The following standard guidelines for measuring apartments are from the Property Council of Australia’s Method of Measurement for Residential Property.
All information referenced here conforms to the Building Code of Australia (BCA) 2006 Classification of Buildings and Structures.
It also conforms to Property Council recommendations that all measurements should be rounded to one decimal point of a m² unit.
Use the following rules to determine the residential property area (total floor space within a dwelling at each floor level):
• Measure external building walls, standard and service facility walls to the external finished surface of the dominant portion of the walls
• Measure shared dwelling walls from the centre line
• Measure attic space or sloping walls from the point which provides a clear area of 1m above the floor level
• Measure the horizontal surface of internal stairs to all levels, including the area underneath
• Measure voids over spaces and record them separately
• Measure common corridor walls to the outside face of the walls
• Measure common walls to stairs, lifts and ducts to the inside face of the structural wall
Measuring Heritage Facades
• Measure thick external walls to the outside face in the same way as external walls
• Measure heritage walls that abut a common internal area (such as a corridor) to the centre line of the existing heritage wall
Measuring Apartments
Include in your residential property area measurements:
• Window mullions and frames
• Structural columns under 1m²
• Engaged perimeter columns or piers
• Service ducts under 1m²
Exclude from your residential property area measurements:
• Balconies, terraces and verandas
• Car parking spaces, carports and garages
• Storage spaces outside the dwelling
Measure the following separately:
• Columns that exceed 1m²
• Service ducts that exceed 1m²
Balconies and terraces should be excluded from your overall residential property area but may be measured and identified separately, as follows:
• Measure to the dominant part of balcony rails and planter within the balcony
• Measure to the dominant part of the external face of terrace walls and planter within the terrace
Measuring car parking and storage:
• Measure car parking spaces to the centre line of columns or centre line of line markings, whichever is greater
• Measure storage rooms and cages to the inside of walls
To know more about the rules on how to accurately measure your residential property area or to discuss your next project please contact Three Sixty° Property Group today.