How to calculate carpet area from built-up area | Checklist

Generally, when you purchase a house, you’ll be talking in terms like built-up area, carpet area, etc. Since most of us don’t understand the terminology, we often end up in a dilemma. Understanding how to calculate carpet area from a built-up area, is a simple calculation to arrive at. Before you get into the calculation itself, let’s get familiar with the concept.

What is the carpet area? 

It’s an area that a carpet can easily occupy. That way you can exclude the thickness of the inner walls as it can’t make space for the carpet. So basically the carpet area is the space that you can use at your property. 

The next question that can arise is, what all spaces can be called a carpet area? 

The carpet area includes every other space that your property has regardless of it being divided. Meaning, the space covered by a staircase is also a carpet area. If that’s so, all the rooms, dining area, bathroom, kitchen, and toilet come under the carpet area which is within the house. 

Carpet area can be calculated in multiple ways. But the simplest way to calculate carpet area is from a built-up area.

But there is an exclusion of areas like a terrace, lift, balcony lobby, etc. 

Also read: Know the differences between Carpet area and built up area

What is the built-up area? 

This is about the bigger space in the house that includes even the inner walls into consideration. This means the carpet area plus the unusable area like terrace, balcony, corridor, utility, etc., along with the area of the wall. 

That’s why the built area is always more compared to the carpet area. As it also includes the unusable area in the picture. 

Built-up area = Area of the walls + Carpet area + area of balcony + area of terrace

As previously mentioned, built-up areas are larger. It’ll be 10 to 15% larger than the carpet area. 

How to calculate carpet area from the built-up area? 

The first method: Calculating carpet area without built-up area 

Carpet area = adding all the areas covered by space such as (rooms + kitchen + living room + toilets) – (Subtract the thickness of all the inner walls) 

The second method is calculating carpet area from the built-up area 

Carpet area = 70% of the built-up area 

For instance, assume the built-up area is 1200 sq ft. In which 70% is usable area and 30% is non-usable area. 

The usable area is nothing but the carpet area. 

So, carpet area = 70% of 1200 sq ft 

Carpet area = 840 sq ft 

It’s easier to calculate the carpet area from the built-up area this way. 

What’s the difference between carpet area and built-up area? 

The differences are pretty straightforward: 

Areawise 

Carpet area: The area considered in the carpet area includes the area of the rooms, kitchen, toilet, living room, and the internal partition wall thickness.

built-up area: The area considered in the built-up area includes the area of the external wall, carpet area, the terrace, balcony, and corridor, if any. 

Sizewise 

Carpet area: It is smaller than the built-up area. Which is 70% of the built-up area.

built-up area: It is larger than the carpet area. Which is 10 to 15% larger than the carpet area. 

Conclusion

The differences between the carpet area and the built-up area are minor. But it makes a huge difference while you are purchasing the house. Commonly builders sell the property concerning the built-up area, in fact super built area. A super built-up area is an area that includes common spaces such as a lift, lobby, pool, etc. while calculating for the built-up area.

But as per the RERA, now the builders are supposed to sell the property concerning the carpet area. The next time you hear this term from the real estate agent, you very well know what to expect. You can ask him about the built-up area so that you can calculate the carpet area. By which you’ll understand what net usable place is at the property and whether it is worth the penny you pay. 

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