{"id":11927,"date":"2024-04-09T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-09T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.roomsketcher.com\/?p=11927"},"modified":"2024-06-04T09:11:18","modified_gmt":"2024-06-04T07:11:18","slug":"gross-building-area-gba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.roomsketcher.com\/blog\/gross-building-area-gba\/","title":{"rendered":"Gross Building Area Uncovered: A Key Metric in Real Estate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gross Building Area (GBA) is a measurement standard for multi-family buildings and commercial properties. This guide explores the definition of GBA, how to measure GBA by hand or using modern software tools like RoomSketcher, and how GBA compares to other measurement standards.<\/p>\n\n

Blog<\/a>, <\/span>Floor Plans<\/a><\/div>\n\n
\"Gross<\/figure>\n\n\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\tBy<\/span>\n\t\t\t\tCeline Polden<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tPublished April 09, 2024<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\tUpdated June 04, 2024<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n
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What Is Gross Building Area?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gross Building Area (GBA) is generally defined as the total building area, including the outside walls. GBA includes all floors, interior and exterior walls, staircases, and other structural elements. There are a few exclusions, which we will cover in more detail later. For example, features extending from a building\u2019s exterior, such as open decks, balconies, and fire escapes. GBA is one of several measurements that can be important for construction estimates, building permits, property loans, revenue estimates, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that definitions of GBA, including which areas count towards it, vary depending on the measurement standard and location. Hence, it's advisable to check with local authorities or a professional appraiser for the prevalent standards in your area. Many countries are moving towards International Property Measurement Standards<\/a> (IPMS), developed by more than 80 professionals and non-profit organizations, to document international property measurement standards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some locales, the Gross Building Area (GBA) is referred to as the Gross Construction Area or the Gross External Area. The International Property Measurement Standards (IPMS) refer to this measurement as IPMS 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Calculate Gross Building Area<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gross Building Area is essentially the total area of all the floors of a building, measured to the outside of the external walls. Here are a couple of ways to calculate GBA:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Option 1: Use an existing blueprint or floor plan<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you have an existing blueprint or floor plan for the building, you can import it into floor plan software like RoomSketcher. With RoomSketcher\u2019s built-in area calculator, you can get your Gross Building Area result in seconds - just click to exclude any uncovered external balconies or decks on the floor plan and then choose the \u201cGross Floor Area\u201d calculation. See Calculate the Total Area of a Floor Plan<\/a> for more information on RoomSketcher\u2019s area calculations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Option 2: Measure onsite<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can also measure up the property if you don\u2019t have access to an existing floor plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Start with a walkaround<\/strong> - Walk around the property to get an idea of the shape.<\/li>
  2. Sketch the property on paper or tablet<\/strong> - Make a sketch of the property on paper or create a digital sketch using floor plan software<\/a> on your tablet.<\/li>
  3. Find the rectangles<\/strong> - Now work on each floor. Note whether each floor is a simple rectangle or break it down into smaller rectangles (so you can multiply length x width for each rectangle and add them together).<\/li>
  4. Get the measurements<\/strong> - Measure each rectangle using a tape measure, roto wheel, or a laser to determine the size of each rectangle, factoring in internal and external wall widths.<\/li>
  5. Do the math<\/strong> - Multiply the length and width of each rectangle to calculate its size. Add together all the rectangular areas on the floor. Repeat for all floors, and sum the result to calculate the building\u2019s total GBA.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Top RoomSketcher Tip<\/strong><\/p>

    IPMS standards recommend reporting each floor individually, along with the total GBA for the building.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    What is Included in Gross Building Area?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Gross Building Area generally includes everything inside a building. However, since all buildings are different, it\u2019s not quite that simple. For example, what about balconies that extend from the structure? Or rooftop terraces? How about external stairs? Examples of areas that are generally included in the GBA:<\/p>\n\n\n\n