Estimating Floor Areas

Floor Area

If the Floor Area fields are locked, they will be based on the area of a rectangular project--using Longest Length times Widest Width. If you unlock the fields, you can enter your own quantity for the gross floor area on each story.

• For new construction estimating, enter the floor area of the entire project.
• For an addition, enter the floor area of the addition only, unless you are including a small quantity of the existing building as well as part of the project.
• For a gut/rehab project, include the area that will have some work done to it--whether it is new framing, new finished floors, or new ceilings.

When computing floor area in the BidMagic construction estimating software, start by measuring the total gross area of the project that is within the outside surface of each exterior wall. Then make the following adjustments:

• Exclude large floor openings, or upstairs areas that have no floor and are merely part of a high-ceilinged room beneath them. NOTE: Do not exclude small vents or hatchways cut into a floor. Do not exclude stairway openings on either story through which the stairways run, since they still have something underfoot.
• Exclude courtyards or other areas not enclosed by the building.
• Exclude porches, decks, and sheds.
• Exclude any unfinished areas such as attics or crawl spaces. If the are useable for storage, include them in attic area instead (see page 236)
• Exclude utility areas that do not have a finished floor of some kind.
• Exclude the garage, unless you are treating it as a room in the main building (see pages 223-225).