Our Industry
With the transfer of property ownership, square footage is an essential element in determining real estate values.  The square foot is the unit of measurement in real estate, similar to miles per gallon is the unit of measurement for automobiles. Real Estate is bought, sold, operated, leased, constructed, and regulated using the square foot as its unit of measurement.

In the history of real estate, especially commercial real estate, determining square footage was at best guess work without rules, regulations, or standards. The determination of square footage in real estate became an acute problem with the commercial real estate boom after the turn of the century. In 1915 the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) developed the first standard of measurement of square footage for office buildings; commonly called the “Method of Floor Measurement for Office Buildings.” This standard was readily accepted as a national standard and served as a Standard for 35 years without change or amendment.

With the increased size, complexity, and cost of office buildings throughout the United States the BOMA Standard was revised in 1952 and adopted by BOMA International. The BOMA Standard was further revised in 1955 to become the American National Standard (ANSI) of which BOMA was a cosponsor. From 1955 to 1971 BOMA was the custodian of the ANSI/BOMA Standard as it remained unchanged as a “Usable” square footage standard. Although the BOMA/ANSI Standard was used by building owners and managers, there was no regulation or qualification as to who could perform or apply the standard to the determination of square footage. This responsibility generally fell onto architects, contractors, or real estate developers by way of the market conditions of acceptability. In 1971 the BOMA/ANSI Standard (Method of Floor Measurement for Office Buildings) was revised to adapt to current leasing and sales practices throughout the United States.

Throughout the 70’s real estate developers, owners and managers realized the heighten importance of correct square footages and if their buildings were measured incorrectly it could affect the income, cost of operations and value. Further revisions to the BOMA/ANSI Standard were made in 1980 with clarification of the measurements to the exterior walls of the building and the bases of measuring office areas on a given floor. This revised BOMA/ANSI Standard also introduced the concept that was being used extensively in the commercial real estate industry of leasing areas beyond the tenant Usable area. In addition to leasing the Usable area, tenant spaces were now being leased to include a proportional share of the “common areas” on the floor that it shared with other tenant spaces. Square footage of bathrooms, corridors, electrical rooms and the like were now being shared or apportioned to all tenants that used those areas on the same floor of a building. This additional apportioned area was called “Rentable” area. The term Rentable area was now also being used to mean the usable area of a suite plus the common area it shares with others on a floor, and as the total square footage for a building.

With the added ability of computerization during the 1980’s, real estate and architectural businesses could use computer programs to help determine the square footage of commercial buildings. The determination of square footage could now be performed with greater accuracy and consistency. The determination of square footages was now becoming more of a science. Large and small commercial real estate owners were taking advantage of this new science and were now hiring specialty companies to determine the rentable and usable square footage calculations in their buildings. These companies that specialized in the measurement of square footages created a new industry of “Space Accounting.” With the growth of the Space Accounting industry, real estate companies and organizations were now developing alternative building measurement standards that allowed for the flexibility in the way building were being leased in different regions of the United States. In 1986 Stevenson Systems, Inc introduced the first comprehensive Space Accounting Systems; Computer Assisted Real Estate Measurement “CAREM” that addressed the requirements of a variety of building sizes, types and real estate markets.

As the commercial real estate industry had once again out paced the standards of measurement like the BOMA/ANSI Standard, companies like Stevenson Systems, Inc were required to develop new or improved standards of measuring commercial real estate. Stevenson Systems introduced its Standard of Measurement, “The Stevenson Standard”, in 1988 that closed the loop holes and “gray” areas of the 1980 BOMA Standard so that it could be used on a wide range of building designs across the United States and in different real estate markets. The BOMA/ANSI Standard formula rework was reaffirmed in 1989 with an added French translation as the standard was becoming more internationally used.

Throughout the late 1970’s and into 80’s more and more commercial real estate companies were relying on Space Accounting companies to determine their square footage. With the new leasing practices in the 80’s of determining square footage on a Rentable basis, only a few experts and specialized Space Accounting companies had the skill and expertise to determine Rentable area. These companies were no longer affiliated with construction, architecture, engineers, or surveyors. Pioneer companies like Stevenson Systems, Inc. were the first companies in the United States to specialize in the business of Space Accounting. These companies set the foundation and framework to what has become a multi-million dollar service industry to the commercial real estate world.

BOMA/ANSI introduced a new Standard in 1996 that became closer to the Stevenson Standard in that it adopted many of the concepts and definitions used in the Stevenson Standard. This new BOMA Standard followed some of the Stevenson Standard concept of apportioning services used by all tenants within a building. This apportioned area was called “Building Common,” which BOMA/ANSI accepted as part of The Stevenson Standard based on predetermined measurement standards.

The Space Accounting industry has matured to such an extent that developers, architects, engineers, leasing, and management companies that want accurate square footage information for their buildings will now only hire Space Accounting specialists to determine their square footage. These specialists have sophisticated software systems and techniques to determine how to measure and maintain square footages.

As the BOMA Standard has been revised, the Stevenson Standard has advanced to become the “The Standard For Measuring Commercial Buildings”.  The determination of square footage has now become its own industry with its own science.  Sophisticated computer programs, the use of laser measurement equipment and more equable apportioning of areas that are shared by multiple tenants, floors and buildings through measurement standards have made the determination of square footage defined in precise accounting terms, systems and documentation.
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"From a leasing perspective, it is invaluable to have the consistency in square footage calculations that Stevenson Systems provides. Square footage issues can be very difficult in lease negotiations but having Stevenson Systems calculations available has eliminated most every issue that has come up."
David R. Peacock, CPM, CCIM - Regional Leasing Director,
Glenborough LLC

STEVENSON SYSTEMS, Inc.    27822 El Lazo    Laguna Niguel, CA 92677    P 949.297.4200    F 949.297.4242      Contact Us