But construction blueprints never accurately and precisely match the actual “as-built” scenario. Minor adjustments made during the construction process are seldom amended onto the blueprint, and even walls are not always built exactly according to plan. 

In lieu of blueprints, owners and managers often rely on the as-built plans created by professional designers or space planners. They measure for design purposes only, however, and typically do not consider BOMA standards – and even if they do, they are not BOMA measurement experts.

Area calculations, for instance, are based on measurements taken to the “dominant portion” of a wall. Where a window comprises more than 50 per cent of the height of a wall, the measurement must be taken to the glass. Where it is less than 50 percent, the measurement is taken to the face of the wall. In large buildings, the minor variances that occur from this type of calculation alone can add up to major inaccuracies that cost owners and managers a great deal of money.

Another point to remember is that not all measuring companies are equally qualified, so the professional expertise and experience of the measuring company is also a vital component of the measurement process that cannot be overstated.

A Canadian case in point

Here’s an example based on an actual case history related to a building in Canada:
The structure had been recently measured by a local high-profile measuring company, but what their client (the owner) did not realize was that the measurer had failed to apply the BOMA standard correctly. Before finalizing the purchase of the commercial office building, the buyer decided to perform another measurement as part of the due diligence process, and this time hired a different company that was more knowledgeable and experienced regarding BOMA applications.

Measurements revealed that potential lease income was considerably higher than the owner – who was also the seller in the transaction – was charging. But it was only through an appropriate application of the BOMA standard to arrive at accurate measurements that the additional square footage was uncovered.

Mistakes included measurements of a potentially lucrative main floor retail space. When calculated to BOMA standards – which allowed the rentable area to be calculated to the building line on the main floor, the size of the space grew substantially.

Prior measurements had also failed to include utility rooms in the parking levels that service the main building – and that should have been added to the rentable area under the building’s common area category.

All totaled, the revised and corrected measurements yielded additional rental space equal to a full three per cent of the total square footage of the multi-story building. Corresponding rental rates increased by over $60 thousand a year.

But the total cost of the updated BOMA measurement and analysis project equaled less than $10 thousand – including all related expenses. In other words, it paid for itself within eight weeks and continues to add value and revenue.

The purchase was completed, and the buyer’s return on investment was especially strong thanks to a price that was considerably lower than the actual market value of the building – combined with a higher revenue stream.

Other considerations for owners and tenants

Another error in the measurement of two suites was also found, where the previous measuring company had put the dividing wall in the wrong place. The rentable area of one unit was overstated, while the other was understated. This underscores the fact that accurate measurements also benefit tenants. With proper measurement, for example, each unit pays only its fair portion of those shared building costs that are allocated on the basis of rentable area.

Before acquiring a building as an investor or signing a lease agreement as a tenant, insist that it be measured properly and that all as-built drawings are thoroughly updated. Plans should also be updated on a periodic basis because building measurements constantly change as tenants improve their spaces.

To facilitate updating, create plans and measurements on a Building Information Modeling (BIM) software platform. BIM technology has made AutoCAD virtually obsolete because BIM generates interactive, parametric plans for simple, inexpensive, user-friendly updating. BIM plans can also be shared and transferred as easily as sending an e-mail.

As far as choosing a measuring professional is concerned, the industry is not yet tightly regulated and only a few professional designations are available. But top tier professionals are authorized to provide BOMA Certified Professional stamps and certificates that state each unit’s accurate rentable area calculations as well as those for the entire building. Hire a measuring company that will also include an engineer’s stamp to ensure an additional level of authentication and protection.

Michael Laurie, P.Eng. is President of PLANiT Measuring which provides onsite building measuring and BIM services. He can be reached at mike@planitmeasuring.com or 1-800-933-5136.