Are you planning to buy or sell a house? If yes, you must know about carpet area vs built-up area. The carpet area and built-up area are not the same while most people assume that they are very similar. But actually, they are not the same. Indeed they are the areas in the house or the building. But they are defined as different areas.
Knowing about built-up and carpet areas is important for learning about the area you are going to pay for. Also, while you measure a property, you should be able to define carpet area and built-up area. And if you don’t understand these terms properly, you may get fooled or misled. But don’t worry! I am here to tell you all about it!
In this article, I will be mentioning the difference between carpet area and built-up along with much other related information. After reading this, you should be able to differentiate between these terms and approach a seller or buyer with more confidence!
Let’s start then!
Carpet Area Vs Built-Up Area: Start With The Basic Differences
Let’s start with the basics. First, I will point out the areas that come under the carpet area and the built-up areas. I am presenting a chart here. After you view the chart, you will get a rough idea about which areas are the carpet areas and which are the covered areas. Then we will discuss it in detail.
| Areas | Carpet Area | Built-up Area |
| Living room | Yes | Yes |
| Dining room | Yes | Yes |
| Bedroom | Yes | Yes |
| Prayer room | Yes | Yes |
| Kitchen | Yes | Yes |
| Bathroom | Yes | Yes |
| Study room | Yes | Yes |
| Indoor staircase | Yes | Yes |
| Outdoor staircase | No | Yes |
| Balcony | No | Yes |
| Utility areas | No | Yes |
| Porch | No | Yes |
| Terrace | No | Yes |
| Garden | No | No |
| Lobby | No | No |
| Lift | No | No |
Now, can you differentiate between the carpet and the built-up area? If not, let me clarify the matter a bit more. But before that, you may have noticed that some areas are neither carpet areas nor built-up areas. The lobby, garden, and lift are not under any of these categories. These are under the super built-up area which is completely the outer sphere of the house.
Okay, so now let me tell you more about the carpet area vs the built-up area.
The built-up area is larger than the carpet area. But how? The built-up area comprises the entire area inside the outer perimeter wall of the house or space. Indeed, it includes the carpet area. Along with that, the other areas inside the house are included too. The wall thickness as well as the other areas of the indoor space is the built-up area.
Now, the carpet area is exactly what the name suggests. In simple terms, the carpet area is the area where you can lay a carpet. But it only includes the most used and commonly stepped areas in the space. It is not the entire indoor space but the net usable portions only. The carpet area is measured from the indoor walls and excludes the open and outdoor areas like a balcony.
As you can see from the chart, the areas that are open and not inside the inner walls are excluded from the carpet area. Other portions of the house from the external wall are under the built-up area. And the areas that are outside the boundary wall like the garden or lobby don’t come under either area.
In easy calculation, the equation goes like this:
Carpet area + Wall Area = Built-up area
Now when you calculate the percentage of the carpet area and built-up area, there is an easy calculation. Generally, the carpet area covers 30% of the total area. This means the remaining 70% area is the built-up area. With this information, you can now easily calculate the built-up and carpet area of a house.
For instance, if the house is 1000 sq. ft, the carpet area will be 300 sq. ft and the remaining 700 sq. ft area is the built-up area. In this way, you can calculate the built-up and carpet area of any space when you know the total area.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why Is Carpet And Built-up Area Important?
Before you buy or sell any property, knowing the built-up and carpet area is mandatory. Otherwise, neither the seller nor the buyers will get the exact measurement and area of the space or house.
When you know the details of the carpet and built-up area, you get to know the exact measurement of the flat or house. You understand the net usable area you will get the spare areas (balcony, verandah, etc.) of the house too.
When you know it in detail, the transparency between the seller and buyer is maintained. So no matter if you are the seller or buyer of a property, you have to be clear about the carpet and built-up area of the property.
How Do You Calculate Carpet Area?
The carpet area is the area that comes inside the inner wall of the house or flat. This means if you measure the areas that are inside the inner wall, you get the carpet area.
