Q: My husband and I just purchased a new condo. We measured all the rooms except the kitchen and baths for carpeting. We noticed that our 1,400 square foot condo was only 1,372 feet. It’s too late to do anything, but did we get cheated?



A: How to measure square footage is a hot question to which there is no real answer. There are industry standards when measuring single family houses and office buildings but no real standards for measuring condominium and cooperative units. Realtors disagree with builders and other interested parties have their own opinions.

A document entitled “Square Footage – Method for Calculating” (ANSI Z765-2003) has been published by The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) but it only applies to single family houses. As close as we can come to condo measurement is the ANSI rule for attached houses that states “the finished square footage of each level is the sum of the finished areas on that level measured at floor level to the exterior finished surfaces of the outside wall or from the centerlines between houses, where appropriate.”

Some condo documents define a unit to include “the horizontal space between the unit side of the exterior walls of the building and the finished walls separating the unit from corridors, stairs, and, where applicable, to the surface of the finished walls of those interior walls which separate one unit from another unit. Each condominium unit also includes the vertical space measured from the (topside) surface of the subflooring to the finished (exposed) surface of the ceiling of each unit.

Some developers have chosen to use the ANSI method, measuring from the centerline of the walls between the units. If, for example, the outside wall is 10 inches thick, that would add five more inches to the overall area. Developers recognize that buyers want the greatest possible amount of space. They also know that cost per square foot is a selling factor.

Florida statute (718.103 (24) states that the boundaries and description of each unit must be specifically set forth in the declaration creating the condominium. Since there is no uniform standard for measuring condominium units, the developer and the person doing the measuring could use the standards for single family home. This is fine if the method is disclosed.

In the early days of the condo boom, most developers used the centerline approach of “mid-wall to mid-wall.” In recent years it has become more common to use the “paint-to-paint” approach which more accurately reflects the true net usable space within the apartment. As long as the method used is described in your documents, no wrong has been committed.



Attorney Sylvia Heldreth is a Certified Specialist in Real Estate Law. Her office is located at 1215 Miramar Street in Cape Coral.

This article is not intended as specific legal advice to anyone and is based upon facts that change from time to time. Individuals should seek legal counsel before acting upon any matter involving the law.