At Stevenson Systems, Inc we believe informed people make informed decisions. The following list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) has been gathered from our years of experience. They cover a wide range of topics at SSI and within our industry.  Please contact us if you would like further information.

	How long does it take to measure a commercial building?
	What information or assistance do I need to provide Stevenson Systems Inc engage building measurement and/or Information Management services?
	When conducting an onsite field verification of a building and or tenant suites, what areas will Stevenson Systems Inc. need access to?
	Should I have the building physically measured (field verified)? Aren’t the construction drawings reliable enough to calculate the square footages?
	If I do not have any existing plans for the building, what services can Stevenson Systems provide?
	We have drawings that are available for the building in CAD (computer added drafting); can I assume they are accurate enough to measure the building?
	We only have drawings available on paper (blueprints). Are they accurate enough to use in measurement purposes?
	Should I have the drawings that I have on paper copied to send to you?
	Why is it important for someone to continue to manage my square footages and lease information?
	Why would I hire Stevenson Systems, Inc. over an architect to measure my buildings?
	Does Stevenson Systems have a procedure that they follow when they measure a building?
	Does Stevenson Systems have a procedure that they follow when they measure the tenant suites?
	What kind of drawings does SSI prefer? CAD or paper (blue print)?
	Does Rentable Square Footage (RSF) increase or decreases after a re-measurement of the building? If so, by how much?
	How important is it to follow the BOMA Standard?
	Does Stevenson Systems measure buildings per the BOMA Standard?
	Does Stevenson Systems have their own Standard to measure buildings?
	How does the Stevenson Standard differ from the BOMA standard?
	What are the advantages of measuring a building using the Stevenson Standard?
	If I am following the Stevenson Standard can I still say that the building is measured per the BOMA Standard?
	What are the main differences between the BOMA and Stevenson Standards?
	What are the major features of The Stevenson Standard?
	What types of buildings does Stevenson Systems, Inc measure?

How long does it take to measure a commercial building?
	Due to the unique nature of individual commercial buildings, Stevenson Systems, Inc. endeavors to complete this process in a timely manner in order to meet the needs of our clients.  When Stevenson Systems, Inc. is provided a completed set of construction drawings, you can generally receive building square footage calculation within the following time frames: Typical low-rise 3-story structure in the range of 60,000 square feet with reasonable design geometry can take approximately 15-20 working days from start to finish. Typical mid-rise 12 to 16-story structure in the range of 200,000-250,000 square feet with reasonable design geometry can take approximately 19-26 working days from start to finish. Typical high-rise 20 to 50-story structure in the range of 300,000-600,000 square feet with reasonable design geometry can take approximately 25-35 working days from start to finish.
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What information or assistance do I need to provide Stevenson Systems Inc engage building measurement and/or Information Management services?
	Stevenson Systems Inc. needs your assistance and specific information for two functions to get started.   The first function involves the attaining all known architectural construction drawings, a current rent roll and any information previously produced that shows square footages, including calculation reports, lease exhibits and marketing materials.  These drawings can be provided in paper form, "Blue Print", or in CAD format provided the CAD drawings are in a sheet by sheet basis bound to include all X-refs.  If available, the information that is needed is as follows: Current rent roll Marking flyers, lease exhibits and/or lease exhibits Old or previous building measurement or calculation report The complete set of architectural drawings for the “original” base building, commonly called shell & core drawings that included all detail sheets for all drawing disciplines (the drawings used to construct the building). These include: All Architectural drawings complete “A” set All Structural drawings complete “S” set All Mechanical drawings complete “M” set All Electrical drawings complete “E” set Shop drawings of different building components (i.e. glass mullions, curtain walls, etc.) Any CAD drawings that you have for the tenants or from the tenant architects Any drawings representing renovation activity applied to the building since original construction. The second function requires an onsite visit and field verification of your building.  We will need your assistance to access all areas in the building (see FAQ 3).  This visit will be prearranged through building personnel, where upon we will need security passes, access keys, tenant notification, a letter of permission to access the property and any secure areas of the building. Depending on the size and complexity of the building it may take several days and multiple staff members to field verify the building and/or tenants suites.
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When conducting an onsite field verification of a building and or tenant suites, what areas will Stevenson Systems Inc. need access to?
