Measurement

Question 1

What measurement RICS documents are you aware of

Answer 1

Professional standard - RICS Property measurement (2nd edition 2018)
IMPS All Buildings - being updated
RICS Code of Measuring Practice 6th edition 2015
Website states two elements
1. professional standard property measurement
2. RICS IMPS data standard - IMPS Office Buildings and IPMS Residential buildings

Question 2

what are the requirements and information that must be retained on file or in a report under the RICS measurement professional standard

Answer 2

purpose of measurement instruction
date of instruction
date of measurement
measurement standard adopted
if IMPS not used, the reason for departure
methodology (laser, tape measure)
scale of plans
floor area schedule with relevant areas cross referenced
unit of measurement
name of RICS member

Question 3

what is IPMS

Answer 3

International Property Measurement Standards
- global RICS led initiative aimed at avoiding inconsistent definitions of measurement in different countries and bringing greater transparency

Question 4

what is the mandatory guidance on using IPMS

Answer 4

All members must advise their clients about the benefits of IPMS and members are encouraged to report on a dual basis until IPMS is embedded into market practice having regard to the clients instructions

Question 5

what is IPMS 1

Answer 5

• for planning or building cost purposes (GEA)
• used for measuring the area if a building including external walls on a floor by floor basis
  includes:
  balconies, covered galleries, roof terraces
  excludes: patios, upper voids, refuse areas, external parking

Question 6

what is IMPS 2?

Answer 6

used for measuring the interior of an office to include all areas available for the client’s direct use (measures to IDF - Internal Dominant Face)
- agency and valuation purposes (GIA)
- includes: balconies galleries terraces
excludes: patios upper voids, refuse areas, external parking

Question 7

what is IPMS 3?

Answer 7

used for measuring the occupation of the floor areas in exclusive use using the same assumptions as IMPS2 (measures to IDF on a floor by floor basis)
agency and valuation purposes (NIA)
includes: balconies galleries terraces
excludes: stairs lifts plant rooms toilets

Measurements included but stated separately - covered balconies and galleries
- generally accessible roof terraces

Question 8

when would you use IMPS and when would you use NIA

Answer 8

IPMS - offices and resi
NIA - retail and industrial

Question 9

what are the differences between IPMS and NIA

Answer 9

IMPS - measure to IDF, no exclusions for restricted height less than 1.5m and all columns are included, area occupied by the reveals of window when measured and assessed as IDF are included, on floors with multiple occupiers the area is taken to the midpoint of the partition wall between the tenancies , covered galleries and balconies for the exclusive use of the tenant are included and stated separately

Question 10

what is the internal dominant face

Answer 10

a measurement taken from an internal structure wall comprising more than 50% of the floor to ceiling height

Question 11

what are NIA inclusions/exclusions/applications

Answer 11

inclusions: kitchens ramps cupboards
exclusions: toilets, lift wells, stair wells, plant room, areas with headroom less than 1.5m
applications - estate agency, valuation, property management

Question 12

Please outline some commonly used scales

Answer 12

1:50 room plan
1:100 building plan
1:1,250 location plan
1:2,500 location/street plan
1:50,000 walking/road map

Question 13

what are the GIA inclusions/exclusions/applications

Answer 13

In - columns, plant rooms, toilets, areas with headroom less than 1.5m
ex - perimeter wall thickness, fire escape, canopies
applications - estate agency, valuation, property management

Question 14

what are the GEA inclusions/exclusions/applications

Answer 14

in - perimeter wall thickness, columns, stairwell/liftwells
exclusions - fire escapes, canopies
applications - town planning, ratings and council tax

Question 15

what basis of measurement would you use for an industrial unit? what other measurements should you record?

Answer 15

GIA for industrial and retail warehouses
in - columns, lift wells, mezzanines, loading bays
ex - canopies, fire escapes, covered ways
an additional measurement should be taken for the internal eaves height as that as particularly important for industrial units.
Internal eaves height is the clear height between the floor and the lowest point on the underside of the roof

Question 16

What is IPMS All Buildings 2023

Answer 16

This document supersedes all standards previously published
aims to establish consistent methodology for measuring all types of buildings to promote international collaboration
RICS is yet to adopt this

Question 17

What are the Code of Measuring Practice bases of measurement

Answer 17

GEA - town planning, council tax valuations, building cost estimates for houses
GIA - industrial/warehouses and retail warehouses and food stores
NIA - retail

Question 18

What is included and excluded from GIA

Answer 18

Include - columns, liftwells, mezzanines with permanent access, loading bays
exclude - canopies, fore escapes and covered ways
ancillary offices within the unit are measured on GIA

Question 19

what are some the ways you can ensure NIA is accurate when measuring shops

Answer 19

• remove ceiling tile
• try to get behind the partitioning (spot any gaps)
• inspect the basement or first floor to see actual built width
• scale from floor plans (having undertaken site check measurements)
• take sufficient on site measurements to calculate ITZA

Question 20

what is included and excluded from NIA

Answer 20

In - atria with clear height above the entrance halls if not used in common areas
- notional lift lobbies and notional fire corridors
- kitchens
- build in cupboards and like occupying usable area
- ramps, sloping areas and steps within useable area
- areas occupied by ventilation or heating grills
- areas occupied by perimeter trucking
- areas occupied by non-structural walls subdividing accommodation in sole occupancy

EX - WCs
- plant and lift rooms
stairwells
meter and service cupboards and service risers
areas less than 1.5 m in height
cleaners rooms
permanent circulation areas
space occupied by permanent continuous air conditioning, heating or cooling apparatus if space it occupies is rendered unusable
- areas rendered unusable with a dimension between opposite faces of less than 0.25m
- measurements should be taken to the glazing for full height glazing unless the elements of the window structure or design render substantially unusable

Question 21

what is the internal eaves height

Answer 21

clear height between the floor and the lowest point on the underside if the roof eg the eaves

Question 22

what is site depth

Answer 22

the measurement from the font to the rear boundaries

Question 23

what is the shop depth

Answer 23

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

Question 24

what is built depth

Answer 24

the maximum external measurement from the front rear walls

Question 25

what is gross frontage

Answer 25

the overall measurement in a straight line across the front of the building from the outside of the external walls or the centre line of the party walls

Question 26

what is net frontage

Answer 26

overall frontage of the shop line measured between the internal face and the external walls

Question 27

what must members and firms consider when evaluating the level of accuracy to be expected from a measured survey

Answer 27

• purpose
• clients requirements and expectations
• building or site conditions
• time/cost elements involved
• ramifications if the level of accuracy is deemed insufficient

Question 28

how do you measure land

Answer 28

• check boundaries on site with OS plan and or land reg title document prior to calculating the area of a site using promap
• trundle wheel
• mathematical trigonometry or a perimeter for the calculation of the site area
• a plot ratio is the ratio between the size of the site and the building footprint (GEA)

Question 29

How accurate is a laser measurer

Answer 29

within 1.5mm to 200m

Question 30

How do you calibrate your distometer

Answer 30

• measure a known measurement
• calibrate annually by manufacturers