Buyers and owners
Is the square footage right? Check it yourself.
Measure the listing's floor plan or the county sketch, then see how far it is from the advertised size and what the gap is worth at the asking price per square foot.
Free. No account. Plans never leave your device.
What you get
The facts before you make an offer or an appeal.
The gap, in dollars
Enter the listed or county size and the price. See the difference in square feet and percent, the price per square foot both ways, and what the measured size is worth at the listed rate.Measured like an appraisal
Outside walls, level by level, by ANSI Z765 methods. The garage and basement get their own totals, so you can see whether the listing counted them.Every room, not just the total
Click inside a room to trace it. Find out whether the 14 x 16 primary bedroom really is 14 x 16.Works from listing images
Save the floor plan image from the listing, or photograph a printed one. Set the scale from any printed dimension.A report you can share
Export a PDF with the plan, the measured areas, the totals and the comparison, to show your agent, an appraiser or the assessor.Private by design
No account, and the plan never leaves your device. The house you're looking at stays your business.
How it works
From the listing plan to a clear answer.
You start with
The listing floor plan or the county sketch
You end with
Measured size vs advertised size, in sq ft, percent and dollars
01
Get a plan.
Save the floor plan image from the listing, ask the seller's agent for a PDF, or find the building sketch on the county assessor's website. Many county sketches show the exterior dimensions.
02
Set the scale from a printed dimension.
Click both ends of a wall with a printed length and type it in, then measure a second dimension to check the error. On a PDF, the scale is found for you.
03
Trace the living area.
Draw the outline of each level, leaving out the garage and porch. On a county sketch, type each wall's length as you draw. Mark a basement level as below grade.
04
Compare.
Enter the listed size and the price in the Compare tab. You get the difference, the percentage, and what the gap is worth at the listed price per square foot.
Worked example
What a square footage gap is worth.
A house is listed at 2,200 sq ft for $550,000. You measure the plan and get 2,050 sq ft of above-grade living area.
| Figure | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Difference | 2,050 − 2,200 | −150 sq ft |
| Percent | −150 ÷ 2,200 | −6.8% |
| Price per sq ft, listed size | $550,000 ÷ 2,200 | $250.00 |
| Price per sq ft, measured size | $550,000 ÷ 2,050 | $268.29 |
| Measured size at the listed rate | 2,050 × $250 | $512,500 |
| Gap at the listed rate | $550,000 − $512,500 | $37,500 |
Price per square foot is a rough yardstick, not an appraisal: location, condition, lot and layout move value too. First find out why the numbers differ. If the listing counted a finished basement or a converted garage, the gap may be about method, not size.
Questions
What buyers and owners ask.
- How can I check a house's square footage before I buy?
- Measure its floor plan. Use the listing floor plan or the county's building sketch, set the scale from a printed dimension, and trace the outside walls level by level, leaving out the garage and porches and keeping any basement separate. Then compare your figure with the listing. FloorFigures does this in the browser for free, and its Compare tab shows the gap in square feet, percent and price per square foot.
- Why is the listing square footage different from the county record?
- They're often measured differently. County figures may come from old permits or exterior estimates and may miss additions. Listing figures may include a finished basement, a converted garage or a bonus room the county doesn't count. Check which areas each source includes before deciding either one is wrong.
- How much of a difference in square footage is normal?
- There's no single standard. Small differences are common because sources measure to different wall faces and round differently. A gap that a basement, garage or porch explains is a difference in method. A gap in the above-grade living area itself is worth raising with your agent.
- What can I do if the listing square footage is wrong?
- Raise it with your agent, ideally before you're under contract or during your inspection period. If you're financing, the appraisal usually reports its own gross living area. Whether a wrong figure gives you any remedy depends on your state, your contract and the listing's disclaimers, so ask a real estate attorney. This isn't legal advice.
- Can I use my own measurement to appeal my property taxes?
- A measured floor plan is a common starting point when the assessor's record shows more square footage than the house has. The process, the deadlines and the evidence accepted vary by county, so check with your assessor's office first. FloorFigures' PDF report shows the plan, the scale check and exactly what was measured.
- Is a listing floor plan accurate enough to measure?
- Often, but check it. Listing floor plans are typically drawn by a photographer or measuring service, and they can be simplified or resized. Set the scale from one printed dimension and measure a second: if they agree, the plan is consistent. In our tests, a phone photo of a plan taken at an angle came out within 1–2% after perspective correction.
Keep reading
Guides and calculators for checking square footage.
- How to Verify the Square Footage of a HouseCheck a home's square footage against the listing, county records and an appraisal, measure it yourself, and know when the gap matters.Open
- Why Square Footage Differs From the Listing or CountyListing, county and appraisal square footage often disagree. The usual causes, which number is right, and how to check it yourself.Open
- Square Footage Discrepancy CalculatorCompare listed or county square footage with a measured figure: the difference, the percentage, and what it's worth at the price per foot.Open
- Property Tax Appeal for Wrong Square FootageIf the county has your square footage wrong, you may be overpaying. How to measure, document and appeal an assessment based on the wrong size.Open
- Who Is Responsible for Square Footage in a Listing?Who answers for a wrong square footage figure in a listing, what agents typically disclose, and what buyers can do when it's off.Open
- Price per Square Foot CalculatorFree price per square foot calculator for homes, plus what a square footage error does to the price per foot.Open
Check the square footage yourself, free.
Open the listing floor plan or the county sketch. FloorFigures measures it and shows the gap in square feet and dollars. No account, and nothing is uploaded.