Will the proposal identify the exact BOMA standard and edition?

It should. The standard, edition, property type, and measurement basis should be clear before the work begins.

Will the provider field-verify the property or rely only on existing drawings?

Confirm which spaces will be measured, what existing records will be used, and how inaccessible areas will be handled.

Will shared walls and common spaces be shown clearly?

The plans and notes should make the treatment of demising walls, common areas, service rooms, and vertical penetrations understandable.

Can the provider deliver CAD and editable schedules?

Confirm whether the package will include PDF, DWG, spreadsheets, or other formats required by leasing and property-management teams.

Does a BOMA report resolve legal lease disputes?

The report documents field conditions and applies the agreed measurement methodology. Legal interpretation of lease language should be handled by the appropriate legal professionals.

Building Documentation · Commercial Real Estate · Buyer Guide

BOMA Area Measurement Guide for Commercial Properties

This guide explains how BOMA area measurement projects are scoped, field-verified, calculated, documented, and used for leasing, due diligence, property records, tenant improvements, and portfolio management.

Discuss Your Project View More Resources

Content Type

Buyer Guide

Primary Audience

CRE Owners & Leasing Teams

Primary Intent

Scope & Method Selection

Reading Time

8–10 Minutes

Overview

BOMA Measurement Begins with the Intended Business Use

BOMA measurements are not simply a matter of tracing a floor plan and reporting one square-foot number. The correct method depends on the property type, the applicable standard, the intended use of the calculation, and the way walls, shared conditions, service areas, circulation, and common spaces are treated.

A leasing assignment may need a different area basis than a whole-building property record. A retail center may require suite-level lease areas and separate building gross areas. An office property may require occupant and rentable calculations with common-area allocations. The scope should define those decisions before fieldwork begins.

BOMA area measurement services for commercial office building

Article Details

Content Type

Buyer Guide

Primary Audience

Owners, Asset Managers, Real Estate Brokers, Architects, Property Managers, Tenants

Reading Time

8–10 Minutes

Owners & Asset Managers

Property data, due diligence, and portfolio reporting

Brokers & Leasing Teams

Marketing areas, tenant comparisons, and lease exhibits

Architects & Consultants

Existing-condition plans and area schedules

Tenants & Review Teams

Understanding stated area assumptions and discrepancies

Core Concepts

Area Terms Are Related but Not Interchangeable

The exact definitions depend on the selected ANSI/BOMA standard and property type. The table below is a practical orientation, not a substitute for the governing standard.

Term	General purpose	Common source of confusion
Building Gross Area	Represents the whole building to the applicable exterior boundary.	It may include areas that are not assignable to a tenant or occupant.
Rentable / Lease Area	Supports leasing and occupancy records under the selected standard.	Shared areas, wall treatment, and allocation factors can affect the reported area.
Occupant / Interior Use Area	Represents the interior space assigned to an occupant before certain allocations.	It is not necessarily the same as the lease or rentable area.
Net Area	Usually means a project-defined area after stated exclusions.	The term is often used without a consistent definition.
Common or Shared Area	Circulation, service, amenity, or support space serving multiple occupants.	Its treatment depends on the selected standard and allocation method.

Project Scoping

Questions to Resolve Before Field Measurement

Which Standard Applies?

Identify the property type, governing ANSI/BOMA standard, edition, and any client-specific reporting requirements.

What Decision Will the Area Support?

Leasing, acquisition, tenant improvement, property records, dispute review, portfolio reporting, or another use.

Which Areas Are Required?

Whole-building gross, suite-level areas, occupant areas, rentable areas, service rooms, common spaces, or all of the above.

How Will Shared Conditions Be Treated?

Confirm wall centerlines, exterior boundaries, shared rooms, vertical penetrations, and common-area allocation.

What Existing Records Are Available?

Prior plans, rent rolls, lease exhibits, suite lists, CAD files, renovation drawings, and property-management records.

What Deliverable Is Needed?

PDF plans, DWG files, color-coded diagrams, schedules, methodology notes, or a consolidated portfolio report.

Field Verification

Current Conditions Must Be Measured and Documented

Existing drawings can be useful references, but BOMA calculations should reflect the agreed scope and current accessible conditions. Fieldwork may include laser scanning, direct measurements, photography, 360 imagery, control checks, and verification of suite boundaries, wall locations, service rooms, vertical penetrations, and shared spaces.

Confirm building and floor access
Verify occupied, vacant, restricted, and service areas
Record visible suite and tenant boundaries
Document conditions affecting measurement assumptions
Identify inaccessible areas and required exclusions
Capture sufficient information for drafting and QA/QC

Field Notes Should Record

Access LimitsLocked, unsafe, concealed, or inaccessible spaces

Occupancy ConditionsCurrent tenant configuration and vacant suites

Shared RoomsRisers, electrical, mechanical, restrooms, and common support spaces

Boundary ConditionsExterior walls, demising walls, openings, and penetrations

Project Outputs

What a BOMA Measurement Package Should Include

Dimensioned Floor Plans

Current floor geometry, labels, suite boundaries, and field-verified dimensions.

Area Classification Plans

Visual diagrams showing the requested area categories and treatment of shared conditions.

Area Schedules & Notes

Tabulated totals with the governing standard, measurement basis, assumptions, and exclusions.

Quality Control

Checks Before Issuing the Final Area Report

Geometry Review

Confirm closed boundaries, wall alignment, floor-to-floor consistency, and building extents.

Area Reconciliation

Compare suite, floor, and building totals and investigate unexplained differences.

Classification Review

Verify tenant, common, service, vertical-penetration, and excluded-area classifications.

Report Consistency

Match plan labels, schedules, notes, file names, and stated methodology across the package.

Practical Example

Retail Center with Three Different Area Views

Why Multiple Diagrams May Be Necessary

A retail property may need separate plans for interior use area, lease gross area, and total building gross area. Each answers a different business question and applies different boundary or wall-treatment assumptions.

The 410 W Whitestone Boulevard project demonstrates this approach using field-verified plans for two multi-tenant retail buildings.

View the BOMA Project

Interior use / net-area diagram
Lease gross area diagram
Total building gross area diagram
Dimensioned field-verified plan
Area schedules and methodology notes

Procurement Questions

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a BOMA Measurement Provider

Will the proposal identify the exact BOMA standard and edition?
It should. The standard, edition, property type, and measurement basis should be clear before the work begins.
Will the provider field-verify the property or rely only on existing drawings?
Confirm which spaces will be measured, what existing records will be used, and how inaccessible areas will be handled.
Will shared walls and common spaces be shown clearly?
The plans and notes should make the treatment of demising walls, common areas, service rooms, and vertical penetrations understandable.
Can the provider deliver CAD and editable schedules?
Confirm whether the package will include PDF, DWG, spreadsheets, or other formats required by leasing and property-management teams.
Does a BOMA report resolve legal lease disputes?
The report documents field conditions and applies the agreed measurement methodology. Legal interpretation of lease language should be handled by the appropriate legal professionals.