Difference between the carpet and the built-up area of a house

Should the ideal home be a grand palace or just spacious enough for one’s furniture and a few dreams? The answer lies in how one measures it. The carpet and built-up area are two common metrics to measure a space. Getting to know the difference between the two helps determine whether a new home will be cosy enough to accommodate one’s needs.

What is the carpet area of a house?

The carpet area includes all internal spaces within the walls, such as the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, dressing room, study room, living room, and any other rooms. It also includes internal partition walls and doors that are within the enclosed space. However, it does not include exclusive external areas like balconies, terraces, etc.

How to calculate the carpet area of a house?

Here are the steps to calculate the carpet area:

Measure all rooms: Measure the length and width of each room within the walls of the house, such as the kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc.

Exclude other areas: Exclude the measurements of walls, balconies, and other utility areas.

Find the sum: Add them all up to arrive at the result.

For example:

Consider a house with a bedroom, kitchen, dining room, and bathroom with the following sizes, excluding the area covered by balconies and walls:

Bedroom = 20 sq. ft.

Kitchen = 15 sq. ft.

Dining room = 18 sq. ft.

Bathroom = 10 sq. ft.

Thickness of the inner walls = 5 sq. ft.

Carpet area = Size of bedroom + Size of kitchen + Size of dining room + Size of bathroom - Thickness of the inner walls

Carpet Area = 15 sq. ft + 18 sq. ft + 20 sq. ft + 10 sq. ft - 5 sq. ft. = 58 sq. ft

What is the built-up area of a house?

Built-up areas are bigger than carpet areas. Typically, the carpet area constitutes about 70% of the built-up area, with the built-up area itself representing between 15% and 30% of the total property area.

The carpet and built-up area together offer a comprehensive view of the total space within a property, including both usable and non-usable areas.

How to calculate the built-up area of a house?

To calculate the built-up area of a house, one must add the carpet area to the wall area while excluding external spaces such as corridors.

Here’s how it works:

• Determine the carpet area: This is the total usable floor space within the walls of the house. For instance, if the carpet area is 63 sq. ft., this is the base measurement.
• Measure the wall area: The wall area includes the thickness of the walls surrounding the carpet area. Suppose the wall area adds 17 sq. ft. to the total measurement.
• Exclude external spaces: Corridors and other external areas are not included in the built-up area calculation.

For example:

Carpet area = 63 sq. ft.

Wall area = 17 sq. ft.

Built-up area = Carpet area + Wall area

Therefore: Built-up area = 63 sq. ft. + 17 sq. ft. = 80 sq. ft.

Carpet area vs built-up area - Differences at a glance

Comparing carpet and built-up areas across different properties allows homebuyers to make informed decisions and choose the home that best fits their requirements and budget.