Measurement Flashcards
What basis should you report measurements on?
Report on dual basis until IPMS embedded into market.
Name some requirements from PS on ‘Property Measurement’ to follow when measuring.
- Measurement date
- State measuring methodology
- Provide reference and scale of plans
- State conversion factor, rounding
- Document measurement + calculations
- Retain record of RICS member responsible
- Advise on benefit of IPMS + state reason why IPMS not included
- IPMS mandatory for office / resi
- Appendix shows acceptable tolerances for accuracy on scales.
What is IPMS 3?
Floor area available on an exclusive basis to an occupier, but excluding standard facilities and shared circulation areas, and calculated on an occupier-by occupier or floor-by-floor basis for each building’
What is “IPMS 3 – Offices” used for?
Agency and valuation purposes - closest to NIA
What does IPMS 3 Include?
Includes (but stated separately) are covered galleries and balconies, and generally accessible roof terraces.
What does IPMS 3 exclude?
Excludes standard facilities providing shared/common facilities such as stairs, lifts, motor rooms, WCs, cleaners’ cupboards, plant rooms.
What are the main differences between IPMS 3 and NIA?
- Perimeter measurements are taken to the “internal dominant face”
- No Exclusion of areas with a restricted height of less than 1.5m
- All columns are included.
- Areas occupied by the reveal of a window (if greater than 50% of floor to ceiling height) when measured and assessed as the internal dominant face are included in the measurement.
- On floors with more than one tenant, 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.
What is the Internal Dominant Face? (IDF)
Inside finished surface comprising more than 50% of the floor to ceiling height for each IDF wall section.
Are you aware of any changes to IPMS?
IPMS ‘All Buildings’ - published in 2023
What does IPMS All Buildings, 2023 aim to do?
- Establish a consistent methodology for measuring all types of buildings in the world
- Promote international collaboration.
- Harmonises all building classes into a single document into one set of standards.
-high-level, overarching standards that provide guidance on best practice in property measurement.
What definitions does IPMS All Buidlings set out?
- IPMS 1 – external measurement
- IPMS 2 – internal measurement
- IPMS 3.1 – External exclusive use
- IPMS 3.2 – Internal exclusive use
- IPMS 4.1 – Selected areas including internal walls
- IPMS 4.2 – Selected areas excluding internal walls.
Has IPMS All Building 2023 been adopted by RICS?
Not yet
What governs GEA, GIA, NIA?
The RICS Code of Measuring Practice 2015 (6th edn)
It is still the best practice document for all measurement exercises except for offices and residential properties.
What is NIA?
Net Internal Area is the usable area within a building measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls at each floor level
When is NIA predominantly used?
Valuation and rating for shops (approx. 15% deduction from GIA).
What is included in NIA?
- Atria with clear height and entrance halls if not expressly included in the communal areas.
- Notional lift lobbies and notional fire corridors
- Kitchens
- Built-in cupboards
- Ramps, sloping areas and steps within the useable area (stated separately)
- Areas occupied by ventilation and heating grilles
- Areas occupied by skirting and perimeter trunking.
- Areas occupied by non-structural walls subdividing accommodation in sole occupancy.
What is excluded under NIA?
- WCs
- Plant and lift room
- Meter and service cupboards and service risers
- Internal structures – walls, columns, piers, chimney breasts.
- Areas less than 1.5m in height
- Stairwells
- Cleaner rooms
- Space occupied by permanent continuous air conditioning/heating/cooling apparatus if space it occupies is rendered substantially unusable, or if it protrudes 25cm or more into a useable area.
- Areas rendered substantially unusable with dimension between opposite faces of less than 0.25m.
- Measurements should be taken to the glazing for full height glazing, unless elements of the window structure or design render the space substantially unusable.
What do you do when measuring a shop that is fitted with full-height partitioning by the tenant?
You can take ceiling tile off, try and get behind the partitioning if there’s a gap (spot any gaps/holes), inspect the basement or first floor to see the actual built width, scale from floor plans (having undertaken some on site check measurements) or get enough measurements to carry out an ITZA measurement.
What is GIA?
Gross Internal Area - area of a building measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls at each floor level.
What basis of measurement would you use for a warehouse or a department store?
GIA
When is GIA mainly used?
- Estate agency
- Rating
- Building cost estimation for commercial assets
- Property measurement – GIA basis for service charge calculations
- Valuation of industrial/warehouses
- Valuation and rating of retail warehouses and food stores
What does GIA include?
- Areas occupied by internal walls and partitions
- Columns, stairwells, lift wells, vertical ducts
- Atria and entrance halls
- Internal open-sided balconies, walkways
- Corridors of permanent essential nature (e.g. fire corridors)
- Mezzanine floor area with permanent access.
- Lifts rooms ad plant rooms, fuel tanks, tank rooms.
- Services accommodation – toilets, bathrooms, changing rooms.
- Garages
- Conservatories
What does GIA exclude?
- Perimeter wall thickness
- External open-sided balconies, covered ways and fire escapes
- Canopies
- Voids over or under structural, raked or stepped floors
- Greenhouses
What is GEA?
Gross External Area is the area of a building measured externally at each floor level.
When is GEA predominantly used?
- Town planning
- Council Tax Valuations
- Building cost estimates for houses
What does GEA include?
- Perimeter wall thickness and external projections
- Areas occupied by internal walls and partitions
- Columns, piers, chimney breasts, stairwells
- Entrance halls
- Internal balconies
- Structural stepped floors
- Horizontal floors
- Mezzanine areas
- Lift rooms, plant rooms, fuel stores
- Outbuildings which share at least 1 wall with the main building
- Loading bays
- Pavement vaults
- Garages
- Areas with headroom less than 1.5m
- Conservatories
What does GEA exclude?
- External open-sided balconies, covered ways and fire escapes
- Canopies
- Open vehicle parking areas, roof terraces, and like
- Voids over or under structural or stepped floors
- Greenhouses, garden stores, fuel stores
