Measurement Flashcards
What is included on an NIA Measurement?
Atriums with clear height above them and entrance halls not used in the common areas
Notional Lift Lobbies and Notional Fire Corridors
Kitchens and built in cupboards
Areas occupied by skirting/ventilation/perimeter trunking
Areas occupied by non structural partition walls and columns
What is excluded on an NIA Measurement?
Perimeter wall thickness and external projections
Structural columns
Toilets
Plant and lift rooms
Staircases and lifts
Meters and service cupboards (such as meter cupboards)
Areas under 1.5M in height such as eaves
Areas used for permanent air conditioning units
What has the RICS published to ensure best practice when measuring property?
International Property Measurement Standards 2023
Code of Measuring Practice (6th Ed) 2007
RICS Property Measurement (2nd Ed) 2018
What is the purpose of IPMS? What are the benefits?
The aim is to create a principles based, international standard of measurement which is consistent around the world.
All property is measured on the same basis depending upon their use. This provides greater transparency and consistency of data as well as reducing the workload of measuring professionals
When including measurements in valuations/marketing reports/sale details what should be included?
Date of measurement
Method of measurement, tools used and tolerances
Basis of measurement eg sq ft
Confirmation of plans being used including appropriate scales
Was the measurement independently verified on site
Who did the measuring
How would you identify the Internal Dominant Face when measuring using GIA or IPMS 2?
The area within each vertical section [wall] that makes up the perimeter of the building/unit
The inside finish surface comprising 50% or more of the surface area for each vertical section forming an internal perimeter. A vertical Section refers to each part of a window, wall or external construction feature of an office building where the outside finished surface varies from the inside finished surface area of the adjoining window, wall or external construction feature, ignoring the existence of any columns.
If such does not occur or if the Wall Section is not vertical, the Finished Surface is deemed
to be the IDF.
What does GEA include?
Perimeter wall thickness and external projections
Areas occupied by internal walls and partitions
Internal Balconies
Columns, stairwells, lift motor rooms, plant rooms
Areas with headroom under 1.5m
Mezzanine areas with permanent access
When was the RICS professional standard, RICS property measurement 2nd edition 2018 effective from?
1st April 2018
What does GEA exclude?
External balconies
External car parking
External fire escape stairs
External loading bays
Canopies
When should you use GEA?
Town planning
rating and council tax
Building cost estimation
What does GIA include?
Areas with headroom of less than 1.5m
Areas occupied by internal walls, balconies and partitions
Columns, stairwells, lift wells, lift rooms, plant rooms, fuel rooms
Mezzanine areas with permanent access
What does GIA exclude?
Perimeter wall thickness and external projections
External balconies
External car parking
External fire escape stairs
When would you use GIA as a measurement basis?
Building cost estimation - recognised method of measurement for calculating building cost
Estate Agency Valuation - marketing and valuation of industrial buildings, warehouses, department stores
Rating - Industrial, warehouses, retail warehouses
Property management - calculation of SC apportionment on industrial assets
What is the difference between IPMS1 and GEA?
Internal balconies (included in GEA - Stated separately in IPMS1)
External balconies (included in GEA - Stated separately in IPMS1)
Accessible rooftop terraces (Excluded in GEA - Stated separately in IPMS1)
What is the difference between IPMS2 and GIA?
Internal balconies (Included in GIA, included but stated separately in IPMS2)
External balconies (Excluded in GIA, included but stated separately in IPMS2)
Accessible rooftop terraces (Excluded in GIA, included but stated separately in IPMS2)
What is the difference between IPMS3 and NIA?
External/internal balconies excluded in NIA (included but stated separately IPMS3)
Accessible rooftop terraces excluded in NIA (included but stated separately in IPMS3)
Areas under 1.5m excluded in NIA (included but stated separately in IPMS3)
Internal walls/columns excluded in NIA (Included in IPMS3)
Common walls measured to internal face in NIA (measured to centre line in IPMS3)
Enclosed walkways/passages excluded in NIA (included in IPMS3)
When did IPMS all buildings become effective?
15 January 2023 - Not mandatory for RICS
Tell me about IPMS all buildings?
Lets users choose standard relevant to purpose of the area being measured
Introduced to create clearer boundaries on extent of each measurement - 4 stage process introduced for each measurement
Superseded all previously published IPMSC
What does IPMSC stand for?
International property measurement standards coalition
What properties does IPMS currently apply to?
