Square Footage Calculator

The square footage refers to a unit of area measurement which helps measure the size of the room, house, building, land, or another object. It comes in handy during purchases and sales of property, estimation of construction cost, purchases of flooring, calculation of paint quantity, and material needed.

There is a special calculator which measures the square footage automatically. However, the square footage is calculated manually as well with a simple formula.

Reference

• 1 acre = 43,560 square feet
• 1 square yard = 9 square feet
• 1 square meter = 10.76 square feet
• 1 square inch = 0.006944 square feet

How to Calculate Square Footage

While measuring the square footage of a rectangle or square, it is necessary to multiply the length and width of the area.

Square Footage = Length × Width

For instance, if the length of a room is 20 feet, and the width is 15 feet:

20 × 15 = 300 square feet

So, the room is 300 square feet in size.

In case there is an irregularly shaped room, one should divide it into a few smaller squares or rectangles. Then, the square footage of every part should be calculated and summed up to get the total square footage.

For instance, there is a room consisting of two rectangular sections. One section is 15 feet by 10 feet, while another one is 10 feet by 8 feet:

15 × 10 = 150 square feet

10 × 8 = 80 square feet

The total square footage will be:

150 + 80 = 230 square feet

Thus, it is possible to calculate square feet in various shapes and configurations.

Cost Per Square Foot Calculation

The square footage is used to determine the cost of home improvement, construction, and other projects. Generally speaking, bigger the area is, more materials and work is needed.

The cost per square foot is calculated by dividing the total cost of the project by its total square footage.

Cost Per Square Foot = Total Cost ÷ Total Square Footage

For instance, there is a flooring project whose cost is $4,000 and which covers 1,000 square feet:

$4,000 ÷ 1,000 = $4 per square foot

Then the cost per square foot can be used to estimate the cost of a similar project of another size.

House Painting:

Square footage can be used to approximate how much paint will be needed and the possible cost of the project. Professional painters who specialize in house painting usually use the area to be painted in calculating the cost quotations.

An individual can also calculate the square footage while considering painting their house in order to know approximately how much paint may be needed.

In the cost of painting, there are expenses besides the cost of buying the paint. There may be costs related to things like the primer, brushes, roller, tape, cleaning tools, preparations of the surface to be painted, equipment, and labor.

The quantity of paint that may be needed depends on various factors such as the kind of surface, kind of paint, number of coats, way of application, and coverage of that particular paint. Paint manufacturers provide an estimate of how much coverage the paint has; this can be used when purchasing the paint.

Flooring Installation:

Square footage is also normally used when purchasing and installing floor coverings. There are many kinds of flooring materials including hardwood, engineered wood, bamboo, laminate, ceramic tile, porcelain tile, natural stone and much more.

While calculating how many square feet of flooring materials are needed before purchasing them, you need to consider the area that will be covered with the floor. To calculate the square feet of a rectangular room, multiply its length by width.

For instance, a room which is 18 feet long and 12 feet wide is:

18 x 12 = 216 square feet

It is always good to purchase additional material to cater for wastage that may be experienced because of the cutting, fit, any damage, and installation patterns.

 Wood Flooring

Wood flooring involves solid hardwood, engineered wood, and bamboo. Hardwood is durable and it comes in many styles and colors. However, hardwood may sometimes require maintenance such as sanding and refinishing.

Engineered wood has layers with one layer being made up of either hardwood or some kind of wood, gives more resistance to moisture and changes in temperatures than some types of hardwood.

Bamboo flooring is manufactured using bamboo which is a kind of grass. Durable and easy to maintain. Some forms of bamboo flooring may be fragile and susceptible to scratches.

Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is a combination of fiberboard or any equivalent core and a decorative surface on top. Laminate flooring is available in various designs, including those that mimic hardwood, stone, and other floor types.

Laminate is cheaper than solid hardwood and requires less maintenance. However, it depends on the manufacturer and the condition of the surface underneath whether you can install laminate over an existing surface or not.

Unlike hardwood flooring, laminate cannot be refinished through sanding. Moreover, damaged parts should be replaced.

Tile Flooring

Tile flooring includes ceramic, porcelain, concrete, glass, and natural stone. Prices for this flooring type depend greatly on the kind of tile, quality, size, design, and producer.

The advantages of tile include its durability, water resistance, ease of cleaning, and suitability for use in many places inside the house. Nevertheless, there are some disadvantages as well, such as the risk of slipping on a wet surface and cracking or breaking the tiles during installation in case of improper handling.

Installation of the tile flooring can sometimes be quite complicated, particularly in cases where the room is unusually shaped or has sharp corners or intricate patterns.

Building a House

Square footage is an essential characteristic when building a house. Floor plans help identify the area that will be occupied by the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, living room, storages, and other parts of the house.

Cost per square foot can be used to estimate the cost of construction of a new building. For instance, if you have 2,000 square feet and estimated cost per square foot is $150, then your estimate will be

2,000 × $150 = $300,000

This figure, however, is just an estimation as there are numerous factors that influence the total cost of construction apart from the square footage.

They include materials, labor costs, type of foundation, roof design, location, conditions of the site, permits, utilities, finishes, architectural design, and local requirements.

Thus, cost per square foot is only an approximate price, while an exact estimate from the builder or contractor will provide more precise information.

How to Calculate Square Footage of a House?

In order to calculate the square footage of a house, one needs to measure the area of each room separately and then add them up.

As an example:

• Living room:
         20 × 15 = 300 sq ft
• Bedroom:
         15 × 12 = 180 sq ft
• Kitchen:
         12 × 10 = 120 sq ft
• Hallway:
         15 × 5 = 75 sq ft

  Total: 675 square feet

In case the layout of the house is not regular, one could divide the property into several sections in order to facilitate the calculation of the total area.

Another thing that one needs to know when calculating the area of a house is what areas are to be included. Depending on the reason for measuring the area and the requirements, one could treat different spaces in a different way.