How are buildings classified?

Office buildings can be classified by a combination of factors, the foremost being size, amenities and surroundings.

Class “A” Office Buildings

An ideal size for Class “A” office buildings is approximately 150,000 square feet, but they can be as small as 120,000 square feet. This square footage can be within one building or a group of buildings under joint ownership. Class “A” buildings should have the capacity to provide a reliable business environment. This means that they should be large enough to afford a full-time property manager, a full-time maintenance person, and a full-time cleaning person or building steward.
In Atlanta, Class “A” buildings always have covered parking.
Construction is also a major defining point in the classification of buildings. A tenant typically wants a “state of the art” building.In defining a Class “A” building, we must also look at the surroundings of that building. It must be located in a clean and protected environment; if the surrounding neighborhood is undesirable, the building can not be rated Class “A”. Amenities also play a large role in defining a building; parking is a critical element. Inadequate parking can kill a building. Quality and quantity of convenient amenities (banks, hotels, sandwich shops, restaurants and health clubs) serve to differentiate the higher Class “A” buildings from the lower Class “A” buildings.

Class “B” Office Buildings

Class “B” office buildings are very similar to Class “A” buildings. Usually, the only characteristic that differentiates a Class “B” building from a Class “A” building is the absence of covered parking.

Class “C” Office Buildings

Class “C” typically lack the size, quality or location to qualify as Class “A” or “B”

Non-Classified Buildings

There is a market for smaller office facilities in the 1,500 to 5,000 sq.ft. range. Where these buildings can function as office facilities, they are not office buildings. These buildings can never guarantee a good long term, hastle free, office environment for the office user.