All buildings as of 2023, before it was just office and residential
What is dual reporting? When should this be adopted?
Reporting in terms of IPMS and another basis - When there lacks comparable evidence using the same basis - Therefore client requests standard other than IPMS
Benefit of dual reporting?
Facilitates comparative analysis locally and globally
Can you talk me through the steps you undertook to measure the office unit at 80 Cheapside?
1) Ensured I was competent to undertake the valuation
2) Completed a conflict of interest check
3) Agreed the terms of engagement
4) Review lease - Gathered existing floor plan
5) Confirmed measurement basis what is included/excluded + Undertake risk assessment
6) Calibrated my laser measure
7) Conduct and record measurements
8) Complete measurement report - Send to client
What is IPMS 1?
The sum of the areas of each floor level of a building measured to outer perimeter of external construction features, reported on a floor by floor basis
Q
What is featured within the RICS Code of Measuring Practice 2015?
Measurement standards
Best practice guidance on measurement techniques to maintain professional standards
Guidelines towards consistency
SIMPLE - provides succinct, precise definitions
What is GIA?
The area of a building measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls at each floor area
What is GEA?
The area of a building measured internally at each floor level (measured to the exterior walls)
What is NIA?
The useable area of a building, measured to internal face of the perimeter walls at each floor level
What is IPMS2?
The sum of the area of each floor level of a building measured to the internal dominant face, and reported on a component basis for each floor of a building
What is IPMS3?
The floor area available on an exclusive basis to occupier, excluding standard facilities, calculated on an occupier-by-occupier basis for a building
What are standard facilities?
Areas of a building that provide shared facilities and typically do not change over time
What is an application of IPMS1?
Town planning
What is an application of IPMS2?
Building cost estimation
What is an application of IPMS3?
Property management
What information is kept on file and included in a measurement report?
Purpose
Date
Measurement standard
Reason for departure from IPMS - If departed
Methodology
Scale of any plans
Floor area
Unit of measurement
RICS member responsible
How do you measure a pitched roof?
From the ground to lowest point of the roof
What are main reasons for property measurement?
Valuation
Purchase and sale
Leasing and letting
Reinstatement cost assessments
Business rates
Property management
Can you take me through the process of setting up a laser measure? (AS YOU HAVE DONE IN YOUR MEASUREMENTS)
1) Establish a constant baseline - Easy to access/not long in length
2) Place measure on secure surface - Take measurement at least 10 times
3) Average values measured - calculate standard dev
4) Can also ensure accuracy by measuring a distance you know to be correct
Can you take me through the benefits and drawbacks of using a tape measure?
Positives
- Ease of use (compact)
- Accurate and flexible
Negatives
- Hard to measure longer distances (limited and therefore less accurate)
- Time consuming
-Can be difficult to use in tight spaces
-Tape measure can lengthen over time
When would a tape measure be used?
Small distances
To confirm laser measurements
Are there any other measurement devices you could use?
Trundle wheel
Measuring rod
Ruler
Digital mapping
Why is accurate measurement so important?
Clients use to make business decisions
Market value determined by floor area
Creates integral prop market
How do you change sqft into sqm?
divide by 10.764
What are the benefits and drawbacks of using a laser measure?
Benefit
- Speed of measurement
- Ease of use - portable/lightweight
- Safety - hard to reach areas
Drawback
- Can’t hit window or mirrored wall
- Needs calibrating every 12 months by sending to manufacturer to ensure accuracy
How do you treat a notional lift lobby and notional fire corridor for an IMPS 3 Measurement?
Include but state seperately
What is the typical zone depth?
20 feet (6.096m)
What is a plot ratio?
Ratio between size of site and building footprint in GEA
c.40% for industrial
What was included within your NIA measurements at Newlands Shopping Centre?
Atriums with clear height above them and entrance halls not used in the common areas
Notional Lift Lobbies and Notional Fire Corridors
Kitchens and built in cupboards
Areas occupied by skirting/ventilation/perimeter trunking
Areas occupied by non structural columns
What would be an acceptable tolerance when undertaking measurements?
Depends on the size of the building, what has been agreed with the client and also what is stated on the measurement equipment
What would you include/exclude on an industrial measurement?
