What is the BOMA Standard?

 

BOMA, or the Building Owners and Managers Association, has established a set of standards for measuring the floor area of a building. These standards, known as the BOMA standard method, are widely used in the commercial real estate industry to determine the size and value of a building. By using the BOMA standard method, all parties can have a clear and consistent understanding of the size and value of a building.

The BOMA standard method involves measuring the usable square footage of a building, which includes all finished and enclosed spaces that are intended for office, commercial, or industrial use. This includes areas such as offices, conference rooms, and storage spaces, but excludes spaces such as restrooms, elevators, and stairwells.

In the case of an office building, the BOMA standard method typically includes all finished and enclosed spaces that are intended for office use, such as private offices, open office areas, and conference rooms. However, in the case of a retail center, the BOMA standard method typically includes all finished and enclosed spaces that are intended for retail use, such as store fronts, common areas, and storage spaces. Similarly, the standard for measuring a warehouse will include all the enclosed spaces that are intended for industrial use, such as loading docks and storage areas.

Additionally, some specific building types may have their own set of standards, such as healthcare facilities and educational facilities, which may have different rules and regulations.

The BOMA standard method also includes provisions for measuring multi-tenant buildings, for accurate expense allocations. In these cases, the usable square footage of each tenant space is measured and the common areas, such as lobbies and restrooms, are divided among the tenants according to a pre-determined formula.

The BOMA standard method is recognized as the industry standard for measuring floor area in commercial buildings and is used by many real estate professionals, including landlords, tenants, brokers, and appraisers. By using the BOMA standard method, all parties can have a clear and consistent understanding of the size and value of a building.