Are finished basements included in gross living area?
(Finished basements and attic areas are not generally included in gross living area. Local practices, however, may differ.)” The appraisal industry relies on these standards in order to ensure appraisers are comparing apples to apples when measuring and valuing a property.
What is included in gross building area?
Gross building area typically includes all heated and cooled areas. Basements may be included in this calculation if the appraiser determines that the finish, access, and utility are similar to the above grade areas of the building.
Does a basement count as square footage in a house?
Does a basement count toward overall square footage? As a general rule of thumb, listing agents and appraisers don’t count a finished basement toward the overall square footage, especially if the basement is completely below grade—a term that means below ground level.
What is gross building area (GBA)?
Gross Building Area means the sum of all finished areas of all floors of a building included within the outside faces of its exterior walls.

Does gross living area include basement?
Gross living area (GLA) is not the same as total living area (TLA.) Total living area typically includes any finished basement space or possibly an accessory dwelling unit. There is a general rule of thumb, that if any portion of the finished space is below grade the entire area is considered below grade.
Does gross building area include unfinished basement?
Appraisers measuring gross living area will not include below-ground space as part of their square footage equation but will include the space in their appraisal valuation.
What is included in gross building area?
Gross Building Areais the total finished area including any interior common areas, such as stairways and hallways of the improvements based on exterior measurements;is the most common comparison for two- to four-unit properties;More items...
Does total interior livable area include basement?
It's not usable, so don't include it in square footage. To be considered “living area,” a home's rooms must meet certain criteria — including the basement. Height clearances, whether it's heated, and the presence of windows: all of these make a space livable.
Does walkout basement count square footage?
A walkout basement can be included in the square footage of the entire home if it has a legal ingress or egress, which must also adhere to the building code requirements of a state.
Do you include basement when sizing furnace?
The information is based on conventional window space (<15%), insulation and building construction (8 ft. ceiling height). When including a finished basement, use 1/2 of the finished basement square footage with the rest of the area being calculated.
What is not included in GFA?
The gross floor area is the total area of the covered floor space measured between the centre line of party walls, including the thickness of external walls but excluding voids. Accessibility and usability are not criteria for exclusion from GFA.
What does GFA exclude?
Storage and vehicular access, loading areas, garbage and services are only to be excluded from the GFA calculation where they are provided in a basement arrangement. When calculating GFA for individual dwellings, vertical circulation is included as part of one of the floor level areas.
Are stairs included in GFA?
Stairs may be included (the area of treads and landings). However, if the opening in the floor is oversized (larger than the actual area of the stairs), that extra open area (outside the limits of the treads and landings) must be deducted from the floor area calculation.
Does Zillow square footage include basement?
Garage space is not included in square footage, and many standards do not count basements (even if they're finished) in overall square footage.
What is total interior livable area?
Measure the length and width of each room. Add 5 inches to each measurement to accommodate the interior, exterior and shared walls. Multiply each measurement to obtain the square footage of each interior room. Add all the square footage totals to obtain the total living area square footage.
What makes a basement livable space?
When is a basement considered living space boils down to the layout of your home, if the basement is finished and matches the flow of the above-ground portion of the home, and if enough of the basement was built out of the ground. A house built into a hill will probably be an exception.
What is GLA in a single family home?
In a single-family house, GLA includes all living space that is above the land-line and has heating, lighting and ventilation. The main rooms and bedrooms, hallways, bathrooms and kitchen footage is calculated to determine the gross living area. Finished attic space with a minimum of 5-foot walls and heat is calculated for GLA.
What is GLA in appraisal?
Gross Living Area (GLA) differs from the Gross Building Area (GBA.) Above-grade and below-grade, “finished” and “unfinished” are additional evaluations of square footage that appraisers take into account when assigning a value to a property. Knowing these differences helps when trying to understand property values and their price per square footage.
Is a finished basement considered a GLA?
For example, a finished basement is not measured as part of GLA because it is below the property's grade level. It doesn't matter if the below-grade area is fully built out with a kitchen or bedroom – it would not be considered in the measurement. Where a room is partially above grade, it is not factored into the GLA.
