How to Do Math to Determine Square Footage of a Living Area

Determining the square footage of your living area or of a specific room is necessary before purchasing carpeting, tile or other floor treatments. But that not the only reason you may need to know the square footage of an area: Knowing the size of your living area helps in calculating heating needs or in filling out a real estate report.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tape measure
• Notepad
• Pencil
• Calculator

1. Measure the floor space in feet. A 3-inch section is equivalent to 0.25 feet. Round your measurements up to the nearest 3-inch increment and convert the number to a decimal. (For example, 6 inches equals 0.50 feet and 9 inches equals 0.75 feet.)

2. Double-check your measurements, making sure your tape measure fits snugly against the wall and runs parallel to it. A slanted line will not provide an accurate measurement.

3. Write down both the length and the width of the area, including the decimal units. Multiply the width by the length on your calculator to get the square footage of the area.

4. Add together the square footage from one or more rooms to get the total number of square feet on a story or for your entire house. Areas with alcoves are best measured separately and added together to determine the overall area.

Tips & Warnings

• When measuring for floor covering, always round up to the next whole number. Keep in mind that tiles or floor covering that requires matching may need extra material. Check the recommendations for the material you select.
• When calculating the square footage of a home for real estate or tax purposes, add 4 inches for interior walls and 6 inches for exterior walls.

References

• AAA Math
• North Carolina Real Estate Commission

Resources

• Square Foot Calculator