If you manage commercial properties in North America, BOMA standards are almost certainly shaping how your buildings are measured, evaluated, and inspected — whether you realize it or not. From the way lease agreements calculate rentable square footage, to the benchmarks used to evaluate operational excellence, the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International has been quietly setting the rules of the game since 1907.

Yet many property managers treat BOMA as something abstract — a name that appears in lease documents or certification paperwork, but rarely something they engage with proactively. That's a missed opportunity. Understanding what BOMA standards actually mean in practice can transform the way you structure your inspection programs, protect you from compliance failures, and give your portfolio a measurable competitive edge in the market.

This guide breaks down what BOMA is, which standards matter most for building inspections, and what you can do right now to align your inspection program with industry best practices.

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What Is BOMA International?

BOMA International — the Building Owners and Managers Association — is a federation of commercial real estate professionals founded in 1907 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. It represents the owners and managers of all commercial property types, including nearly 10 billion square feet of U.S. office space that supports 3.7 million jobs and contributes approximately $205 billion to the U.S. GDP.

The organization's core mission is to advance the interests of the commercial real estate industry through advocacy, education, research, and the development of standards. Among its most influential contributions is a suite of building measurement and operations standards that have become the de facto framework for commercial real estate transactions across the United States, Canada, and many international markets.

BOMA published its first measurement standard back in 1915 — the Standard Method of Floor Measurement for Office Buildings — and has been refining and expanding that framework ever since. Today, BOMA maintains distinct standards for office, industrial, retail, multi-family, mixed-use, and gross area property types, each updated regularly to reflect changes in building design, tenant needs, and market conditions.

What makes BOMA standards particularly significant is that they are not simply internal guidelines. They are developed as ANSI-approved consensus standards, meaning they go through rigorous review by cross-sector stakeholders including architects, developers, asset managers, brokers, and tenants before being adopted. This process gives BOMA standards a credibility and legal weight that extends far beyond voluntary best practices.

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Why BOMA Standards Are Directly Relevant to Your Inspection Program

At first glance, BOMA's measurement standards might seem like a leasing issue — something for brokers and accountants to worry about. But for property managers, BOMA's reach extends deep into day-to-day operations and inspection management. Here's why.

1. Measurement Drives Maintenance Responsibility

BOMA standards define exactly what constitutes rentable area, usable area, common areas, and building service areas. These definitions matter enormously for inspections because they determine which spaces fall under the landlord's maintenance responsibility versus the tenant's. When a HVAC unit, a corridor, or a mechanical room is formally classified as a building service area under BOMA guidelines, the inspection schedule, documentation requirements, and liability for those systems become clearly defined.

Without this clarity, property managers frequently encounter disputes about who is responsible for maintaining and inspecting specific systems — disputes that can result in deferred maintenance, safety failures, and costly legal exposure.

2. Compliance Audits Reference BOMA Frameworks

When lenders, insurers, or institutional investors conduct due diligence on a commercial property, they routinely ask whether the building operates in accordance with BOMA standards. A building whose inspection records, maintenance protocols, and operational procedures align with BOMA guidelines is far easier to underwrite and finance than one operating without a recognized framework.

Similarly, award programs like the Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) — BOMA's premier recognition program for operational excellence — require documented building inspections as a prerequisite for competition. Buildings must submit verified inspection forms and demonstrate consistent, documented maintenance practices across all major building systems.

3. BOMA 360 Sets the Bar for Holistic Operations

The BOMA 360 Performance Program, launched in 2009, is arguably the most directly inspection-relevant certification BOMA offers. To earn the BOMA 360 designation, a building must demonstrate excellence across six major areas of operation:

• Building Operations and Management
• Life Safety, Security, and Risk Management
• Training and Education
• Energy
• Environmental, Sustainability, and Wellness
• Tenant and Occupant Relations and Community Involvement

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For a building to satisfy these requirements, it needs a mature, well-documented inspection program. Life safety and risk management alone demands verifiable records for fire alarm panels, fire doors, sprinkler systems, smoke detectors, emergency lighting, and evacuation drills. Building operations requirements demand scheduled and recorded HVAC maintenance, plumbing inspections, elevator certifications, and structural walkthroughs.

According to Kingsley Associates research cited by BOMA, 94% of tenants in BOMA 360-designated buildings report high overall satisfaction. CoStar data further shows that BOMA 360 buildings command higher rental rates and higher tenant retention rates compared to similar non-designated properties.

These are not abstract statistics. They represent the tangible financial return that flows from running a well-inspected, well-documented building.

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Key BOMA Standards Every Property Manager Should Know

BOMA publishes several distinct standards, each targeting different property types and use cases. Here is a practical overview of the ones most relevant to property managers running active inspection programs.

BOMA 2024 for Office Buildings (ANSI/BOMA Z65.1-2024)

This is BOMA's flagship standard, updated most recently in March 2024. It governs the measurement of office buildings across commercial, medical, institutional, and life science uses. The 2024 update introduced several significant changes, including the expansion of rentable area to include unenclosed tenant spaces such as rooftop terraces, outdoor patios, and tenant-controlled equipment areas on rooftops.

