Measurement

Question 1

What RICS publications do you have reference to for measurement guidance?

Answer 1

Retail - Code of Measuring Practice, 2015 (NIA)

Industrial - Code of Measuring Practice, 2015 (GIA)

Offices - IPMS All Buildings, 2023 (or report in NIA if requested - specify)

Residential - IPMS All Buildings 2023

IPMS All buildings has replaced IPMS Standards

Code of Measuring Practice is due to be updated

Question 2

Describe Net Internal Area

Answer 2

The net usable area within a building.

Include:

Entrance halls (if not communal)
Kitchens
Built-in cupboards etc occupying usable space
notional lift lobbies and fire corridors
Ramps, sloping areas and steps within usable areas

Exclude:

WCs, Cleaners’ rooms and the like
Lift rooms, plant rooms etc
stairwells, lift wells and permanent lift lobbies
entrance halls, atria used in common
corridors and other circulation areas where used in common
Permanent circulation areas associated with access but not those that are usable areas
internal structural walls
Space occupied by permanent air-conditioning, heating etc

Question 3

What is Gross Internal Area?

Answer 3

The total area of the building measured to the internal finished surface.

Used for industrial properties

Question 4

What is Gross External Area?

Answer 4

Area of a building measured externally i.e. including the wall thickness. Used for planning diagrams

Question 5

Typical floor plan scale?

Answer 5

1:100

Question 6

Typical street/location plan scale?

Answer 6

1:1,250

Question 7

Typical location plan scale?

Question 8

Typical road/aerial plan scale?

Answer 8

1:50000

Question 8

Pros/cons of distometer?

Answer 8

Pros:
Speed and accuracy

Cons:
Struggle outside
Struggle over big distances (e.g. large industrial)
Human error

Question 9

Accuracy of a distometer?

Answer 9

between distances of 1.5mm to 200m

Question 10

What distometer do you use?

Answer 10

Leica - calibrated by manufacturer every 2 years

Question 11

Define internal eaves height

Answer 11

The clear height from the floor to the lowest point on the underside of the roof i.e. the eaves

Question 12

Define site depth

Answer 12

The measurement from the front to rear boundaries

Question 13

Define shop depth

Answer 13

The measurement from the display window to the rear of the retail area, including the thickness of the display window

Question 14

Define built depth

Answer 14

The maximum external measurement from the front to rear walls

Question 15

Define gross frontage

Answer 15

The external measurement of the front of the building from the outside of the external/party walls

Question 16

Define net frontage

Answer 16

The overall frontage of the shop measured between the internal walls

Question 17

What types of property would you measure using GIA?

Answer 17

Industrial
Retail Warehouses
Restaurants

Question 18

When would you use GEA?

Answer 18

Planning/construction
Considering the exterior boundary of the property

Question 19

Industrial - Chippenham

Where exactly did you measure the eaves height to, and why is this important for certain property types?

Answer 19

Measured from the floor to the underside of the lowest part of the roof i.e. the eaves

Important as warehouses used to storage/racking etc

Question 20

Industrial - Chippenham

Why is the measurement of the loading area important for industrial or commercial properties, and did you measure the GEA for these areas as well?

Answer 20

Important for vehicle access - typically large vehicles coming and going. In this case it was a smaller unit and suitable for its purposes

Question 21

Industrial - Chippenham

What were the measurements of the property?

Answer 21

2,500 sq. ft
4.25m x 3.5m loading door
4.5m minimum eaves
5.25m apex
25% office content - smaller so appropriate
50% site coverage - smaller so appropriate

Question 22

What is the difference between NIA (Net Internal Area) and IPMS3, and when would you use each standard?

Answer 22

NIA measures the net usable area and excludes areas under 1.5m in height and columns

IPMS3 measures to the internal dominant face and includes areas under 1.5m in height and columns

NIA for retail
IPMS for offices and residential

Question 23

What would you include when measuring the NIA

Answer 23

Atria or entrance hall (if not communal).
Notional lift lobbies.
Notional fire corridors.
Kitchens.
Built-in cupboards.
Steps, slopes or ramps within the usable area.
Heating or ventilation grill.
Skirting and perimeter trunking.
Non-structural walls.

Question 24

What would you exclude when measuring the NIA?

Answer 24

Toilets.
Stairwells.
Lift and plant rooms.
Service / meter cupboards.
Cleaner’s rooms.
Permanent circulation areas (corridors).
Areas less than 1.5m in height.
Areas less than 25cm wide.
Areas occupied by heating/cooling apparatus within an unusable area or where the space takes up more than 25cm of the usable area.

Question 25

What would you include when measuring the GIA

Answer 25

All usable areas including:
Lift wells.
Columns.
Mezzanines with permanent access.
Loading bays.

Question 26

What would you exclude when measuring the GIA?

Answer 26

Canopies and fire escapes and mezzanines without permanent access