Sole Real Estate Services, LLC uses the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) when measuring property improvements. Fannie Mae recommends ANSI but allows deviations from ANSI if there is a reasonable explanation. The following is how Sole Real Estate Services, LLC measures properties. All explanations should be considered ANSI unless pointed out as a deviation.
Total square footage calculations are approximate. Measurements are rounded to a tenth of a foot. Circumstances may exist when direct measurement of a structure is not possible. We are often forced to make subjective assumptions and considerations due to landscaping and terrain obstacles that make areas inaccessible. Other obstacles may include the brick or stone facade and decorative pillars connected to the house. It often happens that second stories cannot be determined from the exterior due to the roof line. In these cases, we may arrive at the exterior dimension by taking the interior dimension and then adjust for the exterior walls. It is not unusual for two different appraisers or measurers to arrive at slightly different totals. The ANSI standard makes no statement concerning differences between square footage calculations made by different parties for the same property. Our team makes every effort to be consistent with these rules, but it must be understood that each member of our team may make different subjective assumptions when measuring an identical property. It is also understood that the recipient of the sketch/floor plan has the final responsibility to review the sketch/floor plan prior to using it and if there are any questions, revisions, or concerns they must be addressed prior to using the information for contractual purposes. Sole Realty Services is only liable for the fee charged to create the sketch/floor plan.
- Single Family Residence:
Single Family homes are measured from the exterior finished surface. The exterior finished surface includes but is not limited to masonry, masonry veneer, wood, aluminum, or vinyl siding as well as gypsum board when used on the exterior wall common to an attached garage.
Homes where outside measurements are inaccessible, we use inside measurements and then adjust for the width of the exterior wall.
In rooms with sloping ceilings, the area measured is from where the ceiling is at least five feet high. In order for a room with sloping ceilings to count in
Gross Livable Area (GLA), the ceiling height has to be at least five feet high for seven linear feet in one direction. 50% of the overall space must be above five feet.
In order for a room to be counted as a room it must have at least 70 SF with 50% of it seven feet or higher.
All levels must have a ceiling height of at least 7’, or at least 6’4″ to the base of the overhead beam in order to be counted. A room cannot be smaller than 70 square feet.
According to the Fort Collins building code, in order for a room in the basement to be called a legal bedroom it must have an escape window with an opening of five square feet and be a maximum of 44″ off the floor. In homes built prior to 1978 the window can be 48″ off the floor. A bedroom should have a closet, but this is optional. Sole Realty Services measures homes throughout Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming. Each city and county may have a different building code and the agent is responsible for understanding the legal requirements for escape windows. Sole Realty Services is located in Fort Collins and uses Fort Collins building code as the basis for determining legal bedrooms.
Cantilevers such as fireplaces, chimneys, bay windows, entertainment centers, and other areas that protrude beyond the exterior of the outside walls and do not have a floor on the same level, or do not meet ceiling height requirements cannot be included in the calculation of square footage.
A finished area that is not accessible from a finished area of a house is not counted in GLA; however, it can be counted separately as additional square footage since it does add value to the property.
Openings to the floor below cannot be counted in the square footage calculation.
The area of both stair treads and landings proceeding to the floor below is included in the area of the floor from which the stairs descend.
In order for an enclosed porch to be counted in GLA it must be finished to the same quality as the rest of the house and have the ability to be used year-round. In Colorado this typically requires a heat source.
A Level is defined by the ANSI standard as areas of the house that are vertically within 2 feet of the same horizontal plane.
We do deviate from ANSI consistently when it comes to below grade finished areas. Technically any level of a home that is below grade is considered a basement; however local custom dictates that we include the garden level in split-level homes in GLA. Locally a split-level home is a tri-level or a 4-level with the lower level sometimes being a garden level and the 4th level being called the basement.
Realtors in our area are not consistent with how they define walk-out basements. This is also true with a bi-level home. Realtors typically call the basement a lower level. If the basement is a substantial part of the used area of the house and is finished to the same quality as the main level, especially if it is a walk-out, they want it to be included in GLA. In this case we will still define it as a basement but refer to it as a lower level on the sketch page.
ANSI does not cover how to measure interior room dimensions. When measuring interior room sizes, we will round to the nearest tenth of a foot. Rooms that are not square or rectangular, measurements are taken from the longest points in most cases. Bedrooms are measured to the front of the closet as opposed to the back. Kitchens are measured wall to wall and will include the nook if applicable.
- Condos:
The measurement of Condos is not covered under ANSI. Condos are measured from interior walls. All other rules referred to above for single family homes are the same.
III. Townhomes and other Attached Dwellings with a Lot and Block legal description:
Attached dwellings are measured from the centerline between units. Exterior walls are measured from the exterior if accessible. If not accessible, we use inside measurements and then adjust for the width of the exterior wall. All other rules referred to above for single family homes are the same.
- Commercial Buildings:
Typically, commercial buildings are measured using the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) standard. When Sole Property Services, LLC is asked to do a commercial building we measure it from the exterior. Leasable square footage is taken by using the exterior wall if the exterior wall is not attached to another unit, it is taken to the interior wall if it is adjacent to common area, and it is taken to the center of the wall if it is a shared wall with another unit. It is up to the client to disclose how the measurement was taken to the person leasing the space.
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