	In order for Stevenson Systems Inc. to offer our clients the most accurate and comprehensive measurements, calculations and drawings of a building and its tenants, access to all areas of the commercial property is required.  This includes: Access to all mechanical, electrical, services rooms on each floor Access to the main plant. (i.e. HVAC, elevator rooms, chiller/boiler rooms, etc) Bathrooms and janitorial rooms Individual tenant suites including computer rooms, occupied and vacant Balconies, patios, decks and bridges Parking structure rooms housing equipment areas and storage for building or tenants Roof structure including all mechanical, electrical, services and storage rooms or areas Tenant storage areas located throughout the building Building service offices (engineers, security, janitorial, etc). Over the past 20 years Stevenson Systems Inc. has measured thousands of commercial properties. Our uniformed field professionals meet the strictest security screening, grooming and field training.
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Should I have the building physically measured (field verified)? Aren’t the construction drawings reliable enough to calculate the square footages?
	The most common misconception of our clients is their reliance on construction documents alone for accurate square footage calculations and measurements of their building or tenant suites.  In all commercial buildings, the construction drawings differ from the actual building constructed.  This is due to the different interpretation of construction documents and changes made during construction.  Typical architectural drawings are generally produced and printed at 1/8” scale.  If you were to measure from a 1/8” scale drawing, an error the size of a pencil width could translate into thousands of incorrectly measured square footage.   Most contemporary construction documents do not have the complete details necessary to utilize them for measurement purposes.  This is particularly evident with glass line locations, which are critical for measurement purposes of square footage, yet are often shown as only graphic representation on most architectural drawings.  Improvement in survey procedures over the years and the introduction of laser measurement equipment has made the accuracy of measurements more definite.  Field verification will expose the changes and differences between a buildings drawings and what was constructed.   Stevenson Systems Inc. experience has established that there is no substitute for on-site field verification coordinated with architectural drawings to insure accuracy and proper documentation of building and tenant information.
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If I do not have any existing plans for the building, what services can Stevenson Systems provide?
	On-site field verification of your building coordinated with architectural drawings is by far the fastest, least costly, and most accurate process of measurement.  This, however, is not always possible.  Drawings are simply not available for some buildings.  With 21st century technology Stevenson Systems Inc. can supplement this process easily to provide accurate drawings and measurements for any commercial building or space.  This procedure takes a little more time but the result is invaluable.  We provide “as built” drawings for all our clients whether or not architectural drawings are available.  We have completed the measurement of hundreds of historic structures where there has been limited to no information available.  Stevenson Systems Inc. can provide a thorough search if need be, in an attempt to locate drawings before work is started.  Although we can make no assurances, often times we have located drawings that have been missing for years!
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We have drawings that are available for the building in CAD (computer added drafting); can I assume they are accurate enough to measure the building?
	The simple answer is no.  Because the drawings are drawn in Cad does not make them correct.  The drawings are only as accurate as the draftsman that produced them.  Another common misconception on the accuracy of CAD drawings is that they are more accurate than that of the old pencil and paper drawings.  They are not.  Stevenson Systems, Inc. uses the dimensions on the drawings, not the graphical depiction shown on the drawings, when measuring.  Furthermore with the production of CAD drawings and modern construction techniques, many of the construction drawing are missing key elements of information that are necessary to measure a building.  These key elements are generally found on the manufacturer’s specifications and dimensions that are rarely found within the CAD drawings.
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We only have drawings available on paper (blueprints). Are they accurate enough to use in measurement purposes?
	The simple answer is no. Like CAD drawings, old pencil and paper drawings are no more accurate than the paper they are printed on.  This is why Stevenson Systems, Inc. only uses the dimensions on the drawing details when measuring.  Furthermore Stevenson Systems reconstructs the building as a contractor would build the building creating a “computerized model” based on dimension on the drawings.  This computerized model thus clarifies and eliminates many of the inaccuracies found in the drawings themselves.  This is coupled with an on-site field verification of the building to complete the process and establish accuracy.
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Should I have the drawings that I have on paper copied to send to you?
	No, Stevenson Systems Inc has developed The Drawing Vault (www.thedrawingvault.com) to handle all of your drawings without copying.  Simply send the drawings to Stevenson Systems and we will scan them into The Drawing Vault archival system and return them within 48 hours.  This eliminates costly reproduction costs. Our scanning fees are far less than coping charges, and once scanned the drawings are preserved indefinitely.
