Building Owners Managers Association (BOMA) has been the leading trade association for commercial real estate (CRE) professionals for more than 100 years and is perhaps best known for its Standard Method of Measurement.
The BOMA Standard is used to compute floor area in and around buildings via an agreed-upon, standard method of measurement that is updated over time. These standards are not laws, but rather a set of guidelines to provide a baseline comparison of rentable areas between buildings. The measurement standards are used by building owners, property managers, tenants, appraisers, and other building measurement professionals to measure floor area and calculate rentable spaces.
In this blog, we take a deep dive into the BOMA standard methods of measurement for Industrial, Retail, Mixed-Use, Gross Areas, and Multi-Family/Hospitality properties.
BOMA 2019 for Industrial Buildings
BOMA 2019 for Industrial Buildings establishes a single method of measurement to determine rentable square footage (RSF) for industrial buildings, flex buildings, and any associated structures. It can be applied to single-tenant or multi-tenant properties, and can be used to measure new, existing, and proposed buildings.
This standard includes multiple load factors for building service, floor service area, and inter-building area. The load factors are applied to occupant areas on a pro-rata basis and provide a multi-occupant rentable area breakdown.
One of the key features of this standard is its compatibility with IPMS: Industrial Buildings, specifically IPMS 1. While BOMA standards are primarily designed for leasing purposes, IPMS 1 supports building planning and development efforts. Service load factors are not included in the IPMS 1 standard.
BOMA 2020 for Retail Properties
BOMA 2020 for Retail Properties is the first update to the BOMA retail measurement method since 2010. This standard offers property owners and asset managers the option to do a partial measurement of at least one retail unit, or an overall measurement of the entire retail property, including all retail suites and common areas.
Certain unenclosed areas deemed fundamental to the “retail experience” (i.e. permanent patio areas, balconies, finished rooftops) are now included as part of Gross Leasable Area (GLA) and Gross Leasable Exclusions (GLE).
Owners and operators also have the option to calculate parking areas, major vertical penetrations, service areas and public areas according to a retail tenant’s GLA. The new retail standard is compatible with IPMS: Retail Buildings in 2021.
BOMA 2021 for Mixed-Use Properties
Mixed-use properties offer multiple occupancy types in one building. These offerings might include a combination of office, retail, industrial, hospitality, entertainment, civic, or institutional spaces.
The main purpose of the BOMA 2021 for Mixed-Use Properties is to generate mixed-use common area allocations to be integrated with the available single-use BOMA standards. The standard classifies the different occupancy types into use components, parking components, and mixed-use common areas.
The use components are measured on a gross basis for use with this standard. However, for rentable areas, GLAs, or unit areas, use components are measured by applying the other BOMA single occupancy measurement standards.
BOMA 2018 for Gross Areas
BOMA 2018 for Gross Areas was developed in direct response to requests for a floor measurement standard that could be applied to all building types and forms of occupancy — office, industrial, retail, multi-unit residential, mixed-use and campus-style facilities.
Features of the standard include an expanded glossary of terms and best-practice guidance to address ambiguities and inconsistencies in the 2009 version.
The standard is compatible with the IPMS, follows the new format introduced with the BOMA 2017 Office Standard, and replaces the terms “Exterior Gross Area” and “Construction Gross Area” with Gross Area 1 (Leasing Method), Gross Area 2 (International Comparison Method), Gross Area 3 (Volumetric Method) and Gross Area 4 (Construction Method).
BOMA 2023 for Multi-Family/Hospitality Properties
BOMA 2023 for Multi-Family/Hospitality Properties determines floor areas for Multi-Family and Hospitality Properties through the Gross Areas Method and Net Area Method. This provides two distinct levels of measurement data, known as the Inside Net Method and the Centerline Net Method. This measurement standard also accommodates a Partial Measurement or an Overall Measurement.
Due to the sheer variety of architectural designs, space configurations, and business requirements found in today’s multi-family and hospitality environment, this standard goes to great detail to cover as many real-world property conditions as possible.
BOMA standard methods of measurement
No matter the property type, there is a BOMA standard method of measurement. It’s important for teams to be aware of the specifics, the new updates, and how their property can be impacted by these measurement standards.
If your buildings are not following the correct BOMA standard for your property type, you risk noncompliance and may miss out on revenue opportunities.
Learn more about the latest BOMA measurement standards when you download our interactive guide.
