BOMA Best Practice 10 addresses the measurement of floor areas in office buildings, focusing on the inside face of exterior walls and inside face of glass. The standard outlines two methods for calculating multi-unit residential buildings: Method A or the “Gross Method”, which produces a larger area since it measures each unit. The most common measurement system for office space is the one promulgated by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), which has been the American standard for office space.
When calculating exterior walls, usable boundaries will be created inside the window glass if the window height is larger or equal to 50 of the space ceiling height. Usable outdoor spaces have proven to be a desirable user amenity. The BOMA Office Standard states that the area of a Major Vertical Penetration includes the thickness of its enclosing walls. Most architects calculate to the far side of the stud on the exterior walls, but building area calculations are base on the interior face. For simplicity, the gross footprint of the building including the walls is used.
Spaces are classified as follows: Space outside face of exterior wall, inside face of glass, centerline of any demising, and wall thickness. BOMA measures space from the centerline of walls and includes the thicknesses of walls in its room measurement. Square footage is to the outside of the walls, at least per the BOMA standard.
📹 AC 025 – USF vs RSF & What are the basic BOMA requirements for office buildings?
This video describes the difference between usable and rentable square feet. It also provides a sample to explain why it exists …
What is the calculation for wall thickness?
In order to ascertain the wall thickness of tubing, it is necessary to subtract the internal dimensions (ID) from the external dimensions (OD) and then divide the result by two. To illustrate, Item 59001 has an inner diameter of 1/8″ and an outer diameter of 3/16″. Subtracting 3/16″ from 1/8″ yields 1/16″, which is then divided by 2 to obtain 1/32″, representing the wall thickness. This method may be employed to ascertain the wall thickness of tubing.
How do you calculate gross exterior wall area?
The gross exterior wall area (GEWA) is defined as the total area of the window, door, and exterior wall combined.
Are exterior walls included in rentable square footage?
Usable Square Footage (USF) is the total floor area within a space or building that can be effectively utilized, measured from the outer surface of exterior walls and windows, including the midpoints of interior walls adjoining other spaces, hallways, or common areas. It differs from Rentable Square Footage (RSF), which determines the area for which rent is paid. Interior wall measurements are often used by architects and tenants, which may yield a smaller figure than the landlord’s calculation of USF or RSF.
Accurate measurement of USF requires understanding measurement locations and wall thickness. Architects or space planners are better equipped to provide precise measurements compared to individuals using tape measures or lasers. Comparing field measurements with verified CAD documents can further reduce potential errors. USF should exclude common areas within a building, such as public corridors, hallways, and restrooms.
How to do BOMA calculations?
The rentable area of an office on a given floor is calculated by multiplying the usable area of the office by the quotient of the division of the rentable area of the floor by the usable area of the floor, resulting in the R/U ratio. The load factor, also referred to as the common area factor or loss factor, represents the percentage of unusable space on a given floor.
Does BOMA measure on the exterior wall?
Gross Area 1 is a leasing method that defines all areas inside a building, measured from the outer edge of its exterior walls. It also accounts for areas outside the building that are developed and provided to the tenant for their exclusive use. This method is designed for cases when the entire building is leased by a single tenant, allowing for simpler measurements to calculate floor area and rent price.
Does GFA include exterior walls?
The gross floor area (GFA) is defined as the total property square footage, measured between the exterior walls of a building or buildings.
How thick are commercial building exterior walls?
In accordance with the relevant building regulations, one-story buildings are required to have exterior walls with a minimum thickness of 10 inches (254 mm) and to be laterally supported at intervals not exceeding 24 feet (7315 mm).
What is the BOMA method of measurement?
The BOMA Standard is a set of guidelines used by building owners, property managers, tenants, appraisers, and other professionals to calculate floor area and rentable spaces in buildings. These standards are not laws but provide a baseline comparison of rentable areas between buildings. BOMA 2019 for Industrial Buildings is a single method of measurement for determining rentable square footage (RSF) for industrial buildings, flex buildings, and associated structures. It can be applied to single-tenant or multi-tenant properties and can be used to measure new, existing, and proposed buildings.
