International Property Measurement Standards
The International Property Measurement Standards Coalition (IPMSC) is a group of more than 80 professional and not-for-profit organisations working to develop international standards for measuring property. It was formed during a meeting at the World Bank in Washington in May 2013.
On 26 September 2016, the coalition published the International Property Measurement Standards (IPMS): Residential Buildings, the second in a series of global, open-source standards, the first being the International Property Measurement Standards (IPMS): Office Buildings, published in November 2014.
The coalition intends to develop additional standards for industrial buildings and retail buildings. Other classes of property may also benefit from the development of standards, such as schools, hospitals, hotels and student accommodation.
The standards are intended to establish a consistent approach to measuring buildings, particularly important given the growth of cross-border property investment and the expansion of global corporations.
Research by JLL has revealed that measurement of a property’s floor area can vary by as much as 24% depending on the method used. Some methods include lift shafts and communal hallways, others include off-site parking or swimming pools, and so on. The creation of International Property Measurement Standards helps establish a more transparent marketplace, resulting in stronger investor confidence.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Area.
- Beneficial occupation.
- BOMA International.
- Case notes for rating valuation (Garton V Hunter).
- Choice of method for rating valuation.
- Contractor’s basis for rating valuation.
- Conversion of material volumes.
- Gross external area.
- Gross internal area.
- Measurement.
- Metric system.
- Net internal area.
- Occupant capacity of a building or space.
- Profits method of rating valuation.
- Rating valuation.
- Rental method of rating valuation.
- Statutory formulae for rating valuation.
- Total useful floor area.
- Units.
Featured articles and news
Do you take the lead in a circular construction economy?
Help us develop and expand this wiki as a resource for academia and industry alike.
Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce
Risks of undermining UK’s energy transition due to lack of electrotechnical industry representation, says ECA.
Cost Optimal Domestic Electrification CODE
Modelling retrofits only on costs that directly impact the consumer: upfront cost of equipment, energy costs and maintenance costs.
The Warm Homes Plan details released
What's new and what is not, with industry reactions.
Could AI and VR cause an increase the value of heritage?
The Orange book: 2026 Amendment 4 to BS 7671:2018
ECA welcomes IET and BSI content sign off.
How neural technologies could transform the design future
Enhancing legacy parametric engines, offering novel ways to explore solutions and generate geometry.
Key AI related terms to be aware of
With explanations from the UK government and other bodies.
From QS to further education teacher
Applying real world skills with the next generation.
A guide on how children can use LEGO to mirror real engineering processes.
Data infrastructure for next-generation materials science
Research Data Express to automate data processing and create AI-ready datasets for materials research.
Wired for the Future with ECA; powering skills and progress
ECA South Wales Business Day 2025, a day to remember.
AI for the conservation professional
A level of sophistication previously reserved for science fiction.
Biomass harvested in cycles of less than ten years.
An interview with the new CIAT President
Usman Yaqub BSc (Hons) PCIAT MFPWS.
Cost benefit model report of building safety regime in Wales
Proposed policy option costs for design and construction stage of the new building safety regime in Wales.
Do you receive our free biweekly newsletter?
If not you can sign up to receive it in your mailbox here.






















