Square footage is an elusive unit of measure. Because it factors in multiple dimensions, it can be inherently difficult to visualize or estimate. In the world of real estate comps, lender appraisals, and construction costs, this figure is a commanding factor in assessing the value of your home. Because it commands so much influence and the actual methods of accurately computing it can vary, there is a lot of merit in having an intuitive ability to comprehend it.
Without training or familiarity though, this can be a frustrating endeavor to take on as a homeowner. Have you had an experience buying or selling your home when you have faced important decisions armed only with what feels like an over-simplified number and no context for how it was determined? Let us help you by breaking down the “what” and “how” in calculating square footage.
Let’s do the math.
The math behind determining square footage is relatively simple. Does the formula A = L x W ring a bell? To compute a room’s square footage, multiply the measurements from two opposing walls – the length and width of the room. You can acquire a fairly accurate overall total for your home by just adding the areas of individual rooms together.
Unfortunately, this is where the calculation tends to get obscured. Real estate agents, zoning municipalities, and contractors all use slightly different methods to determine square footage. Among these trades, there is a generally accepted standard, but no completely consistent or universal point from which the measurements are taken. In most cases though, the exterior footprint is the most reliable and widely applicable figure to use. This is potentially deceiving, however, because it includes the thickness of the house’s walls, which are not readily visible or experienced when inside the house’s living spaces.
The easiest way to conceptualize this abstract unit is to compare the square footages of more familiar things you use and inhabit on a regular basis. Here are some good examples to put it in terms that are more readily understandable:
King-sized Bed: 42 square feet. Most master bedrooms vary between 200 and 400 square feet OR a rough equivalent of 5-10 king beds.
Two-car Garage: One of the most consistent and regulated measurements in contemporary home building, 20’-0” x 20’-0” or 400 square feet is the standard protocol for this space.
Drop-ceiling tiles: Browsing listings on New Homes Guide from the office? Odds are that your building has at least a few spaces with prolific white acoustical ceiling tiles. These almost always come in the same 2’-0” x 2’-0” dimension. Add up the number of tiles in each direction and multiply them together to determine the square footage of your conference room for an easy comparison.
Three-fixture bathroom: This is one of the most conventional and efficient bathroom layouts around. Modern standards of code clearances and product dimensions put this room at an approximate minimum of 5’-0” x 8’-0” or 40 square feet. Would you have guessed that your bathroom is roughly the same size as your bed? This just demonstrates how abstract the raw number can feel.
Not all spaces are created equal.
In determining the overall square footage total of your home, there are a few exceptions and distinctions worth noting:
Finished vs. unfinished: Garages, Mechanical rooms, and Basem*nts that are unconditioned (and/or generally unsuitable for year-round use) and not equipped with walls, floors, and ceilings similar to the rest of the house are excluded.
Above-grade vs. below-grade: Basem*nts that are buried both wholly and partially (i.e. a walk-out basem*nt) below ground are usually listed separately.
Double-height spaces: Foyers and Great Rooms with ceilings that extend multiple floor levels are only counted once.
Floor area: Bay windows and chimneys, which do not have space on the floor for you to “occupy” do not count towards 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 basem*nt.
Do you have any tips or tricks you rely on to visualize square footage? Share them with us by leaving a comment below!
Guest blog courtesy of W.C. Ralston Architects, an architecture and planning firm that has built an enduring reputation for design excellence in homes, neighborhoods and communities across the Mid-Atlantic region. Learn more at www.wcralston.com.
To measure your home's square footage, first, sketch a floor plan of the interior, remembering to include rooms like hallways. Then, measure the length and width of each room, multiplying the two numbers. Mark down the totals in your sketch.
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.
Most appraisers take a hand drawn sketch and copy the information into a sketch software that calculates the overall square footage of the building. Once the appraiser has the exterior dimensions of the home, they can determine the gross living area.
In some cases, you might see square footage in two categories — finished and unfinished. The finished square footage of a house includes any area of the structure that has a covered ceiling, floor, and walls.
On average, the ideal square footage is about 600 – 700 square feet per person. That means a family of three will want a house that's at least 1,800 square feet. A family of four will want a home that's around 2,400 square feet.
Unfinished areas, screened or open patios, vaulted rooms, and airspaces are not factored into a home's square footage. Additionally, any space that requires passing through an unfinished area – such as a pool house, storage area, or guest house will not be factored into the home's square footage.
Generally, appraisers and listing agents don't count a basem*nt toward the overall square footage of a home. Most appraisers will never count a basem*nt if it's below grade, meaning it is beneath ground level. Whether appraisers count a basem*nt depends on where you live.
Spaces like garages, three-season porches and unfinished basem*nts or attics are not included in the square footage of a house. But if a basem*nt or attic has been “finished,” then the space may be included in the home's square footage if it also meets ceiling height requirements.
The responsibility of verifying square footage in a home typically falls on the appraiser or the real estate agent. Appraisers are professionals who assess the value of a property, including its size, and they often rely on accurate measurements to determine square footage.
So things such as porches, garages, attic storage and unfinished spaces are not included in that calculation. Also, the total square footage of a house is measured from outside to outside of framing or foundation and not the inside dimensions of rooms.
The median size of homes across the United States is 2,014 square feet. However, this number varies significantly depending on where you live. For example, while the average home size in Colorado is about 2,500 square feet, the average home size in New York is only about 1,500 square feet, or 1,000 sq ft less.
Dimensions typically include length, width, and height, but you won't be using height to calculate square footage. You can easily determine the length and width of your space with a tried-and-true old-school tape measure, which is how McDonald prefers it be done.
Since Southern Living has so many unique house plans in our collection, we've come to learn which are the best and most-loved layouts for each stage of life. And if you ask us, the perfect size for a retirement home is 1,500 square feet.
Any space that has walls, flooring, ceiling and heat would count as finished square footage. So, it's likely that stairwells, closets, walk-in pantries and other areas you might be questioning would contribute to the square footage count of a home.
It should be the footprint of the house, on the outside, that is measured. It is the livable space, heated and cooled, that is considered for square footage. Garages, decks, patios, porches, and the like are not considered part of that measurement.
Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, baths, and other fully finished and useable spaces are typical examples of finished square footage. On the other hand, unfinished spaces like attics, basem*nts, and garages are typically not counted toward the total square footage.
Calculating the square footage of your property involves measuring the length and width of each living area, and then multiplying these figures together to get the area in square feet. This process should be repeated for all rooms or sections of the house, and the results summed up to get the total square footage.
Introduction: My name is Geoffrey Lueilwitz, I am a zealous, encouraging, sparkling, enchanting, graceful, faithful, nice person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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