We spoke with a seasoned appraiser<\/a> and a top real estate agent to help you accurately calculate your home\u2019s square footage. Let\u2019s take a closer look at how to measure those awkward spaces and gray areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n How does your home’s value compare to other similar-sized homes you see selling in your area? Get a near-instant real estate house price estimate from HomeLight for free. Our tool analyzes the records of recently sold homes near you, your home’s last sale price, and other market trends to provide a preliminary range of value in under two minutes.<\/p>\n \n \u201cThere are a lot of different ways to find the square footage of a home. Sometimes the information is pulled from the county tax assessor or pulled directly from an architectural floor plan,\u201d explains top-selling Chicago-based real estate agent Scott Curcio<\/a>.<\/p>\n The listing documents, sales contract, and home appraisal report will include the total square footage.<\/p>\n Just note that the square footage calculation from your home sale may not be 100% accurate. Regulations dictating what qualifies as livable space may have changed over the years. Plus, that calculation won\u2019t account for any extra square space you\u2019ve added through remodeling projects or room additions.<\/p>\n Reaching out to an experienced local real estate agent in your area to find out which spaces in your house can be included in the total square footage is the best way to get accurate guidance on what qualifies as countable living space in your house.<\/p>\n Main living spaces make up the bulk of your home\u2019s square footage, including the kitchen, the living room, the dining room, bedrooms, and bathrooms. Stairways and hallways are also included, although these spaces are not as easy to measure as square rooms.<\/p>\n Other areas, like finished basements and attics, or enclosed porches, may or may not count as living space (and therefore, square footage). It all depends on your local regulations and practices. We\u2019ll dive into details on this later.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the city of Chicago, we see a difference in the way square footage is calculated in the city versus the suburbs,\u201d Curcio shares. \u201cFor example, in the city, we generally count basement square footage as part of the overall square footage of a home. However, in certain suburban areas, they will not count it because they\u2019re below grade.\u201d<\/p>\n Home value per square foot varies from state to state, city to city, and even neighborhood to neighborhood<\/a>. For example, in the Western regions, like California, square footage runs around $190 per square foot, whereas in the Midwest, like Wisconsin, you\u2019ll only get an additional $110 per square foot. That\u2019s a difference of $19,000 versus $11,000 for the addition of a 10-foot by 10-foot room onto your home.<\/p>\n Increasing your home\u2019s value by $10,000 to $20,000 sounds great, but don\u2019t forget to factor in the cost to add extra square footage. Let\u2019s say you add a 200 square foot room to your ground floor. That addition will potentially add $20,000 to $40,000 to your home\u2019s value, but if it costs you between $16,000 to $40,000, you\u2019ll just break even at the end of the day.<\/p>\n To calculate square feet you multiple the room\u2019s length by its width. For example, a space that measures 10 feet by 10 feet totals out to 100 square feet.<\/p>\n Length x Width = Area While this may sound simple enough, it can be complicated measuring the square footage of a house due to odd-shaped spaces and living space gray areas.<\/p>\n \u201cHere in North Carolina, square footage is calculated to the outer edge of the dwelling. So to properly calculate the square footage, an owner would need to calculate the area by multiplying the length by width, and including the wall thicknesses in their measurements,\u201d explains Matt Harmon<\/a> a North Carolina-based, state-certified property appraiser.<\/p>\n \u201cFor example, if a square house measured 20-foot by 20-foot when measuring to the interior walls, and the walls were 0.4-foot thick, then to calculate the area, you\u2019d need to multiply 20.8 by 20.8 to find the exact square footage.\u201d<\/p>\n However, if you\u2019re selling a condo in a multi-family unit \u2014 meaning that you only own the interior space, not the exterior building \u2014 you would only measure square footage from interior wall to interior wall.<\/p>\n The square footage of a finished basement<\/a> that is below grade (underground) adds less value than the square footage of above grade living space.<\/p>\n So if your home is 2,000 square feet, and you have an additional 1,000 square-foot finished basement<\/a>, you cannot claim to have a 3,000 square-foot home if your local area values basement spaces at a lower dollar amount than the rest of the house.