Valuations
Surveying
Advice & consultancy21 June 2023
Accurately measure building floor area with the BACS measurement code
Professional surveyors use the BACS measurement code to measure the floor area of a building with precision.
The BACS guidelines, developed by the Belgian-Luxembourg Association of Chartered Surveyors, provide a widely accepted standard for accurately measuring buildings for property valuation, sale, rental, or purchase.
Looking to have a BACS-compliant measurement performed by a professional surveyor?
Trust CC Experts.
Contact us for more information or request a free, no-obligation quote.
Read on to learn more about a BACS survey carried out by a professional surveyor.
Why choose a BACS survey?
The BACS measurement code applies to both residential and commercial real estate. It is frequently used to verify the floor area of a building during property transactions as part of due diligence, and it is also commonly included in the specifications of new construction projects.
An accurately measured floor area not only increases transparency for investors and property users, but also enables reliable comparisons of floor areas across different buildings.
Within the BACS measurement code, two key concepts are defined: Gross External Area (GEA) and Gross Internal Area (GIA).
Gross External Area (GEA)
The Gross External Area of a building refers to the area of each level, measured to the outside of the external walls. It includes:
- Columns
- Internal walls
- Partitions
- Enclosed balconies
- …
It excludes:
- Open balconies
- External fire escapes
- Canopies
- …
The Gross External Area (GEA) is an important reference for construction cost calculations, spatial planning (e.g., floor-to-site ratio), and for the marketing of real estate.
Gross Internal Area (GIA)
The Gross Internal Area (GIA) refers to the area of each level of a building, measured from the centerline of the windows to the axis of the wall (if no windows are present in the wall). Included are the:
- Internal walls
- Partitions
- Stairwells
- Vertical air ducts
- …
Not included in the gross area:
- Protruding structures
- Technical rooms
- Ramps and driveways in parking garages
- …
The Gross Internal Area (GIA) is particularly relevant when estimating the rental value of retail spaces or office buildings. It is also commonly used as the basis for allocating shared costs among multiple tenants or users in the same building.
Precise measurements with 3D laser scanning by a land surveyor
Sometimes no as-built plan is available in a digital CAD or BIM format for the building. In such cases, the surveyor will carry out a detailed and precise measurement of the building using 3D laser scanning. With this technology, building users experience minimal disruption during surveying, and up to 15,000 m² of floor area can be measured per day. After the survey, the data is processed by a surveyor into floor plans, including the calculation and visualization of both the Gross External Area (GEA) and the Gross Internal Area (GIA). Finally, the findings and conclusions are reported in a document signed by a licensed surveyor and/or a RICS-accredited real estate expert.
Is there an alternative to the BACS measurement code?
The BACS measurement code is not legally binding, but it is the most widely used standard for determining building floor areas in Belgium. In addition to BACS, our surveyors are also experienced in applying alternative measurement standards, including:
- The building measurement code for European Union institutions
- NBN B06-002 (gross floor area, net floor area, …)
- NEN2580 (gross floor area GFA, net floor area NFA, rentable floor area RFA, …)
- International Property Measurement Standards (IPMS)
- The European Real Estate Area Label (extra-muros area, intra-muros area, building area, …)
- …
Our references
BACS surveys carried out by CC Experts surveyors include:
- An office building of 12,868 m² in the European Quarter, Brussels
- Offices of 10,309 m² near the Berlaymont building, Brussels
- Industrial facilities of 21,876 m² in Hoogstraten
- A logistics complex with 4,755 m² of warehouse space and 979 m² of offices in Zaventem
- …
Learn more about the BACS measurement code
Every project is unique, which is why we tailor our services to your specific needs and objectives.
Contact us for more information or request a free, no-obligation quote.