Level One Flashcards
What are the two elements of RICS property measurement?
- Professional standard: property measurement
- Application of the Professional Standard
- Technical definitions
- IPMS: Office Buildings, as applied under the Professional Standard
- IPMS: Residential Buildings as applied under the Professional Standard - RICS IPMS data standard
- This document reflects the IPMS standards (IPMS: Office Buildings and IPMS Residential Buildings) and will be updated over time to comply with other IPMS standards, including industrial, retail and mixed use, as they are published.
- For all building classes expect offices and residential buildings, the bases of measurement contained within the RICS Code of measuring practice, 6th edition 2015 (COMP) may still apply, though the application of the professional standard applies to all building classes.
What are the general principles of measurement and calculation in RICS Professional Standard?
- purpose of the measurement instruction
- date of the measurement instruction
- date of measurement
- if IPMS is not used, document the reason for departure
- measurement methodology adopted (e.g. laser measurer or tape measure)
- scale of any plans used
- floor area schedule with relevant areas cross referenced to floorplans
- unit of measurement and conversion factor, if applicable
- name of the RICS member and/or RICS regulated firm responsible for the instruction
RICS members are expected to advise their client or employer on the benefits of IPMS.
What is IPMS and why was it introduced? Who has developed it?
International Property Measurement Standards.
It was introduced to avoid inconsistent definitions of measurement in different countries and bringing greater global transparency.
The International Property Measurement Standards Council (IPMSC) is a global group of professional and not-for-profit organisation that has driven the development of IPMS
What are the different publications and when were they published and incorporated into RICS guidance?
IPMS: Office Buildings in 2014, formally incorporated in 2015
IPMS: Residential Buildings followed in 2016, formally incorporated in 2018 in form of RICS Prof Standard
PMS: Industrial Buildings in 2018 and IPMS: Retail Buildings in 2019 but their are incorporated (now superseded)
IPMS: All Buildings in 2023, and supersedes all previously published IPMS standards for individual assets classes. However, IPMS: All buildings has not been incorporated yet.
What is the definition of common facilities?
What is the definition of component area?
What is the definition of finished surface?
The Wall surface directly above the horizontal wall-floor junction, ignoring any part-height walls, cladding, fittings, skirting
boards, cable-trunking, pipework and heating or cooling units.
What is the definition of internal dominant face (IDF)?
The inside surface area comprising more than 50 per cent of the lowest 2.75 m measured vertically from the structural
floor surface, or to the ceiling if lower, for each Wall Section. If such does not occur or if the Wall Section is not vertical,
the Finished Surface is deemed to be the IDF.
What is the definition of IDF wall section?
What is the definition of limited use area?
In certain markets there may be areas in Buildings that are incapable of legal or effective occupation due to local or
national legislation, such as areas with lack of natural light or practical circumstances such as height restrictions.
Measurements stated in IPMS include any limited use area and the reason for each limitation should be identified and
stated separately: for example, a total IPMS area of x m2
(including y m2
for each separately stated limited use area).
The inclusion of measured areas in IPMS does not necessarily mean that the areas are available for legal occupation or use.
What is IPMS 1?
For planning or building cost purpose (GEA).
- Used for measuring the area of a building including external walls on a floor-by-floor basis.
Measurement included but stated separately are:
- Covered galleries
- Balconies
- Generally accessible roof terraces (GEA did not include galleries and balconies)
Exclusions include:
- Upper void levels of an atrium
- Open external stairwells
- Patios, refuse areas, external parking at ground level
What is IPMS 2?
For agency and valuation purposes (GIA)
- Used for measuring the interior of an office to include all areas available for direct use, measured to the ‘Internal Dominant Face’ (IDF) of the wall on a floor-by-floor basis in component areas.
- The Internal Dominant is defined as the ‘inside finished surface comprising more than 50% of the floor to ceiling height of reach IDF wall section’
- Areas can be also detailed on a component-by-component basis
Measurements include but stated separately are:
- Covered galleries and balconies
- Generally accessible roof terraces
Exclusions include:
- Open light wells and upper-level voids of an atrium
- Patio and desks at ground level
- External parking and equipment yards, cooling equipment and refuse areas
What is IPMS 3?
For agency and valuation (NIA)
- Used for measuring the occupation of floor areas in exclusive use using same assumption as IPMS2
- Measured to the internal dominant face on a floor-by-floor basis
- The floor area available on an exclusive basis to an occupier.
- Excludes standard facilities providing shared or common facilities such as stairs, lifts, motor rooms, WCs, cleaners’ cupboard, plant rooms etc
Measurements included but stated separately are:
- Covered galleries and balconies
- Generally accessible roof terraces
What are the differences between IPMS 3 and NIA?
- Perimeter measurements are taken to the ‘Internal Dominant Face’
- No exclusion for restricted height of less than 1.5m
- All columns are included
- Area occupied by the reveals of a window when measured and assessed as the internal dominant face are included
- On floors with multiple occupiers, the area is taken to the midpoint of the partition wall between tenancies
- Covered galleries and balconies for the exclusive use of one tenant are included and stated separately.
Can you walk us through a specific scenario where you applied the RICS Property Measurement Standards? How did you ensure compliance with the IPMS?