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Why is it important for someone to continue to manage my square footages and lease information?
	While the overall total square footage of a building may not change, no commercial property ever stays completely constant over a period of time.  Tenants will move, and improvements will inevitably be made.  Therefore once tenant improvements are made square footages change and the need for continual management is required to maintain proper information and square footage accuracy (see FAQ 4).  Lease information in the form of up to date square footages, construction drawings, marketing flyers and other building management information is critical to an efficient leasing and management program.  By having your buildings lease information readily available Stevenson Systems Inc. offers the service of continually maintaining square footage for your property along with Lease Information.  We have been servicing our clients Lease Information since the late 1980’s and have been updating properties continually.  We have saved property owners hundreds of thousands of dollars while providing the property mangers, real estate brokers, architects and space planners the most up to date information on a building and individual suites within minutes.
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Why would I hire Stevenson Systems, Inc. over an architect to measure my buildings?
	The services of providing Space Accounting (building and tenant square footages measurements) has become a science for which most architectural firms do not have the expertise or the interest to provide the service.  Over the past twenty years most of the nations leading architectural firms have deferred their Space Accounting Services to companies like Stevenson Systems, Inc.  Inadequate attempts to match the services provided by companies like Stevenson Systems Inc. have only diverted architectural firms from their primary business of design.  Also companies like Stevenson Systems, Inc. have no conflict of interest with building or tenant square footages and Lease Information, since we do not provide architectural or space planning services to our customers.
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Does Stevenson Systems have a procedure that they follow when they measure a building?
	Yes. Although each property may present unique challenges, Stevenson Systems Inc. follows a time honored production procedure to ensure the most accurate square footage measurements possible.  The procedure that Stevenson Systems, Inc. follows is part of the Stevenson Standard from which many of the processes and procedures used throughout the real estate industry were adopted.  The current BOMA Standard has also adopted many of these procedures.
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Does Stevenson Systems have a procedure that they follow when they measure the tenant suites?
	Yes. Stevenson Systems, Inc. has measured more tenant spaces than any other company.  With this experience and established procedure and processes, Stevenson Systems, Inc. has developed many of the processes currently used throughout the real estate industry to measure and calculate tenant square footages.  The procedures that Stevenson Systems, Inc. follow are part of the Stevenson Standard were quality controls are used to ensure the most accurate square footage measurements are generated for each tenant suite.
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What kind of drawings does SSI prefer? CAD or paper (blue print)?
	It really makes no difference as long as the drawings contain all details and information required to construct the building.  Most buildings constructed prior to 1988 did not have CAD as a drafting tool and therefore are only available on paper.  We have also found it to be a good practice to have both CAD and paper if available. Also CAD drawings are rarely drawn with the details necessary for measuring square footages.
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Does Rentable Square Footage (RSF) increase or decreases after a re-measurement of the building? If so, by how much?
	Typically Stevenson Systems, Inc. find that most commercial properties lose square footage over time due to inaccurate measurements, poorly managed square footage, and no Space Accounting system in place.  Furthermore when buildings are leased there is a tendency for square footages to be reduced to make the deal, rather than reducing the cost per square foot.  Our experience has found that through the re-measurement process an increase of between 2.5% to 3.5% of total square footage is achieved.
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How important is it to follow the BOMA Standard?
	The BOMA Standard (ANSI/BOMA Z65.1996) is the most well known standard for measuring commercial office building; however it is not the most used Standard.  Many building owners and managers follow their interpretation of standard because it does not adapt to their current leasing practices or building design.  Therefore it is very important to use and follow a “standard” and BOMA is one of them.  One of the most common mistakes made in the real estate industry is not following a standard of measurement in the generation of square footages.  Another mistake is not having the proper documentation and systems in place to repeat square footage calculations in “how the building was measured”.  Other standards of measuring buildings may include the Stevenson Standard, AIA Standard, DC Standard, GWCAR Standard and IFMA Standard.
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Does Stevenson Systems measure buildings per the BOMA Standard?