What is BOMA 2024 measurement?
The BOMA 2024 Office Standard is a new update to BOMA’s method of measurements, which is used to calculate floor area in and around office buildings. This standard is applicable to all types of office properties, including commercial, medical, institutional, and life science buildings. The 2024 Office Standard introduces several new features, enhancements, and clarifications compared to the 2017 Standard. One of the new features is the inclusion of qualifying Unenclosed Occupant Service Areas in Rentable Areas, which are not required for the building to function and are not landlord-controlled.
What is the standard thickness of exterior walls?
Modern exterior walls are typically 7. 25 inches thick, with 2X6 framing, 1 inch exterior siding, and 0. 25 inch interior drywall. The outer walls of public rooms, such as smoking rooms and lounges, are likely metal or steel. The outer superstructure walls are likely steel plates riveted together. The hull is 3 inches thick, but the superstructure is likely not as thick. The ship’s beam is reported as 92.
5 feet at its widest point, which includes the A-Deck promenade and boat deck, which overhangs B-Deck by some portion. The D-Deck Dining Saloon is 92. 5 feet wide, indicating that A-Deck must be wider.
What is the exterior gross area of BOMA?
The Exterior Gross Area (EGA) method is a method used to determine the exterior surface of exterior walls for each floor without deduction, including enclosed structured parking but excluding the roof level of a parking structure. It is commonly used for tax assessment and leasing an entire building to a single tenant, provided both parties agree. The Construction Gross Area (CGA) method includes all areas measured in the Exterior Gross Area method but also unenclosed areas within the building perimeter with a structural floor or covered by a roof or canopy.
In 2018, BOMA International released the “BOMA 2018 Gross Areas Standard Methods of Measurement – ANSI/BOMA Z65. 3-2018” standard, which is more comprehensive and follows the BOMA 2017 Office Standard in its progressive formatting, text, and illustrations.
📹 Rentable OR Usable AREA…🤔🤔
Learn how to calculate the Usable and Rentable Area for ANY tenant spaces PLUS BOMA guidelines for deriving Usable Areas.
Hi! I really like your articles. I’ve been following you for a while. I am a fire prevention intern, and many of your articles are very, very helpful. For example: means of egress, occupancy, the difference between building components (The what is a girder mystery? Finally solved). I hope in the future you can add more topics related to the fire service, since Chapter 9 and 10 of the IBC and the IFC are identical. If one day you make a article about sprinklers you would make it to my #1 favorite youtuber, LOL! You are very good explaining things, and obviously a very talented artist. I like that you are on the articles now. If one day I see you on the street I’d be able to say hi and thank you. I’m in SoCal, but we drive to NorCal as often as we can (❤ forest!). Have a fantastic day, and thanks again for making articles where we can learn and are very entertaining. 😁👍
Hey Archi!.. Great article!.. It really gave me an insight into what BOMA is all about. Look, I have a situation going on w/ some new owners that are purchasing the COMMERCIAL property, where I rent out my warehouse. It’s a bit long to explain via comment… any chance I could communicate w/ you over the phone?… Your time and expertise would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!… Thnx! Fernando S.
Thanks for the article. Very useful. I read somewhere that vertical penetrations (stairways and elevators and shafts) will be considered in calculating rentable area. But your article said the opposite. Can you please clarify accordig to which BOMA you mentioned that, or if this is consistent with all BOMA versions, whether it is 2017 or 2010 etc.? Thanks again!
Thanks, this was helpful. I’m still looking to see the difference simply explained for (USF vs. RSF vs. Net & Gross S.F.)? One more question; what is FICM, How t use that for counting space or RSF or shared space, how to use FICM to calculate overhangs or breezeways as part of the square footage and not external (exp. breezeway-external under the roof have been calculated as covered exterior and the square foot of it counts as half, correct?)?