From an inspection standpoint, these new space classifications matter because they expand the footprint of areas that require regular inspection. An outdoor rooftop terrace or at-grade patio now counted in the rentable area brings with it a corresponding obligation for safety inspections, drainage checks, surface condition assessments, and weather-proofing reviews.

BOMA 2025 for Industrial Buildings (ANSI/BOMA Z65.2-2025)

The newest update to BOMA's industrial standard includes expanded provisions for unenclosed areas such as loading docks and outdoor storage at ground level, as well as greater flexibility for flex and mixed-use industrial properties. For property managers overseeing industrial or warehouse portfolios, this standard shapes how shared spaces and service areas are measured and, in turn, how maintenance responsibilities are allocated between landlords and tenants.

BOMA BEST (Building Environmental Standards)

Maintained by BOMA Canada but widely referenced across North America, BOMA BEST is a certification program focused specifically on environmental performance and operational sustainability. Version 4.1 — the current edition — evaluates buildings across categories including energy use, water management, indoor air quality (IAQ), waste management, and hazardous materials.

The BOMA BEST certification process is rigorous and heavily inspection-driven. Buildings must demonstrate an active IAQ monitoring plan, documented energy and water audits aligned with ASHRAE Level I standards at minimum, regular reviews of hazardous building materials such as asbestos and lead paint, and tenant engagement programs. For buildings pursuing BOMA BEST certification, a structured digital inspection program is not optional — it is a prerequisite.

BOMA TOBY (The Outstanding Building of the Year)

TOBY is BOMA's most prestigious building recognition program. Inspection verification is mandatory for all TOBY submissions. Buildings must document that physical inspections have taken place at the local competition level, and judges review inspection records as part of their evaluation. Mandatory inspection areas include life safety systems, evacuation drill records, energy performance documentation, and building maintenance logs covering the previous year.

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What a BOMA-Aligned Inspection Program Looks Like in Practice

Building a BOMA-aligned inspection program doesn't mean obtaining every BOMA certification immediately. It means structuring your inspection protocols so that you are consistently collecting, storing, and acting on the right data across the right building systems. Here is what that looks like in practice.

Life Safety Inspections

This is non-negotiable and forms the backbone of any BOMA-compliant building operation. Life safety inspections should cover fire alarm control panels (FACP), fire sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, emergency lighting, exit signage, fire doors, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors. Frequency varies by system and jurisdiction, but documentation of each inspection is essential. BOMA guidelines and local fire codes increasingly require that these records be available on demand, either physically on-site or digitally accessible.

One practical reality that BOMA committees have flagged repeatedly: when buildings undergo major renovations, fire alarm control panels, HVAC systems, and other life safety equipment often trigger code updates requiring inspection to updated standards. Proactive planning and pre-renovation inspections are significantly less costly than reactive compliance after work is complete.

HVAC and Mechanical Systems

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems account for a disproportionately large share of energy consumption in commercial buildings — estimates frequently place HVAC at 60 to 70 percent of total building energy use. BOMA standards, particularly through the BOMA 360 and BOMA BEST frameworks, expect that property managers maintain scheduled preventive maintenance programs for all HVAC equipment, document filter replacements, coil cleanings, refrigerant checks, and control calibrations, and track energy performance data in systems like ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.

Inspecting HVAC systems proactively is also critical for indoor air quality, which is explicitly evaluated in BOMA BEST certification. An IAQ management plan must identify all HVAC systems impacting air quality goals and include a mechanism for tenant service requests and documented corrective actions.

Building Exterior and Structural Assessments

Regular building envelope inspections — covering roofing, facades, windows, sealants, and drainage systems — are a standard component of BOMA-aligned maintenance programs. These inspections protect against water intrusion, structural deterioration, and energy loss. For buildings in Canada or the northern United States, where freeze-thaw cycles create particular stress on building envelopes, seasonal inspection programs aligned with spring and fall transition periods are especially important.

Common Area and Accessibility Inspections

Because BOMA standards formally define what constitutes common areas and building service areas, property managers should maintain regular inspection schedules for lobbies, corridors, stairwells, restrooms, elevators, loading docks, parking structures, and outdoor areas that fall within the building's measurable footprint. ADA and local accessibility compliance requirements often overlap with these inspections.

Hazardous Materials Management

Both BOMA BEST and general due diligence standards require that building owners maintain an inventory of hazardous building materials including asbestos, lead paint, PCBs, and silica. This inventory must be paired with a documented inspection and management plan. Any renovation or repair activity that disturbs suspect materials requires inspection before and after work, with results documented and retained.

