When buying real estate, it’s critical to comprehend the meanings of carpet area, built-up area, and super built-up area. These measures specify the precise amount of room you get in your house as well as the cost. When purchasing real estate, being aware of the distinctions between these phrases can help you make wise choices. Continue reading to learn more about these ideas.

Carpet Area:

The space in the apartment that can be covered with carpet is known as the “carpet area.” Another name for it is the net useable area. Carpet area is defined as “the net usable floor area of an apartment, excluding the area covered by the external walls but including the area covered by the internal partition walls of the apartment” under the Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Act, 2016 (RERA). The space surrounded by walls and used for carpet installation is referred to as the “carpet area” under the government’s PMAY program.

Formula to calculate carpet area

Carpet area = Area of bedroom + living room + balconies + toilets – the thickness of the inner walls

Importance of Carpet Area

The buyer may see how much space they would truly need to live in by looking at the carpet area. It is essential for the buyer’s interest that the property’s price be determined using this benchmark rather than the built-up or super-built-up area. Additionally, while determining the value of a property, banks consider its carpet area and base loan offers accordingly.

Build-up Area:

The carpet area plus the space occupied by the walls make up the built-up area of an apartment. Other unused spaces, such as a balcony, terrace, flower gardens, etc., are also included in the build-up area of an apartment. For this reason, when a flat’s space is described in terms of build-up area, it appears greater.

Formula to calculate built-up area

Built-up area = Carpet area + area of walls + area of balcony

Importance of Build-up Area

The built-up area consists of the carpet area plus the space enclosed by walls, ducts, balconies, and other structural components, whereas the carpet area represents the real useable floor space inside the walls. A more comprehensive picture of the entire amount of space on the property can be obtained by comprehending the built-up area. Additionally, a property’s cost is significantly influenced by its built-up area.

Super Built-up Area:

Together with the proportionate area of the shared facilities in the housing project, the super built-up area is the built-up area of the property. The lobby, elevator shaft, stairs, pool, garden, park, clubhouse, etc. are examples of these amenities. In order to determine the super-built-up area of a unit, developers add the total built-up area to the area used for common amenities, such as the elevator, lift lobby, and hallway. In many instances, builders even incorporate common area features like clubhouses, gardens, and pools.

Formula to calculate super built-up area

Super built-up area = Built-up area + proportionate common area

Or

Super built-up area = Carpet area (1+loading factor)

Importance of Super Built-up Area

A more thorough picture of the entire amount of space that a buyer or tenant will have access to, including the shared areas and amenities, is given by the super built-up area. Because it takes into consideration both the space of each individual unit and the common amenities, this aids in determining the total cost of the property or rental.

Covered Area Vs Carpet Area:

All sections inside the property’s limits that are covered by a roof, such as living rooms and hallways, are included in the covered area. The carpet area, on the other hand, refers to the useable floor space inside the walls, omitting the area that is taken up by balconies and walls.

Covered Area Vs Built-up Area:

The portion of the land that is physically covered by a roof is referred to as the “covered area.” It excludes balconies, terraces, and other open areas but includes all areas under the roof, such as rooms, baths, and kitchens. In essence, it is the precise space inside a home’s walls. The built-up area, on the other hand, is the entire area of the property that is covered, including the covered area as well as extra areas like walls, terraces, and balconies. It usually surpasses the covered area by approximately 10–20%, contingent on the building’s architecture.

What is loading factor?

The difference between the carpet areas and the super built up areas is known as the loading factor. The following is the formula to calculate the loading factor percentage:

Carpet area * (1-loading factor) = Super Built-up area

Note: The loading would be in the range of 15% to 50%, depending on builder and the exact location. In cities like Bengaluru, the loading factor could be in the range of 20-28% or even more.

Difference between carpet area, built up area and super built up area in Indian real estate

• Bedroom Carpet Area(YES) Built-up Area(YES) Super Built-up Area (YES)
• Living Room Carpet Area(YES) Built-up Area(YES) Super Built-up Area (YES)
• Bathroom Carpet Area(YES) Built-up Area(YES) Super Built-up Area (YES)
• Kitchen Carpet Area(YES) Built-up Area(YES) Super Built-up Area (YES)
• Study room Carpet Area(YES) Built-up Area(YES) Super Built-up Area (YES)
• Guest room Carpet Area(YES) Built-up Area(YES) Super Built-up Area (YES)
• Kid’s room Carpet Area(YES) Built-up Area(YES) Super Built-up Area (YES)
• Dining room Carpet Area(YES) Built-up Area(YES) Super Built-up Area (YES)
• Lobby Carpet Area(NO) Built-up Area(NO) Super Built-up Area (YES)
• Balcony Carpet Area(NO) Built-up Area(YES) Super Built-up Area (YES)
• EX Staircase Carpet Area(NO) Built-up Area(YES) Super Built-up Area (YES)
• IN Staircase Carpet Area(YES) Built-up Area(YES) Super Built-up Area (YES)
• Religious room Carpet Area(YES) Built-up Area(YES) Super Built-up Area (YES)
• Terrace Carpet Area(NO) Built-up Area(YES) Super Built-up Area (YES)
• Lift Carpet Area(NO) Built-up Area(YES) Super Built-up Area (YES)
• Verandah Carpet Area(NO) Built-up Area(YES) Super Built-up Area (YES)
• Garden Carpet Area(NO) Built-up Area(NO) Super Built-up Area (YES)

Final carpet area calculation

In most cases, the carpet area in your flat would typically be 70% of its built-up area.  So, if the built-up area of a property is 1,500 SqFt, its carpet area would typically be 1,050 SqFt. RERA mandates that house sales happen as per carpet area.

Methods used to calculate carpet area, built-up area and super built-up area

Measuring the carpet area of a property can be done using a tape measure or a laser measuring device. This involves taking measurements from one wall to another, while subtracting any protrusions like columns or bay windows from the total area. In contrast, calculating the built-up and super-built-up areas is usually the responsibility of the developer or builder. This process includes measuring the exterior walls and allocating a proportionate share of the common areas to each apartment or office space.