Floor Area Measurement Best Practices #23

Clarifications of Finished Rooftop Terraces

Applicable to: BOMA 2017 Office Standard (ANSI/BOMA Z65.1-2017)
Approved: 04-06-2018

Introduction The Floor Measurement Standards Committee of BOMA International has approved this Best Practice to provide
clarification and guidance with respect to the BOMA Standard(s) disclosed herein. This Best Practice does not modify any
of the BOMA publications but may be considered for inclusion in future updates.

Questions: 1. Is the entire area within a Finished Rooftop Terrace included in the Boundary Area?
2. Do all sides of a Finished Rooftop Terrace need to be above grade to be included in the Boundary Area?

Anwser: 1. The BOMA 2017 Office Standard defines a Finished Rooftop Terrace as a “definable area on a roof of a Building
which has been legally renovated or designed to be occupied and enjoyed by people”. The intent of this definition
is to include all areas within the peripheral boundary of the Finished Rooftop Terrace that are attributable to the
Finished Rooftop Terrace even if there are certain areas within the Finished Rooftop Terrace that a person would
not ordinarily inhabit. For example, an inaccessible garden within the area of the Finished Rooftop Terrace should
be included in the area of the Finished Rooftop Terrace.

Areas within the peripheral boundary of a Finished Rooftop Terrace which cannot be attributed to the Finished
Rooftop Terrace and which are not otherwise included in the Boundary Area according to the BOMA Office
Standard, should be omitted from the area of the Finished Rooftop Terrace. For example, an unenclosed
mechanical structure within the area of the Finished Rooftop Terrace should be excluded from the area of the
Finished Rooftop Terrace.

For additional clarity, a Finished Rooftop Terrace must be a noncompulsory feature of the Building, which the
Landlord has chosen to construct.

2. All sides of a Finished Rooftop Terrace must be at least one story above grade in order to be included in the
Boundary Area.
BOMA Office Standard (ANSI/BOMA Z65.1-2017), Section 3.1 Boundary Conditions, Page 21
Citations:
BOMA Office Standard (ANSI/BOMA Z65.1-2017), Section 6.0 Definitions, Finished Rooftop Terrace, Page 100
Contributed by: David Fingret, Extreme Measures Inc.

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