	Yes, however, dependent on the type of building design or use, most building owners use a modification of the BOMA Standard.  Because the BOMA Standard does not address the many current leasing practices and various situations that are “gray” when measuring and calculating square footages using the BOMA standard.  Many building owners and managers use the Stevenson Standard which enhances and clarifies the BOMA standard or other standards that are regionally developed.
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Does Stevenson Systems have their own Standard to measure buildings?
	Yes. The Stevenson Standard was developed in 1986 to address the issues in the measurement of commercial buildings that were not addressed by the current BOMA Standard (ANSI Z-65-1980).  The BOMA standard is the most well known standard; however, most building owners and managers do not follow it because it does not adapt to current leasing practices or newer building design.   Furthermore, building owners and managers are asked by the lessee how square footage was measured and calculated, for which the BOMA standard did not have clear guidelines.  The Stevenson Standard was established to define and clarify many of the issues and deficiencies found in the BOMA Standard.  The Stevenson Standard was also developed to enable building owners and managers to have better accounting of the square footages through better accounting practices.
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How does the Stevenson Standard differ from the BOMA standard?
	That which is included in the measurement when an area is measured, and the apportionment of the measured areas, are the major differences.  The Stevenson Standard measures all areas whether or not they are included as Rentable square footage.  All areas measured that are not included in Rentable are identified as Non-Use or Non-Rentable.  The BOMA Standard does not measure or include areas that are Non-Use or Non-Rentable.  The Stevenson Standard apportions areas on how they are used as in “Complex Common Area” or “Multi-Floor Common Areas” or “Tenant Common”.  The BOMA Standard only apportions areas into “Floor Common” or “Building Common” categories.  BOMA does not provide for the use of factors for both multi floor and single floor occupancies, which the Stevenson Standard does.  The BOMA Standard does not provide for the use of an “Optimum Corridor” in the generation of factors which the Stevenson Standard does.
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What are the advantages of measuring a building using the Stevenson Standard?
	The Stevenson Standard has greater flexibility in the generation of building and tenant square footages.  It provides a system of measurement that is able to provide square footages for different building design, use and need.  Reports are clear and concise with documentation that has become a standard in the industry.  How the square footages were generated is strictly monitored and maintained through extensive systems and procedures.  The Stevenson Standard follows common accounting practices so that there is never “lost square footage” or missed space.
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If I am following the Stevenson Standard can I still say that the building is measured per the BOMA Standard?
	Yes, the Stevenson Standard only enhances the BOMA Standard and qualifies areas that are of question or poorly developed.  If a building is measured using the BOMA Standard and is measured using the Stevenson Standard they will both have the same total Rentable area, however, there may be slight differences in the generation of factors and square footage of each tenant.
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What are the main differences between the BOMA and Stevenson Standards?
	The BOMA Standard The STEVENSON STANDARD Building Common Areas are part of Usable  Building Common Areas are part of Rentable Floor-by-floor calculation apportionment only Allow both floor-by-floor and averaging apportionment calculations Apportions Floor Common areas to Building areas Building Common has no apportionment of common areas Calculates R/U ratios at time of occupancy Calculates R/U ratios [Hyperlink to Glossary: R/U Ratios] before occupancy Creates R/U ratios and/or load factors that potentially can vary for each tenant. Stabilizes R/U ratio so that it is the same to all tenants on a floor.
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What are the major features of The Stevenson Standard?
	It allows for an option to choose between an average, or a floor-by-floor calculation apportionment or R/U ratio (load factor) It features “Optimum Corridor” calculations to stabilize R/U ratios (load factors) It features a “Corridor Extension Policy” to handle corridors that change from time to time It apportions Building Common Areas [Hyperlink to Glossary: Building Common Areas] based on floor size It measures the building common areas as Rentable [Hyperlink to Glossary: Rentable] It allows the apportionment of all services used by the building or tenant, regardless of location It provides calculations for single and multiple tenant occupancy for each floor It is a complete accounting of all areas within the building, even if they are not part of Rentable.
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What types of buildings does Stevenson Systems, Inc measure?
	Stevenson Systems, Inc can measure any type, size, and shape of commercial building. Office, Industrial, Retail, Residential, Hotel, and Mixed use buildings can be measured by SSI using the Stevenson Standard.  We are not limited by the BOMA Standard as to the type and use of building. We have measured all types of buildings from 5,000 square feet to upwards of 5,000,000 square feet.
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