How Appraisers Measure Square Footage | Campbell Appraisals Inc. (2024)

How Appraisers Measure Square Footage | Campbell Appraisals Inc. (1)

Knowing the total square footage of your home is essential to determining its value. In fact, the total heated square footage is one of the primary factors that a residential real estate appraiser will consider when assessing your home’s value. As this information about your home is so important, the appraiser will carefully measure your home in accordance with ANSI standards during the inspection phase of the appraisal report. When the appraiser measures your home, he will only include the heated square footage in the GLA, or gross living area, on the appraisal report. The heated square footage includes all of the living space and rooms that are heated and cooled under the same roof. For example, an outdoor patio would not be included in your home’s heated square footage, but an enclosed sun-room that has air conditioning and heat would be. Real estate appraisers measure in this way because the livable space of your home most relevant to the final estimate of value. Outdoor living spaces, such as decks, are better reported as amenities to your home.

The Home Measurement Process

Louisiana residential appraisers measure houses somewhat differently than other professions, such as tax assessors. During the home inspection, the appraiser will measure your home by its outside walls instead of by the interior surfaces. Measurements taken by home appraiser must also comply with ANSI standard. This means that the measurements must be taken to the nearest inch before rounding up to the final square footage. This ensures the most accurate measurement of your home as the square footage is one of the most important components of a home appraisal.

How the Home is Measured

Typically a laser will be used to get an accurate measurement of your home, although a measuring wheel may be used in some circ*mstances. It is essential to allow the appraiser access to all sides of your house while he is measuring. Be sure to unlock the gate to the backyard and kennel any animals that may interfere with the inspection.

How Appraisers Measure Square Footage | Campbell Appraisals Inc. (2024)

FAQs

How Appraisers Measure Square Footage | Campbell Appraisals Inc.? ›

Appraisers tend to use one common measurement type when it comes to measuring the square footage. They measure the Gross Living Area of your home. For condominiums, they generally just measure the interior meaning only the inside area of your unit. Some may add 6 inches to the measurement for the wall thickness.

How does an appraiser measure square footage? ›

When measuring a property, appraisers will generally start at one corner of the dwelling and begin measuring each exterior wall. The measurements are typically rounded to the nearest inch and recorded. Some appraisers may round to the nearest foot or half a foot.

How do appraisers determine price per square foot? ›

Price per square foot is calculated by dividing the sale price by the gross living area. For example, if you have a 1,500 Sq Ft home selling for $225,000, the price per square foot would be $150/Sq Ft. Gross living area as defined in THISprevious post, is the finished above grade living space.

How do appraisers adjust for square footage? ›

Adjustments are calculated by multiplying an adjustment factor times the quantity difference between the subject and comparable. For example, if the GLA for the subject is 2200 sq ft and for a comparable, 2000 sq ft, the difference, 200 sq ft would be multiplied by the adjustment factor.

How are appraisals measured? ›

The employees rate themselves in categories such as work behavior, attitude, and job performance. Note that some organizations use several appraisal types during the same review. For instance, a manager could consult with the employee's peers and assign a self-assessment to the employee.

How is square footage determined? ›

Measure the length and width, in feet, of each room. Then, multiply the length by the width to calculate that room's square footage. For example: If a bedroom is 12 feet by 20 feet, it is 240 square feet (12 x 20 = 240). For each room, write the total square footage in the corresponding space on your sketch.

Can you sue an appraiser for wrong square footage? ›

Negligence: One way negligence claims can occur concerns the square footage of a property. Since appraisers are supposed to measure a property but often don't, a client may feel they were being taken advantage of for the benefit of the appraiser's time.

How do appraisers estimate value? ›

What Does a Home Appraiser Look At? A property's appraisal value is influenced by recent sales of similar properties and by current market trends. The home's amenities, including the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the floor plan's functionality, and the square footage are also key factors.

What is not considered to be square footage during an appraisal? ›

So we call that something else a studio, casita, accessory unit, pool house, she shed, or whatever. It's just not the main house, which is why it's not included within the square footage.

What negatively affects a home appraisal? ›

Having outdated appliances, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems could decrease the value of your property. Dated features in your home's interior could imply that the property has not been well-maintained, which could raise concerns about any underlying issues.

What is the biggest factor in a home appraisal? ›

What Affects Home Appraisals? The appraiser will be looking at your home's features, age and condition, then compare it to other similar homes in the area and what they sell for. Because your home's value is based on the value of similar homes in the area, the local market will have a big impact on your appraisal.

How much does an appraiser adjust for a bathroom? ›

Answer: There really isn't a standard bedroom or bathroom adjustment. Well, I will say appraisers often give $5000 for a bathroom and $5,000 to $10,000 for a bedroom, but those are often just filler adjustments that may or may not really reflect the market.

Why do appraisers not use price per square foot? ›

Value: Appraisers do not give value to square footage based on construction costs, but rather the reaction in the marketplace to extra size. Think of it in terms of a kitchen remodel or pool. Just because a kitchen costs $75,000 to remodel does not automatically mean you'll see $75,000 in value in the resale market.

Do appraisers always measure square footage? ›

Knowing the total square footage of your home is essential to determining its value. In fact, the total heated square footage is one of the primary factors that a residential real estate appraiser will consider when assessing your home's value.

How accurate are appraisers? ›

There's an acceptable variance when it comes to home appraisals. It usually depends on the prevailing market conditions. In markets with favorable conditions, the difference should be between 2% and 3% of the other values. For markets with challenging conditions, a 10% difference may be acceptable.

What do appraisals attempt to measure? ›

The science of performance appraisal is directed toward two fundamental goals: to create a measure that accurately assesses the level of an individual's job performance and to create an evaluation system that will advance one or more operational functions in an organization.

Is house square footage measured inside or outside? ›

How to Measure Square Footage of Your Home in 4 Steps. The gross building area can be easily calculated by measuring the exterior walls of your home to calculate the area, and multiplying by two or more for additional stories. However, the most important measurement only looks at the space that's livable inside.

How does an appraiser determine room count? ›

An appraiser will consider the value of non-GLA space to the home, but will not count it as part of GLA. This can get confusing to a seller. Generally, it is agreed that bedrooms, living rooms, dens, kitchens, and dining rooms are counted as rooms.

How do appraisers calculate home value? ›

What Does a Home Appraiser Look At? A property's appraisal value is influenced by recent sales of similar properties and by current market trends. The home's amenities, including the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the floor plan's functionality, and the square footage are also key factors.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Jeremiah Abshire

Last Updated:

Views: 6151

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (54 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Jeremiah Abshire

Birthday: 1993-09-14

Address: Apt. 425 92748 Jannie Centers, Port Nikitaville, VT 82110

Phone: +8096210939894

Job: Lead Healthcare Manager

Hobby: Watching movies, Watching movies, Knapping, LARPing, Coffee roasting, Lacemaking, Gaming

Introduction: My name is Jeremiah Abshire, I am a outstanding, kind, clever, hilarious, curious, hilarious, outstanding person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.