ANSI The "American National Standards Institute" helps develop a wide variety of marketplace standards for safety, health, environment and general integrity. ANSI accreditation is a distinct feature of the BOMA and SIOR measuring standards. For more information, go to http//www.ansi.org. |
Area Analysis A professional review, calculation and determination of the amount of space within a building. Normally, an area analysis will be illustrated as a chart with a corresponding as-built plan or feasibility drawing and performed according to a specified measuring methodology or standard, such as BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association). |
Area Certification A document stating the area of a premises according to a specific measuring methodology with references to a specific floor plan or area chart. |
Area Chart A chart displaying all the relevant calculated areas of a building area analysis. |
Area Dispute Resolution The process of engaging an unbiased third party to help resolve a disagreement in square footage between 2 or more parties. |
As-Built A floor plan illustrating the current conditions and configuration of space within a building. |
AutoCAD The most widely used CAD (Computer Aided Design) software application for 2D and 3D design and drafting, developed and sold by Autodesk, Inc. |
Base Building Wall A wall that is physically part of the building structure and normally present for the lifetime of the building. |
Basic Rentable Area A specific step in the process of calculating a tenant's Total Rentable Area according to the BOMA 1996 Standard, in which the floor r/u ratio is applied to the usable area of a tenant. |
Blue Print Digitization The process in which a blue print is digitized and stored on a computer or disk for archival. |
Blue Print Large format, scaled hard copy of an architectural drawing. |
BOMA The "Building Owners and Managers Association" is a primary source of information on office building development, leasing, building operating costs, energy consumption patterns, local and national building codes, legislation, occupancy statistics and technological developments. For more information, go to http//www.boma.org/About. |
BOMA 1980 We have a detailed description here. |
BOMA 1996 We have a detailed description here. |
BOMA/SIOR 2004 Otherwise known as the "Standard Methods For Measuring Floor Area in Industrial Buildings" BOMA/SIOR 2004 is a colloborative effort between BOMA, SIOR and The American Industrial Real Estate Association (AIR) resulting in a 2004 publication outlining a standard method of measuring industrial buildings. The standard offers building owners two distinct methodologies known as the Exterior Wall Methodology and the Drip Line Methodology. Both methodologies are conceptually similar to the BOMA 1996 office standard. For more information, go here. |
Building Common Area Areas within a building not specifically occupied by tenants but which serve and benefit all of the tenants in the building. |
Building Core The central area of a floor in an office building which generally contains the stairwells, elevator shafts, service shafts and mechanical areas. |
CAD or CADD "Computer Aided Design" or "Computer Aided Drafting and Design" is the most commonly used term to describe computer software which allows the user to draft scalable architectural or engineering drawings. |
CAD Plan A floor plan in any digital CAD format but usually in AutoCAD DWG format. A CAD plan offers the ability to edit the floor plan with CAD software. |
CAFM Integration Computer Aided Facility Management uses information technology and software as a support for facilities management. As-built floor plans are often integrated with CAFM software as part of a client's facilities management program. |
Capped Gross-Up The practice of using a "not-to-exceed" gross-up factor for the determination of rentable area. For example, in a lease offer, a landlord may state that the rentable area of the premises will be determined according to BOMA 1996 but with a capped gross-up of 15%. In this example, if the total gross-up under BOMA 1996 is more than 15%, the tenant will only pay for a 15% gross-up. |
Color Schematics A floor plan which incorporates color and a color legend to explain certain attributes of the property. We provide color schematics to illustrate how we have identified and calculated various areas of a building according to the measuring methodology used. |
Common Area Any area in a building not occupied by tenants but which serve and benefit tenants in some way. |
Complex Common Area Areas of a building complex that serve and benefit all of the tenants in a building complex. |
Construction Area Sometimes referrred as Gross Building Area, Construction Area is the entire area of a building measured to the outside walls without any deductions. |
Database A computer system which relationally stores individual sets of data in such a way as to make the data easily and quickly retrievable. |
Demising Wall A wall which separates tenants. |
Disto Laser A popular brand of laser measuring devices. A true laser measuring device, such as the Disto Laser, determines distance by calculating the time it takes for the laser to make a round trip from the device to the wall (or any reflective surface) and back to the device. |
Dominant Portion The portion of a wall that is vertically dominant. For example, if a wall from floor to ceiling is 40% glass and 60% drywall, the dominant portion is the drywall. |
Drip Line Methodology Otherwise known as "Method B" in the BOMA/SIOR 2004 Standard Methods For Measuring Floor Area in Industrial Buildings. Method B measures to the most exterior drip line at the perimeter of the roof system to calculate areas. |
Due Diligence The strategic act of avoiding potential future liability by ensuring accuracy on a proactive basis. |
DWG Plan A native AutoCAD file of a floor plan. DWG plans are useful for architects, designers, engineers and any party requiring the ability to edit a floor plan. |
Exterior Wall Methodology Otherwise known as "Method A" in the BOMA/SIOR 2004 Standard Methods For Measuring Floor Area in Industrial Buildings. Method A measures to the outside of exterior walls to calculate areas. |
