In starting with this, I want everyone reading this to be clear, I am real and there was absolutely NO Artificial Intelligence (AI) used to write this article, just my expertise on the subject.
BOMA Measurements Standards are the Commercial Industry go to for exact square footage calculations for any type of building.
I hear “I need BOMA”, “Is it BOMA?”, “They insist on BOMA”, and many other iterations of the need to use a base Standard for measurement of a building.
It seems that the word BOMA (it’s not even a word) has become somewhat like Google and Zoom. I’ll just Google it, I’m late for a Zoom, I want BOMA.
The simple explanation for this is that BOMA is an International organization (Building Owners & Managers Association) formed over a 100 years ago.
The original founders got together so they could establish a base Standard Method of Floor Measurement for comparison of their brand new skyscrapers.
The first BOMA Measurement Standard was actually written in 1915 by these first BOMA members.
Currently I sit and work on the BOMA International Measurement Standards Committee.
It is part of my responsibilities to inform the general population of the BOMA Standards, what they are, and how they are used.
Many people who have been in this Industry for a while still believe there is only one Standard and it is for Office buildings specifically the 1996 BOMA Standard.
Hello! It’s 2025 and we now have 6, yes folks, 6 BOMA Measurement Standards.
Over the years the Standards have been revised and updated to reflect the changing market needs and ever evolving building designs.
Today BOMA International is the ANSI approved secretariat for all of the Building Measurement Standards.
By the way, ANSI stands for American National Standards Institute and it’s a big deal. Currently the Measurement Standards are:
- 2024 Office Buildings
- 2025 Industrial Buildings
- 2023 Multi-Family & Hospitality Properties
- 2021 Mixed-Use Properties
- 2020 Retail Buildings
- 2018 Gross Areas
This suite of Standards covers all types of buildings, and we are required to review and revise each standard every 5 years.
That means that there are always updated Standards being reviewed and published per ANSI requirements, but also to keep up with evolving Market Trends, building uses and tenant needs.
Currently we are working to complete the latest updates of Gross Areas, Retail, and Mixed-Use Standards so look for those to be out soon.
Let’s talk about the application of these Standards.
It is #1 important to buy and read each standard before trying to use it for the measurement of a building.
Boma.org is the website that sells both print and digital editions of all publications.
The latest Standards include many areas that were previously not part of the final Rentable or Leasable square footage so it behooves you to keep up.
Find someone who knows the ins and outs of these Standards before accepting an area measurement of any space or building.
I have seen enough “BOMA Reports” that are nowhere near correct and many times are missing vital data needed to fully capitalize on the size of your building.
The internet is full of “experts” on BOMA Standards and having researched I have found that there is false information on many websites and AI written text that just is not correct.
Many times the “experts” being referred to are outsourced companies with little knowledge of actual application of the Standards.
It is becoming the “thing” to “do BOMA” for your building but please be aware of those of imposters and those that may be sending their files to other countries for production.
Every BOMA Report should reference the exact Standard used and it’s related publication date which will look something like this: BOMA Office Standard ANSI/BOMA Z65.1-2024 as an example.
Here at Dimensions Floorplans® we are long-term users and experts in the application of any of the 6 Standards for any type of building.
Our employees are trained in all of the Standards by me personally and all of our work is done in house.
We actually guarantee our results whether we are working from our own CAD files or provided files by clients.
A BOMA Report should include easy to read clear floor plans as well as all associated calculations and the referenced standard.
We stand at the ready to answer all questions regarding our plans and results for our clients.
As the current Co-Chair of the BOMA Standards Education Committee, we strive to create engaging webinars on each of the Standards as they are published as well as presentations and seminars at BOMA Conferences.
Next time someone asks for BOMA measurements you will know what they are referring to and find an expert to help with your needs.
Look for my next article on the subject where I will delve into the nuances of each Measurement Standard. Cheers!
