Understanding how you can calculate the sq. toes of a home is crucial whether or not you’re shopping for, promoting, or renovating a house. Sq. footage determines property worth, tax assessments, and even how a lot flooring or paint you want. However measuring a house’s dimension isn’t at all times so simple as it appears. Some areas depend towards whole sq. footage, whereas others, like garages and unfinished basements, could not. For instance, in cities like San Francisco and Chicago, native constructing codes can affect what counts as livable area.
This Redfin information walks you thru how you can measure sq. footage precisely and solutions frequent questions, like “Is a garage included in square footage?”
How is the sq. footage of a home calculated?
Sq. footage is often measured following the ANSI (American Nationwide Requirements Institute) tips, which give a standardized option to calculate residence dimension. The ANSI technique requires measuring the outside dimensions of the home, together with all completed, livable areas.
Right here’s the way it works:
Measure the outside: Professionals measure from the skin partitions to calculate whole sq. footage. Wall thickness is included within the whole however not subtracted.
Embody completed areas: Any heated, livable area that meets top and accessibility necessities is counted. This consists of most important dwelling areas, bedrooms, bogs, and completed attics with at the very least 7 toes of clearance.
Exclude non-livable areas: Garages, unfinished basements, and areas requiring you to go away the principle home usually are not included within the residence’s sq. footage. Nonetheless, completed basements could also be famous individually in listings.
Measure every ground individually: For multi-story houses, every stage’s livable area is measured and added collectively to find out the entire sq. footage.
Whereas ANSI tips are broadly used, native actual property markets could have completely different guidelines. All the time verify regional laws to make sure correct measurements, particularly when itemizing or appraising a house.
4 easy steps to measure the sq. footage of your own home
Step 1: Collect your instruments
To measure a house’s sq. footage, you’ll want:
A measuring tape or laser distance measurer
Pencil and paper (or a digital note-taking app)
Calculator
A laser measurer is particularly helpful for big areas and gives extra exact measurements.
Step 2: Divide your own home into measurable sections
As an alternative of making an attempt to measure the complete home in a single go, break it into smaller, rectangular sections corresponding to particular person rooms, hallways, and closets. This technique minimizes errors and makes calculations simpler. For non-rectangular rooms (like L-shaped areas), divide them into smaller rectangles and measure individually.
Step 3: Measure every room’s dimensions
For every room or part, comply with these steps:
Measure the size and width in toes.
Multiply the size by the width to get the sq. footage of that part.
For instance, if a bed room is 12 toes lengthy and 10 toes huge, the calculation is:
12 x 10 = 120 sq. toes
You’ll then repeat this for each part of the home.
Step 4: Add up the sq. footage
When you’ve measured every part, add all of the values collectively to get the house’s whole sq. footage.
Instance of calculating the entire sq. toes of a home:
Room
Measurement (ft)
Sq. Ft
Lounge
15 × 20
300
Kitchen
10 × 15
150
Bed room 1
12 × 10
120
Bed room 2
12 × 12
144
Toilet
8 × 6
48
Hallways & closets
N/A
100
Whole sq. footage
–
862 sq. ft.
What counts in the direction of the sq. footage of a home?
Sq. footage sometimes consists of completed, livable areas inside the house. Right here’s what often counts and doesn’t depend in official measurements:
Included in sq. footage of a house:
✅ Completed bedrooms, dwelling rooms, kitchens, and bogs✅ Heated and cooled areas (e.g., central HVAC or everlasting heating supply)✅ Completed basements (in the event that they meet livable area requirements)✅ Enclosed sunrooms (if heated and completed)
Not included in sq. footage of a house:
❌ Is a storage included in sq. footage? No, garages usually are not counted in sq. footage as a result of they aren’t completed, livable areas.❌ Unfinished basements, even when enclosed❌ Attics or lofts that don’t meet top necessities (sometimes at the very least 7 toes excessive)❌ Porches, decks, and patios (except enclosed and heated)
Test native tips
In the event you’re promoting a house, verify native actual property tips, as definitions of “livable square footage” can fluctuate.
For example, houses in Los Angeles have particular guidelines for measuring livable area, significantly on the subject of balconies, garages, or basements, which might not be counted within the whole sq. footage except they’re absolutely completed. NYC has stringent constructing codes that differentiate between “habitable” and “non-habitable” areas, which means sure rooms or areas may not depend towards the entire sq. footage in the event that they don’t meet particular standards (like home windows or ceiling top). And in Seattle, the principles round livable sq. footage could also be influenced by zoning legal guidelines and constructing permits, with sure areas like lofts or small upstairs rooms being counted in another way from normal dwelling areas.
How you can measure irregular-shaped houses and areas
If your own home isn’t a easy rectangle, don’t fear. You may nonetheless measure the sq. footage of your own home, however you could have to make use of just a few completely different strategies.
L-shaped areas: Divide them into two rectangles, measure individually, and add their sq. footage.
Triangular areas: Measure the bottom and top, then use the formulation:
(Base×Peak)/2
Round areas (like turrets or spherical rooms): Measure the diameter (the space throughout the circle by means of its heart), then divide the diameter by 2 to get the radius. Then use the formulation:
π×r2
How you can measure multi-story houses
Every stage ought to be measured individually and added collectively. The entire sq. footage consists of all completed areas throughout all flooring however excludes unfinished attics and basements.
How you can measure open ground plans
For open-concept areas with out clear room divisions:
Measure the complete size and width of the open space.
Subtract areas not included within the livable area (e.g., stairwells, unheated sunrooms).
Why correct sq. footage issues
Figuring out how you can measure sq. footage accurately is necessary for:
Actual property listings: Patrons examine houses based mostly on value per sq. foot.
Dwelling value determinations: Sq. footage impacts property worth.
Renovations: Figuring out the precise dimensions helps with supplies and budgeting.
Property taxes: Native governments assess taxes based mostly on your own home’s sq. footage.
Sq. footage performs a essential position in a house’s worth, so each patrons and sellers ought to make sure the quantity is correct. Even small discrepancies can influence residence pricing, value determinations, and purchaser negotiations. Right here’s what every social gathering ought to think about:
For sellers: keep away from overstating or understating your own home’s dimension
Confirm, don’t assume: Even when you’ve got builder ground plans, the as-built sq. footage can differ from the unique designs because of adjustments made throughout building. All the time measure independently or rent knowledgeable appraiser.
Keep away from pricing pitfalls: Itemizing your own home with incorrect sq. footage can result in mispricing, which could scare off patrons in the event that they later discover discrepancies throughout an appraisal or inspection.
Authorized and moral concerns: Misrepresenting sq. footage (even unintentionally) may result in authorized disputes or purchaser calls for for a cheaper price. Some states have disclosure legal guidelines requiring sellers to offer correct residence measurements.
For patrons: don’t rely solely on itemizing numbers
Test the measurements: Actual property listings typically pull sq. footage from tax information, which might not be up to date or correct. Ask for latest value determinations or measure the house your self.
Know what’s included: Some listings could embody non-livable areas like completed basements, sunrooms, or enclosed patios within the whole sq. footage. Affirm what’s counted, particularly in states the place guidelines differ.
Appraisal discrepancies can have an effect on financing: If the appraiser measures a decrease sq. footage than what’s listed, it may influence mortgage approval and residential worth assessments, resulting in renegotiations.