While measuring the carpet area, you have to exclude the areas that are outside the inner wall like the balcony, terrace, etc. You only have to measure and sum up the area of the bedroom, living and dining space, bathroom, kitchen, indoor staircase, and the rooms that are inside the inner boundary wall. Measure the area of each room and add them all to get the carpet area.
How Do You Calculate Built-up Area?
The entire area that is behind the external boundary wall of the flat or house is the built-up area. Unlike the carpet area, the built-up area includes the balcony and terrace areas.
While you measure the built-up area, you need to measure the flooring on the entire room along with the thickness of the walls. So you need to add the carpet area and the wall thickness and the areas outside the inner wall to get the built-up area. This is how you can calculate the built-up area.
Does Carpet Area Include Balcony?
You may think that the balcony comes under the carpet area as it remains inside the house. However, this is not the case.
The carpet area doesn’t include the balcony. As the balcony is located outside the inner wall, it doesn’t come under the carpet area. Also, it is not the common net usable area of the house which is another reason for the balcony being out of the carpet area. Similarly, any verandah or terrace will be out of the carpet area and part of the built-up area.
Is Toilet Included In Carpet Area?
Any net usable or commonly stepped area in the house is considered a carpet area. As bathrooms are used commonly in the house, this comes under the carpet area.
Bathrooms are located inside the inner wall and are technically proper rooms. As any inner room is a carpet area, bathrooms are carpet areas too. The thickness of the wall is subtracted from the area to get the carpet area. Now the bathroom is also a carpet area as it is inside the wall and is a net usable space.
Is Parking Included In Built-up Or Carpet Areas?
The parking space is the common space and doesn’t come inside the external walls. Now, any area outside the perimeter of the external wall is not under the carpet or built-up area.
The parking space comes under the super built-up area just like the garden or lobby. When you buy a flat, remember that you are not buying the parking slot along with it. You don’t pay any cost for the super built-up areas as these are the common places for all. You may need to pay service charges or other maintenance costs. In that case, you have to pay for the area you are using.
What Percentage Of Built-up Area Is Carpet?
As mentioned before, the built-up area includes the carpet area. Add the wall thickness with the carpet area to get the measurement of the built-up area. But what percentage of built-up area is carpet area? This is a huge confusion.
Most of the built-up area is the carpet area. The spaces where you can lay carpet and use it regularly are the carpet areas. Generally, at least 70% of a house or flat is the carpet area and the remaining 30% is the built-up area that includes the verandah, balcony, terrace, etc.
What Is Not Included In Built-up Area?
The areas outside the external walls of the house don’t come under the built-up area. The areas like the parking slot, garden, lobby, or swimming pool are not under the built-up area. These areas are included in the super-built-up area.
In the built-up area, you include only the space which is only yours. The entire house or flat is the built-up area that you own. But the other spaces are common to all. These spaces are not under built-up areas.
Should We Pay For Carpet Area Or Built-Up Area?
When you buy a flat or house, you pay for the built-up area. This includes the carpet area too. So you pay for both carpet and built-up area.
Under the rules of RERA, you need to pay for the built-up area. This is because you get full access to the built-up area which is inside the external wall of the house or flat. However, note that you won’t pay any cost for the super built-up area which is common for all. The external staircase, lift, or garden are part of the super built-up areas which you don’t need to pay for.
How Do You Find The Carpet Area From Built-up Area?
If you already know the measurement of the built-up area, finding the carpet area will be easier for you. And there are a few ways to calculate that:
- You need to subtract the area of external spaces of the house like balcony, verandah, porch, etc. from the built-up area to find the carpet area;
- If you add the inner wall area to the total floor area that comes inside the inner wall, you will get the carpet area;
- Measure each room separately by multiplying the width and length. Now add these measurements to get the total carpet area;
Choose whichever process seems easier to you.
Final Thoughts:
By now, you have understood all the differences and areas covered by carpet area vs built-up area. No more confusion, right?
Therefore, it is time to talk to the seller with more confidence. And if you are a seller yourself, you will be able to present your property clearly to the potential buyer.
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