1. Select your shape
Choose from rectangle, circle, triangle, trapezoid, L-shape, annulus, or wall-and-window layouts to match your project.
What is house square footage?
House square footage is the total livable floor area of a home measured in square feet. To calculate house square footage, measure the length and width of every finished room and add the areas together. Standard real estate square footage excludes unfinished basements, garages, and outdoor spaces.
Getting started
How to Calculate House Square Footage
To calculate house square footage, measure every room in the home individually. Multiply length by width for each room to get the area in square feet. Add all room areas together for total house square footage. Include hallways, closets, and finished spaces. Exclude garages and unfinished basements.
2. Enter your measurements
Input dimensions in feet, inches, yards, meters, or centimeters. The Square Foot Calculator converts units automatically.
3. Get area and cost
View results in square feet, square yards, square meters, and acres. Add a material price per unit to estimate total project cost.
Quick reference
Reference
1 acre = 43,560 square feet
1 square yard = 9 square feet
1 square meter = 10.764 square feet
1 square inch = 0.00064516 square feet
Material pricing
Calculate Cost of Materials
Enter the price per square foot of material to estimate total cost. The calculator accepts pricing in square feet, square inches, square yards, or square meters and converts to the correct total based on your area.
There are 2 steps to calculate material cost:
- Enter the price per unit area. For tiling projects, enter the price per box and the number of square feet each box covers. For carpet, enter the cost per square yard. For flooring installation with hardwood or laminate, enter the cost per square foot.
- Select the unit of area that matches your pricing. The Square Foot Calculator multiplies your total area by the unit price to produce an estimated material cost, including labor costs when added to the per-unit price.
To calculate the volume of bulk materials like mulch or gravel for landscaping, convert area to cubic yards or cubic meters by multiplying the area by the depth of material.
Core formula
Basic Formula for Area
Area is the amount of space occupied by a 2-dimensional shape. The shape could be a floor, a wall, a playground, or a field. The simplest formula for area applies to any rectangular shape:
Area = Length × Width
Measure the length and width of the space in feet. Multiply the two values to get the area in square feet. A rectangular room that is 12 feet (3.66 meters) long and 10 feet (3.05 meters) wide has an area of 120 sq ft (11.15 sq m).
Square yardage is area measured in yards, and square meters is area measured in meters. Measure in feet, find the area in square feet, then convert to the unit you need.
For an L-shape room, split the floor into 2 rectangular sections, calculate each area, and add the results. Convert all measurements to the same unit before multiplying, if your dimensions are in different units like inches and feet.
Basic Length Conversion
Convert other units of measure to feet with these 4 formulas:
| From | To Feet | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Inches | Feet | Divide by 12 |
| Yards | Feet | Multiply by 3 |
| Meters | Feet | Multiply by 3.28084 |
| Centimeters | Feet | Divide by 30.48 |
For example, 48 inches ÷ 12 = 4 feet. A measurement of 5 meters × 3.28084 = 16.40 feet. The Square Foot Calculator handles these conversions automatically when you select the input unit.
Unit conversion
Area Conversion
Measure your space in inches or centimeters, calculate area in square inches or square centimeters, then convert to any unit you need, including square feet, square yards, square meters, or acres.
| Unit | Square Feet Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 sq ft | 144 sq in |
| 1 sq yd | 9 sq ft |
| 1 sq m | 10.764 sq ft |
| 1 acre | 43,560 sq ft |
A 300 sq ft room equals 33.33 sq yd, 27.87 sq m, or 43,200 sq in. The Square Footage Calculator displays all conversions at once so you can compare units for flooring, carpet, or tiling projects without manual math.
Shape formulas
Area Formulas for Different Shapes
The Square Foot Calculator supports 11 shape formulas for construction, interior design, landscaping, and flooring projects. Each formula below includes a diagram with labeled dimensions.
Rectangle Shape
Calculate square foot of a rectangle
Using measurements in feet: Area (ft²) = Length × Width. This is the most common formula for calculating square footage of a rectangular room, floor, wall, or field. A room 15 feet (4.57 meters) long and 12 feet (3.66 meters) wide has a Rectangle Area of 180 sq ft (16.72 sq m).
Room Shape
Calculate square foot of a room
Using measurements in feet: Area (ft²) = Room Length × Room Width. Measure the longest wall for length and the perpendicular wall for width. A standard rectangular room that is 12 feet (3.66 meters) long and 10 feet (3.05 meters) wide has an area of 120 sq ft (11.15 sq m). Door and window openings do not reduce floor area because the floor extends under the opening. For rooms with closets or alcoves, measure each rectangular section separately and add the areas together.
Calculating the Square Footage of a House or Property
Measure the length and width of every rectangular room inside the building. Calculate the area for each room, then add the totals together. Exclude unfinished basements and garages from standard real estate square footage. A house with a 250 sq ft living room, 180 sq ft kitchen, 200 sq ft bedroom, and 50 sq ft bathroom has a total area of 680 square feet.
For rooms with alcoves or closets, measure each rectangular section separately and add the areas. The Square Foot Calculator supports quantity input so you can calculate multiple rooms of the same size at once.
Waste factor
Adding 10% Surplus for Materials
Add a 10% surplus to your calculated area to account for material waste during cutting, breakage, and pattern matching. This waste factor applies to flooring, carpet, tiling projects, and landscaping materials.
Original Area
100 sq ft
+10%
Order Amount
110 sq ft
Total Material = Area × 1.10
A room with 200 sq ft of floor area needs 220 sq ft of material: 200 × 1.10 = 220 sq ft. Increase the surplus to 15% (multiply by 1.15) for diagonal flooring installation patterns or complex tiling projects with many cuts. The Square Foot Calculator includes a waste factor field for this calculation.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate the total square footage of a house?
Measure each room's length and width in feet, multiply to get each room's area, then add all room areas together. Include hallways, closets, and all finished living spaces.
What rooms are included in house square footage?
All finished, heated living spaces are included: bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, living room, dining room, hallways, and closets. Garages, unfinished basements, and outdoor areas are typically excluded.
How many square feet is the average house?
The average US house is approximately 2,300 square feet. Sizes vary widely by region, with urban homes typically smaller and suburban homes larger.
Does house square footage include the garage?
No, garage space is not typically included in standard house square footage. Real estate listings count only finished, climate-controlled living areas.
How do I measure a multi-story house?
Measure each floor separately and add the totals together. The ground floor and upper floors each contribute to total square footage. Finished attics count; unfinished attics do not.
Why is house square footage important?
House square footage determines property value, HVAC requirements, material needs for renovations, and insurance costs. Accurate measurements help with real estate listings, home improvement budgets, and utility planning.