems, Inc., to identify or classify a space or area that is measured but not currently included as part of the Rentable area of multiple buildings.

Space that is usable by occupants only for storage because of its location and/or because the levels of finish, lighting, power and HVAC are unsuitable for use as office space, and is accounted for separately from the other rentable areas of the building.

A floor opening between two or more adjacent floors created by removal of floor area by or for the occupant that would otherwise be included in the exterior gross area or construction gross area of the floor

A number less than one, the numerator of which is the interior gross area (IGA) of a mixed-use common area, and the denominator of which is the exterior gross area (EGA) of that same mixed-use common area.

BOMA INDUSTRIAL STANDARD 2012 BOMA GROSS AREA STANDARD 2009 An upper floor or roof of a building that extends, protrudes, or is cantilevered above an unenclosed area below.

Is a real estate industries term to mean the drawings that are provided on paper and not on a computer.

A plot of land or air space that can be owned, sold and developed as a unit.

See Workstations .

A drawing illustrating the interior partitions within a space or suite.

BOMA GROSS AREA STANDARD 2009 Enclosed floor area located on the roof level of a building that occupies less than the total area of the roof.

BOMA GROSS AREA STANDARD 2009 An unenclosed horizontal load bearing floor surface intended for use and located at or near ground level, which constitutes the roof of space below it that is included in construction gross area.

For the purposes of measurement it is the word, included in most leases to describe a occupant, Tenant or Usable Area.

A financial projection of income and expenses used as a basis for securing financing for a property.

IPMS RESIDENTIAL IPMS OFFICE Any real estate asset in the built environment

BOMA INDUSTRIAL STANDARD 2012 BOMA GROSS AREA STANDARD 2009 The legal boundary of a parcel of land.

A condition where the elevation of a floor on the interior of the perimeter of a side of a building is approximately the same as the elevation of an unenclosed public walking surface (such as a sidewalk) on the exterior side of the same side of the building, and significant public pedestrian traffic normally occurs along such exterior walking surface.

Also know as a conversion factor that, when multiplied to USABLE area, generates the Rentable area of a space.

Titled “The Recommended Method of Floor Measurement for Office Buildings,” published by the REBNY.

A rebate of rent by the landlord to a tenant or occupant as a concession during the leasing process.

The product of the occupant + allocated area of an occupant or floor level times the R/O ratio of the building.

A measured and calculated area of a building whereupon the square footage number generated is equal to all the measured areas of a building as Rentable square footage, excluding major vertical penetrations.

Once the Rentable on a floor has been established it is “fixed” (not to change).

A term used in the GWCAR Standard to define Store Area, but can also include certain exterior areas such as outside dining for restaurants or carryout food establishments, or a portion of the main building lobby.

Big box - A physically large retail establishment usually part of a chain.

A graduated instrument that allows a measurer to determine linear distances from paper floor plans that are drawn to scale for the purpose of calculating floor areas.

BOMA INDUSTRIAL STANDARD 2012 The sum of service area and amenity area on any given floor level of a building.

IPMS RESIDENTIAL IPMS OFFICE IPMS INDUSTRIAL Any entity providing real estate advice to a User Including, but not limited to, Valuers, Surveyors, facility managers, property managers, asset managers, agents and brokers, Space Measurement Professionals, cost consultants, interior designers and architects.

(See Vacancy )

Detailed, accurate drawings produced by individual trades from which a building is actually constructed.

A floor of a building that is occupied by only one tenant or occupant.

Improvements such as infrastructure, sidewalks, driveways, on-grade parking, landscaping, drainage structures, retail dining patios and garden centers, amphitheaters, helipads and many similar features, that are not measured as part of a building.

A system created by Peter Stevenson founder of Stevenson Systems, Inc., that documents the use and/or allocation of measured areas by applying appropriate measurement standard(s) throughout the lifecycle of a property.

IPMS RESIDENTIAL IPMS OFFICE IPMS INDUSTRIAL A Service Provider qualified by experience or training to measure Buildings in accordance with IPMS.

A document specifying the comprehensive facilities requirements of a user of space.

Space that is used exclusively by a tenant for their personnel, furniture, equipment, storage, support and processes.

A drawing that delineates the location of a prospective tenant’s suite while the lease is being negotiated.

Document published by The American Institute of Architects (AIA) titled “Methods of Calculating Areas and Volumes of Buildings”

The difference between an area calculation made by an individual and the actual area of a subject space, floor or building.

This are unenclosed areas that are for the use, accessed by and maintained for the benefit of the occupants and are not recognized as under BOMA 2010 Standards as Rentable Area.

Shall mean the sum of Usable areas of office area, store areas and Building Common Areas of a floor.

A portion of a mixed-use property that is occupied by a single homogeneous use.

There are two types of vacancies.

IPMS RESIDENTIAL IPMS OFFICE IPMS INDUSTRIAL A Service Provider with an appropriate professional qualification in valuation or appraisal.

BOMA GROSS AREA STANDARD 2009 Sub-grade space that is enclosed and contiguous to a basement that extends below the adjacent ground plane past the property line, often under a public right-of-way, such as a sidewalk or alley.

In common interest communities, any boundary of a unit that is not a horizontal boundary.

Vertical Penetrations include stairs, lift/elevator shafts and ducts but any penetration of less than 0.25m2 is to be disregarded

See GWCAR Standard.

Graphic depictions of a building on paper or CAD, prepared as the basis for a construction contract.