Glossary
Square footage, defined.
Plain definitions of the terms appraisers, agents, contractors and floor plans use.
- Above grade
- A level that is entirely above the ground around the house. Under ANSI Z765, only above-grade finished area counts toward gross living area. Below-grade space →
- ANSI Z765
- The American National Standard for measuring single-family homes, published by Home Innovation Research Labs. The current edition is ANSI Z765-2021. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac require it for most appraisals. ANSI Z765 explained →
- Architect's scale
- A drawing scale written as inches on paper per foot of real size, such as 1/4" = 1'-0" (1:48). Used for US floor plans and elevations. Drawing scales →
- Below grade
- A level with any part below the ground around the house. Under ANSI Z765 the whole level is below grade, and its finished area is reported separately from gross living area. Does a basement count? →
- Ceiling height rule
- Under ANSI Z765, finished area needs a ceiling of at least 7 ft, or 6 ft 4 in under beams, ducts and other obstructions. There's no height requirement under stairs. Ceiling height rules →
- Declaration (ANSI)
- A statement ANSI Z765 requires when square footage comes from exterior-only measurement, from plans, or from estimated dimensions. Leaving out a required declaration voids any claim of following the standard. ANSI Z765 explained →
- Desktop appraisal
- An appraisal completed without the appraiser visiting the property, relying on a floor plan and data from other sources. Fannie Mae requires a floor plan and encourages, but doesn't require, ANSI measurement. Floor plans for desktop appraisals →
- Dimension string
- A row of dimensions printed along a drawing, such as 13'-0" + 8'-0" + 12'-0" adding up to an overall 33'-0". The most reliable way to check a plan's scale. Reading floor plan dimensions →
- Drawing scale
- The ratio between a drawing and the real thing. At 1:48, every inch on paper is 48 inches (4 ft) in reality. Scale converter →
- Engineer's scale
- A drawing scale written as one inch per so many feet, such as 1" = 20' (1:240). Used for site plans and civil drawings. Drawing scales →
- Exterior finished surface
- The outside face of a house's exterior walls (siding, brick or stucco). ANSI Z765 measures each level to this surface. Measuring a house →
- Finished area
- An enclosed area suitable for year-round use, with walls, floors and ceilings similar to the rest of the house (ANSI Z765). ANSI Z765 explained →
- Fit to page
- A print or export setting that shrinks or enlarges a drawing to fit the paper. It makes the drawing's scale note wrong, so scale must be set from a printed dimension instead. Scaling a PDF →
- Flood cut
- Removing drywall to a set height after water damage, commonly 2 ft or 4 ft above the floor, or 6–12 in above the highest wet reading. Flood cut calculator →
- Gross building area (GBA)
- The total area of a building measured to the exterior walls, including space that isn't living area. Used more for commercial, multifamily and construction purposes than for single-family appraisals.
- Gross living area (GLA)
- Finished, above-grade residential space measured to the exterior walls. It excludes garages, porches, unfinished space and below-grade levels. The redesigned appraisal report (UAD 3.6) calls it finished above-grade area. How to calculate GLA →
- GXX001
- A code Fannie Mae appraisers once entered when they couldn't follow ANSI Z765 (for example, when state law required a different method). Fannie Mae has retired it. Often searched as GXXX001. Fannie Mae's ANSI requirement →
- Hybrid appraisal
- An appraisal where a trained third party inspects the property and collects data, and the appraiser completes the report without visiting. Fannie Mae requires an ANSI-conforming floor plan. Desktop and hybrid plans →
- Level
- Under ANSI Z765, areas of a house within 2 ft vertically of the same horizontal plane.
- Noncontinuous finished area
- Fannie Mae's term for attached finished space with no interior access to the house that isn't an accessory dwelling unit. It's reported separately.
- Nonstandard finished area
- Fannie Mae's term for finished space that fails ANSI ceiling-height rules or is reached through unfinished space. It's calculated and reported separately from standard finished area. Ceiling height rules →
- Open to below
- An opening in an upper floor over a two-story space, such as a foyer or great room. It isn't counted on the upper floor; the space counts once, on the floor below. Open to below →
- Perimeter
- The total length of a room's or building's walls. Perimeter × wall height gives wall area for paint and drywall.
- Scale note
- The scale printed on a drawing, such as 1/4" = 1'-0" or 1:100. Only accurate if the drawing is printed or viewed at its original paper size. Scaling a PDF →
- Sloped ceiling rule
- Under ANSI Z765, a room with a sloped ceiling counts only if at least half of it has a ceiling of 7 ft or more, and no part under 5 ft counts. Ceiling height rules →
- Square foot
- The area of a square 1 ft on each side: 144 square inches, or about 0.0929 square meters.
- Square yard
- The area of a square 1 yard (3 ft) on each side: 9 square feet. Carpet is priced by the square yard. Carpet calculator →
- Takeoff
- A list of material quantities measured from a plan: floor area, wall area, perimeter, counts of doors and windows, and the materials they turn into. Material takeoff →
- UAD 3.6
- The redesigned Uniform Appraisal Dataset and appraisal report from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Mandatory for reports submitted on or after November 2, 2026. It reports six area figures instead of a single GLA. UAD 3.6 and square footage →
- Unfinished area
- Enclosed space that isn't finished like the rest of the house, such as an unfinished basement or attic, or a garage. Reported separately from finished area.
- Vector PDF
- A PDF whose drawing is stored as lines and text rather than a picture, typically exported from CAD software. Lines can be snapped to exactly and dimensions read as text.
- Waste factor
- Extra material bought to cover cuts and offcuts: commonly 10% for flooring laid straight, 15% for diagonal and 15–20% for herringbone. How much flooring you need →
- Wall area
- Perimeter × wall height, less doors and windows. The starting point for paint and drywall. Wall area calculator →
Measure your own plan.
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