FAIR Method "Floor Area Information for Real Estate" is a measuring methodology developed by Extreme Measures in an effort to more fairly distribute common areas within a building or building complex. Two additional common area types, known as Private Common Area and Complex Common Area are what primarily distinguishes the FAIR method from the BOMA 1996 standard. |
Feasibility Study The process of determining how to fit a tenant (or other entity) into a building taking in to consideration the amount of area required and what is currently available. |
Feature Sheet A printed or digital document highlighting important features and amenities of a property. Feature sheets often incorporate as-built floor plans, feasibility plans and site plans, as well as maps and key contact information. |
Finished Mezzanine
Generally, a mezzanine that is able to house personnel. The basic requirements for a mezzanine to be considered finished are that the space is full height, air conditioned and heated and finished to comply with local occupancy codes. Finished Mezzanine's are specified in the BOMA/SIOR 2004 Standard Methods For Measuring Floor Area in Industrial Buildings as being included in the Rentable Area of the building as long as all parties agree. |
Fixed Gross-Up The practice of determining the rentable area of a tenant by applying an unchanging and pre-determined gross-up to the tenant's usable area. This practice can be used on a suite by suite, floor by floor or building wide basis and is often used to avoid high and fluctuating BOMA 1996 gross-ups. |
Floor Common Area Areas of a floor within a building not specifically occupied by tenants but which exclusively serve and benefit the tenants of that floor. |
Floor Plate A floor plan that contains common and repeating attributes of a multiple story building for use as a template when measuring multiple floors of a building. |
Gross Building Area Sometimes referrred as Construction Area, Gross Building Area is the entire area of a building measured to the outside walls without any deductions. |
Gross-Up A pro-rata or predetermined fixed increase in a tenant's area, usually expressed as a percentage. Normally a Gross-Up is applied to the usable area of a tenant to compensate for operating expenses in a building. |
IFMA We have a detailed description at here. |
Key Plan A graphic incorporated within a floor plan that illustrates the location of a suite, unit or other type of space on its corresponding floor. |
Major Vertical Penetration A BOMA term representing those areas in a building which penetrate the floor slab; including, stairs, elevator shafts, flues, pipe shafts, vertical ducts, etc. According to BOMA, these areas and their enclosing walls are specifically excluded from the rentable area of a building. |
Modified BOMA A client requested adjustment of a BOMA area analysis when the strict application of BOMA yields unfavorable results (such as a gross-up factor beyond what the market will bear). |
Partition Wall A wall within a tenant's space. |
PDF plan Portable Document Format is the main format used for document exchange on the Internet. It is ideal for exchanging floor plans, area certificates and area analysis charts. |
Planmine™ A free, secure, powerful and easy to use file management system for real estate documents. Planmine is a sophisticated on-line client file database by Extreme Measures which serves as an archive for floor plans and other industry related documents. The system allows clients to download and share plans, authorize work and pay invoices. Planmine Pro is an enhanced version of Planmine allowing users to upload their own files to the system for safe storage, archiving and advanced sharing capabilites. Planmine is in continuous development with more features added all the time and some major features expected within the first quarter of 2009. |
Private Common Area Areas of a building that are exclusively and proportionately shared between one or more tenants. |
Pro-Rata A calculation used to describe a proportionate allocation of space in a building. |
R/U Ratio Rentable Area divided by Usable Area is a method of calculating proportionate share allocations and ultimately the rentable areas of tenants. It is most often used to determine the amount of common area space a tenant must pay for, considering the amount of usable area the tenant occupies. The resulting figure of dividing the total rentable area of a floor or building by the total usable area of a floor or building provides a gross-up factor which can be converted to a percentage and subsequently multiplied to each individual tenants usable area, determining individual tenant rentable areas. |
Reflected Ceiling Plan "RCP" is a scaled drawing of a ceiling as if you are above the ceiling, looking down. RCP's will locate and illustrate such things as light fixtures, drop ceiling tiles, emergency lighting, exit signs, exhaust fans or exhaust hoods, air diffusers and vents, access panels, speakers, sprinkler heads, fire alarm devices, etc. |
Separation Plan A plan of an individual suite or unit which is extracted from a floor plan. Separation plans include a key plan which is a graphic incorporated within the plan illustrating the location of the suite or unit on its corresponding floor. Separation plans are most often used for marketing purposes. |
SIOR The "Society of Industrial and Office Realtors" is a professional commercial and industrial real estate association. In building measurement, SIOR is best known for providing a standard method of measuring industrial buildings. For more information, go to http://www.sior.com/about.asp |
Space Plan A floor plan that illustrates proposed walls and/or furniture configurations. |
Storage Mezzanine
Is a mezzanine built to comply with local building codes and used for storage. Storage Mezzanine's are specified in the BOMA/SIOR 2004 Standard Methods For Measuring Floor Area in Industrial Buildings as being included in the Rentable Area of the building as long as all parties agree. |
Total Rentable Area The area of a premises with all gross-ups applied or the area of a premises in which the lessor will charge a tenant for rent. |
Unfinished Mezzanine
A mezzanine which is unable to house personnel and may only be suitable for storage. Generally, an unfinished mezzanine is not included in the rentable area of a building. |
Usable Area The actual occupied area of a premises without a gross-up applied. |