To think that I always choose snarky comments for the “Comment du Jour” would be silly. As I always say, the comments are full of information, but I know not all of you read or follow them. So…a reader (FogCityBrit) provides a horses mouth (City Assessor) account of calculating square footage: (An update on Chelsea would be nice too, you know.)

Having recently finished construction on a ground up new single family, I had occasion to discuss how the ‘tax’ sqft (I presume this is what is listed on the MLS) is calculated by the City assessors office. Here is my question and their response:

Q. Do you have guidelines on calculating the sqft? is it the gross area

(i.e. to the outside extent of the envelope)? Should voids be deducted?

A. For detached houses, measure from the exterior face of the walls.

· For attached units (i.e. – townhouses and side-by-side duplexes), use

the centerlines of the common walls as the outside dimension. It may be

easier to measure from the inside surface wall and add 6 inches to account

for the common walls on both sides.

· For condominium units, measure from the inside surface wall since the

airspace is what is being purchased. Remember to include the partition

walls within the condominium unit as part of the GLA.

· Begin measuring from any corner and work your way around the house.

· Measure to the nearest inch.

· Draw a separate floor plan for each level in the house. Do not assume

that each floor is identical.

· “Square the house” by checking whether the measurements of parallel

sides of the structure are equivalent. The total front building measurement

should equal the total rear measurement. The total left-side measurement

should equal the total right-side measurement. Minor discrepancies may be

due to the corners of the structure not being at perfect right angles.

Exclusions from the finished area:

· Attached garages – Use the interior wall surface of the garage next

to the house as the outside wall of the house.

· Openings to the floor below – Subtract the opening from that level.

· Exclude porches and converted garages that are not finished or

considered habitable living area.

· Chimneys that protrude beyond the exterior surface are not included.

— Houses are described by their total room count. For example, the

shorthand designation 5/2/2 describes a house with 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms and 2 baths:

· In general, a kitchen, bedroom, living room, dining room, den, or

office study is a room. Bathrooms, laundry rooms, sunrooms, and storage

rooms are not counted as a room.

· A bedroom should have a door, a window that provides for an emergency

exit, natural light and ventilation. In modern homes, a bedroom always has

a closet. In many older homes, closets were not included.

· A full bathroom includes a toilet, sink, a bathtub and/or shower. If

the bathroom only has a toilet and sink, it is a ½ bath. If it only has a

toilet, it is a ¼ bath.

— Attics, Lofts and Low Ceilings:

· Level ceilings must be at least 7 feet high. If a room has a sloped

ceiling, at least one-half of the finished floor area must have a ceiling

height of at least 7 feet. Otherwise, omit the entire room from the total

GLA.

· Lofts and finished attics must be accessible by a conventional

stairway or other access. If you need to reach the loft by climbing a

ladder, then it is not part of the finished area.

— Guest Cottages, Detached Rooms:

· Finished areas that are not connected to the main residence by a

finished hall or stairway must be listed separately. If you have to leave

the house to get to the room, it is not part of the finished area.