QA

Question: What Counts As Square Footage

Measure the length and width, in feet, of each room. Then, multiply the length by the width to calculate that room’s square footage. For example: If a bedroom is 12 feet by 20 feet, it is 240 square feet (12 x 20 = 240). For each room, write the total square footage in the corresponding space on your sketch.

What is counted as square footage in a home?

When an appraiser calculates the square footage of a home, it will only measure interior spaces that are heated and cooled. This includes bedrooms (and closets), bathrooms, hallways, kitchen, and living areas, as well as enclosed patios, and finished attics.

What is considered livable square footage?

When house plan sellers refer to Total Living square feet, they are referring to the “living area” of the home. This can be thought of as the area that will be heated or cooled. The total foot print the home will take up. This area includes garages, porches, patios, and any area under the main roof.

Is a finished basement included in square footage?

While a finished basement is considered living space where your property value is concerned, it’s only in rare instances that this living space is counted towards the square footage. Even if your basement is not an exception to the rule, a finished basement is an asset to your property value.

Do you include closets in square footage?

Closets — Closets are certainly considered to be part of the main living area of the house, so most of your closet space is counted in your house’s total square footage. On the other hand, closets in excluded areas, such as garages and basements, are typically not included.

Does a covered porch count as square footage?

Covered porches and sunrooms Open-air, covered porches never add to your home’s square footage, even if they are elevated to the same level as the rest of the house by the foundation. Screened-in porches do not qualify as living space either. Four-season sunrooms count towards the total square footage.

Do stairs count as square footage?

Stairs: Runs/treads and landings both count in square footage totals. They are measured as a part of the floor “from which they descend,” so are generally counted twice in a typical two-story home with a basement.

Are basements included in square footage in New York?

To put it in legalese, a basement is “a building story that has at least one-half of its floor-to-ceiling height above curb level or the base plane,” in the words of NYC Planning. And this space is included in floor area calculations — aka the square footage of the building.

Is a garage considered living space?

Builders are notorious for beefing up the ‘square footage’ of a home by including the garage and porches. They like to call it ‘4,200 square feet under roof’. Because garages, porches, decks, etc. are not considered living area and should never be listed as such.

Can you count a sunroom as square footage?

Sunrooms usually don’t get included in a home’s square footage total, which appraisers use to help determine home values. But a full-room addition will add square footage to your home and has a higher return on investment. A sunroom’s cost vs.

Does square footage include all floors?

Any space that has walls, flooring, ceiling and heat would count as finished square footage.

Is a laundry room considered living space?

We’ve done our research to find the answer to this question. 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.

What makes a basement livable space?

A finished basement must be directly accessible and contiguous with the rest of the house. If the space doesn’t have permanent stairs or direct access then it isn’t considered a finished living area. Finished spaces only accessed by ladders, such as lofts, are also not considered living areas.

What size home is considered a tiny home?

Tiny homes are generally designated as being under 600 square feet, but the average size of a tiny house for sale in the U.S. is actually just 225 square feet, or roughly eight times smaller than a typical home, according to a new survey by Porch.com, a home services platform.

Does master bedroom square footage include closet?

This space can be a different size in every home, depending on the size of the master bedroom. However, the average closet is fairly large and contains enough space for both parents or partners to be in the room at the same time. Some homes even prefer to have two closets.

Does a pool house count as square footage?

Finished areas also only count toward your total square footage if they’re attached to your home. Pool houses, sheds, and garages can all be listed separately, but they can’t go toward your actual house’s overall square footage if they aren’t attached.

What is included in square footage of an apartment?

To calculate the square footage of a room that is rectangular or square, simply multiply the length of the room by the width. For example, if a room is 11 feet long and the width is 15 feet, then the total square footage of that room is 165 square feet (11×15 = 165).

How do Realtors figure square footage?

Just break out your measuring tape—or a laser measure—to get its length and width. Multiply the width by the length and voila! You have the square footage.

How many square feet is 13 stairs?

You’ll need between 80 and 110 square feet for 13 stairs.

Do balconies count as square footage?

Typically, a balcony, terrace, or patio isn’t included in the square footage calculations of a residence. For an area of a building to be ‘counted’, the traditional rule is that it must be fully enclosed, heated, and most importantly, liveable.