What do you include when calculating square footage of a house?

What do you include when calculating square footage of a house?

Measure the length and width, in feet, of each room. Multiply the length by the width and write the total square footage of each room in the corresponding space on the home sketch. Example: If a bedroom is 12 feet by 20 feet, the total square footage is 240 square feet (12 x 20 = 240).

Do interior walls reduce square footage?

Measuring from the inside of the home excludes the area between the wall and the home’s exterior, providing an accurate number as to the actual livable area.

Does the garage count in the square footage of the house?

Garage space is not included in square footage, and many standards do not count basements (even if they’re finished) in overall square footage. You could list it as 3,300 square feet with 1,000 square feet of unfinished basement and a 600-foot garage.

Does the square footage of a house include the second floor?

To be included in the square footage, an attic would first need to meet the same criteria as any other space — heating, flooring, ceiling and wall covering. The second level of a 1.5-story home often can be included in the finished square footage count, but only if the ceilings are of sufficient height.

What is considered living area in a house?

The key word is “living.” When calculating GLA, each space must be considered a living area. This definition includes bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms, per guidelines laid out by the American National Standard Institute (ANSI).

Is wall thickness included in square footage?

Calculations for the square footage of a home are taken from the outside dimensions of the structure (so exterior and interior wall thickness is included).

Are exterior walls included in square footage?

The standard practice calls for measuring square footage from your exterior walls, as opposed to measuring the actual interior dimensions of each room. This includes each wall as part of your square footage, although it obviously isn’t usable space.

Does a laundry room count as square footage?

In most areas, any room with finished walls, a ceiling, and heating and/or air-conditioning is considered usable square footage. Even the closets are counted as part of the square footage inside the home, so the laundry room should be too.

Is it illegal to have a bedroom in the basement?

The answer is No! It is not illegal to have a bedroom in the basement. That said, there are certain requirements that the bedroom must meet in order to be up to code.

Is a laundry room considered living space?

Appraisers, for example, operate under a standard called Gross Living Area (GLA), which essentially considers all above-ground space, except attics, even if the attic has been converted to a room, as part of a home’s living area. Laundry rooms are not considered rooms.

What counts as living space in a house?

In order for such a room to be counted in the living area of the home, it must meet the following criteria: The room must be heated and available for year-round use. The room must be finished to the same degree as the rest of the home. The room must be accepted in the market.