BOMA MEASURING AND AREA CALCULATION

While the REBNY Standards may hold sway in New York City for determining rentable and useable area, many NYC buildings also need measurements that conform to the Building Owners and Managers Association Standards that are widely adopted across the United States. It is important that your area calculation service provider is well-versed in both sets of standards and can communicate in either language.

Outside of New York, BOMA measuring and BOMA calculation are the accepted standards.

Most recently updated in 2017, the BOMA standards ensure that both the owner of the property and the tenant have a commonly understood way to calculate the rentable area for a commercial building, including warehouses, office space, and apartment buildings.

The best and most up-to-date way to perform these measurements is with 3D laser scanning, which ensures the utmost accuracy and that no oddly shaped corner or alcove goes missing. While traditional methods have created an industry standard where 2% deviation is allowable, laser scanning misses nothing and provides accurate calculations down to the millimeter.

Are you okay with giving up 2% on a lease or sale?

BOMA Standards

BOMA measurements are generally a requirement for any property sale or leasing and can mean a significant increase or decrease in an agreed upon price. Further, there can be significant friction if both parties aren’t operating from a shared understanding of what is and what isn’t rentable square footage.

For example, in the 2017 update, BOMA declared:

• Balconies, covered galleries, finished rooftop terraces, which are exclusively used by one tenant, are now included in rentable square footage calculation.
• Columns and other load-bearing “vertical penetrations” on the lowest level of a building are no longer subtracted from the rentable area.
• Amenity and service areas, like conference rooms and loading docks, can be included if only a select set of tenants has access.

Changes like these can mean the difference of thousands of dollars. If your service provider is not helping you understand how to maximize your rentable square footage, or minimize your investment by getting an accurate square footage calculation before lease or purchase, you’re potentially leaving money on the table.

Don’t leave these valuable measurements to chance. Find a service provider using 3D laser scanning to get the most accurate possible measurements.

BOMA Measuring Services with Archidata Services

Here at Archidata Services, our foundation is in architecture and design, so we have a deep familiarity with BOMA standards and other foundational elements of building design and construction. Our area measurement services, which includes both BOMA measuring and REBNY measuring, are quick and efficient — and accurate.

By using Archidata Services and our 3D laser scanning methodology, you also will likely be able to re-use the information collected for other applications, from created as-built documents to creating 3D virtual tours of your property.

Call us today to see how quick and easy BOMA measurements can be with the right technology.