Free calculator
ANSI Z765 Gross Living Area (GLA) Calculator
Free GLA calculator that applies ANSI Z765-2021: above-grade finished area by level, below-grade, garage and unfinished areas kept separate.
Areas, measured to the outside of exterior walls
- sq ft
- sq ft
- sq ft
For a two-story foyer or great room with no floor on this level: enter the opening's area and it's subtracted from this level's finished area. Not for stairwells; stairs count as finished area.
- sq ft%%
- sq ft
- sq ft
- sq ft
Result
Gross living area (GLA)
1,940sq ft
Above-grade finished area, rounded to whole sq ft
- Below-grade finished
- 650 sq ft
- Unfinished
- 420 sq ft
- Garage
- 483 sq ft
- Excluded from finished area
- 160 sq ft
Excluded, and why
- Foyer opening: 104 sq ft (open to the floor below)
- Bonus room: 56 sq ft (floor under a 5 ft ceiling never counts)
Statement
Measured using ANSI Z765-2021 methods. GLA: 1,940 sq ft. Below-grade finished: 650 sq ft. Unfinished: 420 sq ft. Garage: 483 sq ft.
A calculator, not an appraisal. It applies the rules to the areas you enter; the result is only as good as those measurements.
How it's calculated
GLA = above-grade finished area, measured to the outside of the exterior walls, minus openings to the floor below and space that fails the ceiling-height rules. Garage, unfinished and below-grade space are reported separately. Example: 1,008 + 812 − 104 (foyer open to below) + 224 (a 280 sq ft bonus room less the 56 sq ft under 5 ft) = 1,940 sq ft GLA.
How to use the GLA calculator
Add one row per area. For each, pick the level (above or below grade), the type, and enter its area in square feet, measured to the outside of the exterior walls. For finished rooms, choose the ceiling: 7 ft or more, sloped, or flat under 7 ft. For a sloped ceiling, enter the share of the floor at 7 ft or more and the share under 5 ft. Enter two-story spaces with no floor upstairs (a foyer or great room open to the level below) as Open to below on the upper level. Don't enter stairwells that way: finished stairs count as finished area (see how stairs are counted). The calculator keeps each category separate and writes a short statement you can copy.
What counts in GLA?
| Area | In GLA? | Reported as |
|---|---|---|
| Finished rooms on an above-grade level, ceiling 7 ft or more | Yes | GLA |
| Finished rooms on a level that's partly below grade | No | Below-grade finished |
| Garage, finished or not | No | Garage |
| Unfinished space (attic, storage, mechanical) | No | Unfinished |
| Two-story foyer or great room opening, upper level | No | Counted once, on the lower floor |
| Flat ceiling under 7 ft | No | Excluded |
| Floor under a sloped ceiling lower than 5 ft | No | Excluded |
Finished area means enclosed space suitable for year-round use, with walls, floors and ceilings finished like the rest of the house. Fannie Mae requires ANSI Z765-2021 for appraisals with interior and exterior inspections and for hybrid appraisals. The ANSI Z765 guide covers the standard in full.
How are ceiling heights handled?
Finished area needs a ceiling of at least 7 ft. Under beams, ducts and other obstructions the minimum is 6 ft 4 in, and there is no height limit under stairs. Sloped ceilings follow two rules: at least half the room's finished floor must be at 7 ft or more, and floor under a ceiling lower than 5 ft never counts.
| Room (280 sq ft) | Floor at 7 ft+ | Floor under 5 ft | Excluded | Counts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat ceiling, 7 ft 6 in | 100% | 0% | 0 sq ft | 280 sq ft |
| Sloped, passes the half rule | 60% | 20% | 56 sq ft (the part under 5 ft) | 224 sq ft |
| Sloped, fails the half rule | 40% | 20% | 280 sq ft (whole room) | 0 sq ft |
| Flat ceiling, 6 ft 9 in | 0% | 0% | 280 sq ft (whole room) | 0 sq ft |
See ceiling height rules and sloped ceilings for how to find where the 7 ft and 5 ft lines fall.
Below grade, open to below, and garages
- Below grade: a level is below grade if any part of it is below grade. Its finished space is reported as below-grade finished area. More in does a finished basement count?
- Open to below: a two-story space counts once, on the floor it sits on. If you measured the upper level around its outside walls, subtract the opening. See open-to-below areas.
- Garages: never finished area. At a wall shared with the house, measure to the garage-side surface, so the wall counts in the finished area.
Measuring GLA from a floor plan
This calculator needs areas you've already measured. To get them from a plan, follow how to calculate GLA, or open the plan in FloorFigures. It's free: trace the outline and rooms, mark garages, unfinished space and openings, and it applies these same rules, merges overlaps so nothing is counted twice, and writes the statement for your report.
Updated · FloorFigures
Questions
- What is gross living area (GLA)?
- Gross living area is the finished, above-grade area of a house, measured to the outside of the exterior walls. It leaves out garages, unfinished space, openings to the floor below, space that fails the ceiling-height rules, and any level that is partly below grade. Under ANSI Z765-2021 it's reported to the nearest whole square foot.
- Does a finished basement count as GLA?
- No. Under ANSI Z765-2021 a level is below grade if any part of it is below grade, and finished space on that level is reported as below-grade finished area, separately from GLA. That holds for walkout and daylight basements too. The space still has value; it's just reported on its own line.
- How do sloped ceilings affect square footage?
- Under ANSI Z765-2021, a room with a sloped ceiling counts only if at least half of its finished floor has a ceiling of 7 ft or more. If it passes, the floor under a ceiling lower than 5 ft is still left out. If it fails, the whole room is excluded from finished area.
- Is a garage included in gross living area?
- No. Under ANSI Z765-2021 a garage is never finished area, even if it's heated, drywalled or carpeted. Where a garage shares a wall with the house, measure to the garage side of that wall, so the wall itself is counted in the finished area.
- Does this calculator give an ANSI-certified measurement?
- No. It applies the ANSI Z765-2021 calculation rules to the areas you enter and writes a statement describing that method. It doesn't measure anything or certify anything. The result depends on how the areas were measured, and the appraiser or measurer remains responsible for that.
Skip the typing. Measure the plan.
Open the floor plan in FloorFigures and every room is measured for you, with the same math per room. Try it free on a sample plan; nothing is uploaded.