Does gross living area include below ground space?
Appraisers measuring gross living area will not include below-ground space as part of their square footage equation but will include the space in their appraisal valuation.
Is a patio included in GLA?
Patios, porches and garages are not included in this measurement unless a garage has been converted into living space with the appropriate permits and an enclosed porch is heated. In a condominium or co-op, GLA is calculated by measuring the perimeter area of the unit.
Is a basement considered below grade?
Any space that is partially or fully below the land-line is considered below grade when calculating GLA of a property. If a multi-family building has living space below-grade, that footage is included in the Gross Building Area but not the Gross Living Area. A finished basement in a single family home isn’t counted in the GLA, but is given a value in an appraisal by comparing other homes with finished or unfinished basements.
How many square feet are there in a gross building area?
Gross building area means the total number of square feet contained in the gross building area of the Building, which is deemed to fifty- seven thousand six hundred (57,600) square feet.
What is gross area?
definition. Gross building area means the sum of all finished areas of all floors of a building included within the outside faces of its exterior walls. Gross building area means the total enclosed area of a building exterior dimensions, excluding covered walkways or exterior fire escapes. Gross building area means the total area ...
What is net rentable area?
Net rentable area is actual square footage of a building that may be leased or rented to tenants; the area upon which the le ase or rental payments are computed. It usually excludes common areas, elevator shafts, stairways, and space devoted to cooling, heating, or other equipment.
What is GLA in real estate?
GLA is defined by The Dictionary of Real Estate Appraisal as the “Total area of finished, above-grade residential space; calculated by measuring the outside perimeter of the structure and includes only finished, habitable, above-grade living space. (Finished basements and attic areas are not generally included in gross living area.
What dimensions should an appraiser use to calculate the gross living area of a property?
The appraiser should use the exterior building dimensions per floor to calculate the above-grade gross living area of a property. (measuring process also applies to below-grade area) For units in condo or co-op projects, the appraiser should use interior perimeter unit dimensions to calculate the gross living area.
Is gross living area obvious?
There are certain properties where aspects of Gross Living Area (GLA) might not be obvious. It’s more confusing when the selling real estate agents lump all “living space” together, because that’s what they are selling, or when the county assessor includes basements with upper level areas.
Is living space considered a GLA?
Living space (s) in outbuildings: should not be included in the home’s GLA. Living space (s) in converted garage space: this is probably the hardest to figure out. Some jurisdictions do not consider these areas to be ‘living space’ unless “permitted” when constructed; others don’t care.
Building Area
Building Area is defined by building codes and is the allowable size of the building based on fire hazard and type of construction. The measurement should not be used in lease agreements or for calculating rent payments. Always be sure to check your local code for the proper definition in your jurisdiction.
Gross Floor Area (GFA)
Gross Floor Area is used to calculate occupant load and is a sum of all occupiable and nonoccupiable spaces for a given area. It may also include exterior covered spaces that are part of the building's occupiable space. Gross Floor Area is not used for lease agreements.
Net Floor Area (NFA)
Net floor area is used to calculate occupant load based on building codes. It is measured to the inside face of a room's walls. Net floor area does not include accessory areas as described below.
Building Gross Square Feet (BGSF)
Be sure to get clarification on the exact measurement methodology when a person asks for the Gross Square Footage of a building.
Construction Gross Area (CGA) - Deprecated
Construction Gross Area was deprecated in BOMA 2018 Gross Areas. It has been replaced by Gross Area 4 - Construction Method, which we describe below.
BOMA Gross Area 4 - Construction Method
BOMA/ANSI Z65.3, Gross Area 4 replaces the previous Construction Gross Area (CGA) and is used for estimating construction costs or maintenance costs. It was introduced in ANSI/BOMA Z65.3-2018. Gross Area 4 represents the largest square footage calculation since it includes all areas.
Exterior Gross Area (EGA) - Deprecated
Exterior Gross Area was deprecated in BOMA 2018 Gross Areas. It has been replaced by Gross Area 1 - Leasing Method.