Overview
Setting up your buildings and rooms in CalmCompliance means your team can access exactly what they need, exactly where they need it. Once you've added your locations, you can attach documents and forms to specific rooms—so when someone scans a QR code in the kitchen, they instantly see the kitchen cleaning checklist, not a list of everything in the building.
The best part? You don't need to create everything perfectly upfront. You can start by adding your most important rooms, and CalmCompliance will create the buildings and floors automatically.
Before You Start
You'll need the Manager role for the Premises module. If you don't see the Add Location button, ask your site administrator to update your permissions in Settings > User Management > Edit Access.
Understanding How Locations Work
Locations follow a simple structure:
Building (e.g., "Main Office", "Warehouse B")
Floor (e.g., "Ground Floor", "First Floor")
Room (e.g., "Kitchen", "Conference Room A")
Circulation (e.g., "Main Corridor", "Stairwell")
You'll also see External locations for outdoor spaces like car parks or loading bays—these stand alone and don't belong to buildings.
The Quick Way: Create a Room and Let CalmCompliance Handle the Rest
If you're just getting started, create your most important rooms first. CalmCompliance will automatically create the building and floor for you.
Navigate to Premises > Locations
Click the Add Location button
Select Room as the location type
Enter a clear name for the room (e.g., "Commercial Kitchen")
In the Building dropdown, select + Create New Building
Enter the building name (e.g., "Main Building")
In the Floor dropdown, select + Create New Floor
Enter the floor name (e.g., "Ground Floor")
Click Create Location
Done! CalmCompliance creates the building, floor, and room all at once.
Why this works well: You can focus on getting your key locations set up—like the kitchen, server room, or plant room—without worrying about perfect organization upfront. You can always reorganize later.
The Structured Way: Build Your Hierarchy Step-by-Step
If you prefer to set up the full structure first, create buildings, then floors, then rooms.
Creating a Building
Navigate to Premises > Locations
Click the Add Location button
Select Building as the location type
Enter a name (e.g., "Main Office Building")
Optionally, add a description (e.g., "Three-story office building with reception and meeting rooms")
Click Create Location
Your building appears in the location list, ready for floors to be added.
Creating a Floor
Click Add Location again
Select Floor as the location type
Enter a name (e.g., "Ground Floor" or "First Floor")
In the Building dropdown, choose the building you just created
Click Create Location
The floor now appears under the building in the tree view.
Creating a Room
Click Add Location again
Select Room as the location type
Enter a name (e.g., "Kitchen" or "Meeting Room 3A")
Select the Building and Floor from the dropdowns
Optionally, add a description explaining the room's purpose
Click Create Location
The room appears under its floor in the hierarchy.
Creating Circulation Areas
Circulation areas are corridors, stairwells, or passageways. They work exactly like rooms—the different name just helps you organize better.
Navigate to Premises > Locations
Click Add Location
Select Circulation
Enter a name (e.g., "Main Corridor" or "East Stairwell")
Select the building and floor
Click Create Location
You can attach documents or create work orders for circulation areas just like any other location.
Creating External Locations
For outdoor areas or spaces that aren't part of a building:
Navigate to Premises > Locations
Click Add Location
Select External
Enter a name (e.g., "Car Park", "Loading Bay", "Playground")
Optionally, add a description
Click Create Location
External locations are top-level—they don't belong to a building.
Viewing Your Locations
After creating locations, switch between two views using the toggle in the top-right:
Tree View: Shows the full structure with buildings, floors, and rooms nested together. Use this when you're setting up or reorganizing.
Icon View: Shows locations as cards with icons. Use this for quick navigation when you know what you're looking for.
What Happens Next
Once you've created locations, you can:
Print QR codes and stick them to walls so staff can scan and access room-specific documents or forms
Attach documents like cleaning procedures or safety data sheets to specific rooms
Create work orders for maintenance tasks at those locations
Track assets like fire extinguishers or equipment by linking them to rooms
Common Questions
Can I change a location's name later?
Yes. Click the location, select Edit, update the name, and save.
What if I put a room in the wrong building?
You can edit the room and change its parent building or floor. Just check that any attached documents or work orders still make sense after the move.
Can I delete a location I don't need?
Yes, but only if nothing's attached to it (no child locations, documents, work orders, or assets). If it's in use, remove those items first. You'll need the Admin role for Premises to delete.
How do I restrict who can see certain locations?
When creating or editing a location, use the Allowed Groups field. Select specific groups to restrict access, or leave it empty for everyone to see it.
Do I need to create floors? My building only has one level.
Yes, you still need a floor. Just create one called "Ground Floor" or "Main Level" and put all your rooms there. This keeps the structure consistent.