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The Case for Digitizing Your BOMA-Aligned Inspection Program

One of the most consistent challenges property managers face when working toward BOMA 360 or BOMA BEST certification is documentation. The standards require not just that inspections happen, but that they are recorded, traceable, and retrievable. A building that undergoes excellent physical inspections but maintains records in scattered paper logs, spreadsheets, or disconnected email chains will struggle to demonstrate compliance when auditors or certification reviewers ask for evidence.

This is precisely where digital inspection management creates enormous leverage. When inspections are completed on a mobile platform that timestamps each entry, captures photos, flags deficiencies in real time, and automatically generates work orders for corrective action, the documentation trail required by BOMA standards essentially builds itself.

Lowtide Properties, a Canadian property management firm, implemented a digital inspection platform and reported a 48% reduction in emergency maintenance callouts — a direct result of catching issues during routine inspections before they escalated into failures. Their team also saved 10 hours per week previously lost to manual record-keeping and report compilation.

Consider what BOMA 360's life safety requirements demand in practice: documented evidence of evacuation drills within the past 12 months, inspection verification for fire suppression and detection systems, records of tenant emergency communications, and training logs for building operations staff. If your team completes all of these activities but records them inconsistently across different media, you create exactly the kind of audit risk that derails otherwise strong certification applications.

A digital inspection system also supports the real-time analytics and dashboard oversight that BOMA-aligned operations increasingly require. When a property manager can see at a glance which systems across a portfolio have open work orders, which inspections are overdue, and how corrective actions are progressing, the kind of reactive firefighting that drives up operational costs and damages tenant relationships becomes far less common.

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How to Start Building a BOMA-Aligned Inspection Program Today

You don't need to pursue BOMA certification immediately to benefit from aligning your inspection program with BOMA standards. The following steps will position your building or portfolio to operate at a professional standard — and will make certification significantly easier if and when you pursue it.

Step 1: Map Your Inspection Obligations to BOMA Categories

Start by reviewing the six BOMA 360 performance areas and identifying where your current inspection program has gaps. Life safety is typically the most urgent starting point, followed by building operations and maintenance. Create an inventory of all building systems and their current inspection frequency, then compare against BOMA guidelines and local code requirements.

Step 2: Standardize Your Inspection Checklists

BOMA's framework implies a level of consistency that ad-hoc inspections cannot provide. Standardized checklists ensure that every inspection covers the same scope, uses the same terminology, and collects the same data regardless of who is conducting it. This consistency is essential for tracking trends over time and for demonstrating compliance to third parties.

Step 3: Implement a Digital Inspection and Work Order System

Paper-based inspection programs create bottlenecks at every stage — from the time it takes to transfer notes into reports, to the risk of lost records during staff turnover. A digital system that allows inspections to be completed on a mobile device, with findings instantly available to management and work orders automatically created for flagged issues, is the most practical way to meet the documentation expectations embedded in BOMA standards.

Step 4: Align with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager

BOMA 360 requires all applicants to benchmark their building's energy performance in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and share that data with BOMA International. If your building is not yet enrolled in ENERGY STAR, this is a foundational step. Energy performance data also informs HVAC inspection priorities and capital planning decisions in ways that benefit operations independent of any certification process.

Step 5: Create a Training and Accountability Framework

BOMA standards expect that building operations staff are trained on relevant procedures, that training is documented, and that inspection accountability is clearly assigned. Designate a responsible party for each major inspection category, establish a review cadence for inspection records, and ensure that corrective actions from flagged inspection findings are assigned, tracked, and closed within documented timeframes.

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Final Thoughts

BOMA standards represent more than a set of technical measurement rules. They reflect what the commercial real estate industry has collectively determined constitutes professional, accountable, and high-performing building management. For property managers in the US and Canada, operating in alignment with BOMA standards is increasingly a baseline expectation rather than a differentiator — particularly as institutional investors, major tenants, and insurance providers grow more sophisticated in how they evaluate building operations.

The good news is that a BOMA-aligned inspection program doesn't require a dramatic overhaul of how you operate. It requires structure, consistency, and documentation — the same things that make any inspection program effective. With the right processes and tools in place, achieving that alignment is well within reach for buildings of any size.

Buildings that proactively structure their inspection programs around BOMA frameworks don't just check compliance boxes. They reduce emergency maintenance costs, improve tenant satisfaction, command stronger rental rates, and build the documentation trail that makes refinancing, insurance renewals, and potential asset sales significantly smoother.

If you're ready to take the first step toward a more structured, BOMA-aligned inspection program, Onsite HQ can help. Our platform is built to support property managers who need to move from paper-based or fragmented inspection processes to a fully digital, trackable, and reportable system — without the complexity or cost of enterprise software.

About Onsite HQ

Onsite HQ is an inspection and work order management platform designed for property managers, facility operators, and building maintenance teams. With thousands of inspections submitted daily across the US, Canada, and the UK, Onsite HQ helps teams cut overhead, reduce emergency callouts, and maintain the documentation standards required for regulatory compliance and industry certifications.

Ready to transform your inspection program? Book a demo at onsite-hq.com

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