The Residential Measurement Standard (RMS) is a principles-based standard established by the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA). Real estate professionals licensed in Alberta must follow it when measuring residential properties. Unlike the voluntary US ANSI Z765 standard, the RMS is mandatory in Alberta.

The floor plan calculations available under the Alberta, Canada standard are based on the official RMS guide: the RECA Guide to the Residential Measurement Standard, Fifth Edition – January 2024. To accommodate different property circumstances, clients can manually adjust room-area inclusion and wall thickness in the Giraffe360 Floor Plan Editor.

According to the official RMS guide, the standard applies to all residential property types, including detached, semi-detached, and attached properties, such as apartments and condominiums. The relevant property type can also be selected or adjusted manually.

According to the RMS guide, the RMS area of a property is the sum of all the above-grade level areas. How the perimeter is measured depends on the property type:

Giraffe360 uses point cloud data to measure the interior surface of the perimeter walls and calculates the exterior wall footprint according to the selected property type.

You can adjust the wall thickness between 2–12 in (5–30 cm) in the Floor Plan Editor in Content Studio.

You can change the property type in the Property Data settings.

The metric or imperial measurement system is identified and applied consistently throughout the floor plan. You can also change it manually in the Property Data settings.

According to the RMS guide, only floor levels that are entirely above grade are included in the RMS area. If any portion of a level is below grade, the entire level is classified as below grade and excluded from the RMS area. This classification applies to the whole level rather than to individual rooms.

Giraffe360 allows you to assign the floor level during capture and change it later in the project settings.

According to the RMS guide, below-grade areas are always excluded from the RMS area but may be measured and reported separately.

When the Alberta, Canada standard is selected in Giraffe360, rooms located below grade and rooms in additional buildings are excluded by default.

Below-grade rooms can be classified as Finished Below Grade or left as Excluded.

These settings can be adjusted manually in the Giraffe360 Floor Plan Editor according to the client’s requirements.

According to the RMS guide, stairs are included in the above-grade level to which they lead, even if part or all of the staircase is located below grade.

The floor area under stairs is always included.

Any portion of a stair opening that exceeds the area occupied by the stair treads and landings is deducted from the floor area of that level.

Giraffe360 automatically applies these calculations before the floor plans are uploaded to the client’s Content Studio.

Cantilevers, bay windows, bow windows, box windows, and dormers are included if they begin at floor level and have a minimum floor-to-ceiling height of 1.52 m (5 ft). Extensions that do not begin at floor level are excluded, even if they meet the minimum height requirement.

Giraffe360 applies these calculations automatically before the floor plans are uploaded to the client’s Content Studio.

Garages, sunrooms, balconies, terraces, and decks are automatically excluded because they are not considered suitable for year-round living.

Giraffe360 automatically excludes these areas and also allows clients to exclude other rooms or change their room classifications manually.

Additions to the main structure and converted above-grade areas are included if they are weatherproof and suitable for year-round use.

When these areas have been scanned during the capture process, Giraffe360 also allows clients to exclude them manually.

Areas without a floor, such as open-to-below or vaulted areas, are excluded from the upper level. Their area is deducted from the upper-level measurement to ensure that the total area is calculated consistently with the RMS guide.

Giraffe360 automatically detects and excludes areas classified as "Void".

Structures that are not connected to the main residence, such as a suite above a detached garage, are not included in the RMS area. They may be measured and reported separately.

When the Alberta, Canada standard is selected, Giraffe360 automatically excludes areas located in additional buildings. Clients can also manually exclude individual rooms according to their requirements.

Giraffe360 automatically applies the ceiling-height rules set out in the RMS guide.

Floor areas with a ceiling height of 2.13 m (7 ft) or more are included in the RMS area.

Rooms with a ceiling height below 2.13 m (7 ft) are excluded automatically. Clients can include them manually later in the Giraffe360 Floor Plan Editor.

In rooms with sloped ceilings, floor areas with a ceiling height of at least 1.52 m (5 ft) are included, provided that the ceiling reaches a height of at least 2.13 m (7 ft) somewhere within the room

Floor areas where the ceiling height is below 1.52 m (5 ft) are excluded.

Alberta market requirements include a schematic diagram that supports the total area calculation. A downloadable schematic drawing is generated for each floor level and shows:

A combined PDF document includes the schematic floor plans, with one floor level shown per page, an area definitions page, and a total area summary that matches the information displayed in the floor plan sidebar.

The document is regenerated automatically whenever the wall thickness, total area, floor plan rotation, room inclusion or exclusion, grade classification, or measurement units are changed.

Where an excluded area shares a wall with an included area, the shared wall is included in the measurement. Walls surrounding excluded areas that do not share a wall with an included area are excluded.

The US “ANSI-Z765” Measurement Approach

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