Include
- Areas with less than 1.5m of headroom
- Areas occupied by internal walls and partitions
- Columns, stairwells, lift wells, lift rooms, plant rooms
- Mezzanine areas with permanent access
Exclude
- Canopies
- Fire escapes
- Perimeter wall thickness
- Covered ways
What are the key principles as part of RICS Property Measurement Professional Statement (2018)
1) Provide measurement date
2) State measuring methodology
3) Provide reference and scale of plan
4) State conversion factor and any rounding
How do you measure a mansard roof?
NIA = exclude all area under 1.5m
GIA = include measurements up to the perimeter wall
Tell me about your understanding of RICS property measurement?
Provides technical definitions and incorporates aspects of the IPMS suite of guidance
Tell me how you use floor plans to facilitate measuring buildings?
To help understand the layout and plan and what is to be or not to be included in the measurement.
Also confirms measurements using the scale
When would you use a trundle wheel?
To measure land for valuation purposes
What is a potential source of error when measuring?
Human error = misreading, unsure of inclusion/exclusion
Equipment error = check /calibrate annually
What are the IPMS standards retail?
IPMS 1 (external)
IPMS 2 - Retail (internal)
IPMS 3A - Retail (occupier)
IPMS 3B - Retail (occupier)
IPMS 3C - Retail (occupier)
What is the difference between IPMS 3 and IPMS 4?
Internal measurement in IPMS4 is taken to the finished surface of perimeter walls forming part of the boundary, rather than IDF
What is IPMS 4?
Used for measuring floor areas of select parts of a building. Selected floor area in a building measured to finished surfaces and any notional boundary. (IPMS3 taken to IDF and not finishes surface)
4.1 = including all floor area occupied by walls and columns (full internal area of dwelling)
4.2 = excluding all floor area occupied by walls and columns (habitable area of each room)
e.g. size of hotel suite, how much space has security restriction
How do you measure an industrial unit with a mezzanine floor and a canopy?
→ The canopy would be excluded
→ Mezzanine floor included if it has permanent access
What is the difference between a goad plan and an OS plan?
Goad shows retail occupiers (not to scale) - birds eye view of a retail centre
OS plan is a to scale map
On an OS map, what do the numbers mean on a field and numbers on a road
Height above sea level
What is ITZA?
In terms of Zone A
→ Zoning is a valuation technique, not basis of measurement
Tell me about party walls
Party Wall Act 1996
→ Party Wall along boundary of land belonging to two or more owners
→ Any works must inform adjoining owners 2 months before→ otherwise, work can be stopped through court injunction or legal redress
→ Written consent not granted by owners, party wall surveyor can preapre party wall award
How would you measure an office suite with continuous heating system around the perimeter of the suit and partitioned offices?
I would exclude it if it protrudes more than 0.25m
Reference RICS Property Measurement, 2018 and measure on NIA and IPMS 3
What are the 3 bases of measurement?
NIA - Offices and Shops
GIA - Residential, estate agency, department store, industrial, warehouse
GEA - insurance, building cost
How do you work out how big a plot of land is?
Look at plan → disto → trundle wheel
→ 1acre = 4,000 sq m , 45,000 sq ft
How do you know if your tape measure is accurate?
Use Steel rule
What scales are used on plans?
1: 50 - room plan (1cm = 50cm)
1: 100 - building plan
1: 1250 - street/location plan
1: 2500 - location plan
1: 5000 - road/walking map
Have you ever measured an office building? How do you deal with radiators?
→ if intermittent then include
→ if continuous or protrude over 0.25m then exclude
How does a laser disto work?
The laser reflects off of the surface enabling the disto to measure distance
What are limited use areas and how do you report these?
Areas in buildings that are incapable of legal or effective occupation due to local or national legislation e.g. areas lacking natural light or height restrictions
Should be identified and stated separately
What information must be included on all plans?
Scale
North arrow
Crown copyright
What is the storage area?
The NIA of a shop which does not form part of the retail area, which is used exclusively for storage purposes
What are the ancillary areas?
NIA not included in retail area and storage area but capable of beneficial use
What is gross frontage?
External measurement in a straight line across the front of the building
What is net frontage?
External measurement in a straight line between internal faces of external walls
What scale is a Land Registry Plan?
1:1250 in urban areas and 1:2500 in rural areas
What is the internal face in GIA measurement?
Means the brick/block work or plaster coat applied to the brick/block work, not the surface of internal linings installed by
the occupier
Explain the code of measuring practice
How would you measure land?
Lidar drones
Promap
Trundle Wheel
