Calculating Square Footage

Is a garage usually considered in the square footage in a home? What if it is attached to the home?

Although a garage is attached to the home, it is not considered part of the home’s square footage. That is because only livable space is considered in the square footage calculation.

Calculating the square footage of a home is not as easy as it sounds. Homeowners should not attampt the calculations (not if you want a reliable figure!). Rarely are houses perfectly square, which is on reasons for the difficulty.

It is best to rely on a licensed appraiser to calculate the square footage of a house.

Appraisers map out the house on a piece of graph paper, calculate all the edges, come up with “mini-areas” for each rectangle- then add them all together.

Additionally, if there has been an addition to the house the owner did not receive a building permit, then that section of the house may not be allowable as part of the square footage. The same with attic basement conversions, lofts, and so on. Talk to your Realtor about any questions you may have regarding the calculations.