Issue Date: October 4, 2006

Calculating Square Footage can be Prickly

By Jody Zink
Licensed Realtor in Ohio & Michigan

When a home's square footage is advertised, the figure usually comes from previous sales, perhaps as far back as the builder. Calculating square footage isn't always as easy as it sounds, either. Three different people could calculate the square footage of the same property and come up with three different results; all of which could conceivably be accurate depending on the guidelines used.

For starters, very rarely are houses perfectly square. Appraisers often map out the house on a piece of graph paper, come up with several smaller areas for each rectangle, and then add them all together, getting a total of all “walkable” space. Many real estate appraisers, including the Lucas County Auditor, use another method which measures the exterior of the home to calculate gross living area. For example, a two story home that measures 30 feet by 30 feet would have 900 square feet on each floor, so the appraiser would likely say the home has 1800 square feet. Taking the measurement from outside means the calculation would include closets, wall space, stairs and hallways.

Now, what if your house has a vaulted ceiling in the family room with a second story balcony? This certainly would reduce the amount of square footage upstairs to less than 900 square feet. Some appraisers might subtract it, others might not. An argument could be made that it enhances the market value of a home because vaulted ceilings have become a popular feature to have.

Not all square footage, however, is considered in the TLA or total living area. For example, the rules for basements sometimes create confusion. According to the Lucas County Auditor's office, the basement must have drywall, a finished ceiling, carpeting or hardwood flooring to be counted in the TLA. Paneling doesn't cut it. The quality needs to be similar to the upper floors and typically has a walk out door from the basement level. Exceptions often include home movie theaters in higher end homes. The rationale behind the drywall vs paneling is that people will pay more if it's actually finished.

Other “guidelines” to determine a finished living area is that it should be accessed from another finished area. If you can't get there without walking through unfinished space, it shouldn't be counted in the TLA. The area should be heated by a conventional, permanent heating system and the space must be intended for human occupancy.

So what about enclosed porches? The auditor's office says if you can stand on it, there's a roof and you don't get wet while it's raining, it's called an open porch. And it doesn't count as square footage. It is, however, taxable along with open or wooden decks, but they must be more than 70 square feet before it's added to the tax value.

When looking to buy a home, the square footage most likely shown on marketing materials is the number found in the county tax records, but not always. Some agents or homeowners might measure the walkable areas themselves. Or the square footage might be calculated from blueprints or building plans.

The bottom line is that calculating the square footage of a home is really more of an opinion than an exact science. There's no legal requirement, just guidelines. Know that the accuracy of the numbers might not be comparing apples to apples. If you're interested in buying a certain house and want the size expressed in square feet, it might be best to visit the home with your tape measure and a calculator.

Jody Zink is a licensed REALTOR in Ohio and Michigan with the Loss Realty Group. Her column appears every other week in the Toledo Free Press. She can be reached at jody@jodyzinkrealtor.com or 419-725-1881.