The first issue of the BOMA Standard Method of Floor Measurement for Office Buildings was published in 1915. It was quickly adopted by the industry as a national standard, and stood for close to 40 years without amendment. In 1952, with the advent of more modern architectural designs, the Standard was revised. It was then further revised in 1955 to become the American National Standard, of which BOMA International was a co-sponsor.

The next major revision came in 1971, and reflected leasing concepts in use at that time. This version lasted until 1980, when another major revision took place. The 1980 Standard clarified some details regarding points of measurement relative to the exterior wall of a building, and established the basic methods for measuring the office area of a given floor. This 1980 Standard was basically the BOMA Standard in use most recently, until the last major revision in 1996. There was a minor update in 1989, with a French translation plus the publication of a list of 26 commonly asked questions and answers about the 1980 Standard. Though this list of questions/answers is not officially part of the Standard, any reference to a 1989 Standard is referring to this list in combination with the published 1980 Standard.

In 1996, the Standard underwent a major revision, in an attempt to overcome some serious flaws and shortcomings in the 1980/89 version. The next section will focus on the changes introduced in 1996.

Forward to "The 1996 Standard - What's Changed"    

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