<\/p>\n In this instance, you would list your home at 2,000 square feet and then include the additional 1,000 square feet of living space in your finished basement in the listing notes.<\/p>\n The same is true of finished attic spaces. If the space has sloping roofs, inadequate windows, and forms of egress, then the area may not count towards your overall square footage.<\/p>\n To determine if your space makes the cut, consult an appraiser or an experienced real estate agent.<\/p>\n These are the top 10 gray areas that may or may not be counted in your home\u2019s square footage total.<\/p>\n Unfinished:<\/b> If your basement is unfinished (with exposed studs, cement, unpainted or plastered drywall, etc.), then it does not count towards your home\u2019s square footage. You may, however, include the size of the basement in your listing description.<\/p>\n Finished:<\/b> Finished basements may count towards your home\u2019s overall square footage, depending on the real estate regulations in your area. For example, a finished basement bedroom can count as additional living space<\/a> and as a bedroom (if it has adequate forms of egress).<\/p>\n That below-grade bedroom may not be as valuable as your above-grade bedrooms, though. While you can include its area in the total square footage of living space, an appraiser will likely measure finished basement spaces separately because below grade is valued less by the bank.<\/p>\n For example, a 10-foot by 10-foot bedroom upstairs may be valued at $130 per square foot, which equals $13,000. However, a 10-foot by10-foot bedroom in the basement may only be valued at $90 per square foot, which equals out to $9,000 for that space.<\/p>\n \u201cRegular garages for parking cars are never included in the living area,\u201d advises Harmon. \u201cHowever, if they have finished walls, floors, ceilings\u00a0 \u2014 and are adequately heated by a permanently installed heat source \u2014 then they would meet the criteria for living area. Typically, when this is done, the sliding garage door is either removed or covered by a finished sheetrock wall.\u201d<\/p>\n Closets are always included in your home\u2019s square footage, as long as its construction meets your state\u2019s square footage guidelines.<\/p>\n Bathrooms<\/a> are also always included in your home\u2019s square footage if they meet the minimum requirements. For example, a half-bathroom in your free-standing garage cannot be counted because it is not attached to the main house.<\/p>\n In some states, a finished basement bathroom may not count if it\u2019s in an unfinished basement that separates it from the rest of the house.<\/p>\n Stairs that are finished and connected to the living area count towards your home\u2019s square footage.<\/p>\n \u201cIn North Carolina, stairs are included in the floor they descend from as well as the floor they descend to, not to exceed the opening in the floor on the upper level,\u201d Harmon adds.<\/p>\n Instructions on measuring your stairs for carpet<\/a> can help you determine your stairs\u2019 square footage.<\/p>\n Open-air, covered porches never add to your home\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Four-season sunrooms<\/a> count towards the total square footage. These sunrooms should have a built-in heat source and point of connection to the main living area.<\/p>\n![\"homelight](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/ccprototypev5\/images\/logo-small-cta.png\"){kind=logo}
\n <\/div>\n \n Get a Free Home Value Estimate<\/h3>\n
How do I find my home\u2019s square footage?<\/h2>\n
1. Start by reviewing paperwork from when you purchased the home<\/h3>\n
2. Reach out to a real estate agent for an updated estimate<\/h3>\n
What\u2019s included in a home\u2019s square footage?<\/h2>\n
How much value does adding square footage yield?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Screen-Shot-2021-09-28-at-11.16.35-AM-1-775x405.png\")
<\/a>![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Screenshot-2021-09-28-090859-775x455.png\")
<\/a>How is square footage measured?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
\nEx. <\/b>10 ft. x 10 ft. = 100 square feet<\/p>\nFinished basements and attics do not add to the primary square footage<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/what-is-included-in-square-footage-closet-666x381.png\")
<\/a>Here\u2019s the deal with square footage gray areas<\/h2>\n
1. Basements<\/h3>\n
2. Garages<\/h3>\n
3. Closets<\/h3>\n
4. Bathrooms<\/h3>\n
![\"Finished](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/what-is-included-in-square-footage-stairs-666x381.png\")
<\/a>5. Stairs<\/h3>\n
6. Covered porches and sunrooms<\/h3>\n
7. Guesthouses and accessory dwelling units<\/h3>\n