The power company wants to know the square footage of my house, on the website where I can sign up to take advantage of my new “smart meter”. What counts?
I assume all the major rooms and bathrooms on the main living floor count, but does the basement? Does it depend on how finished it is? It’s painted and tiled and wired and lit and heated, at least most of it.
My separate pole barn with a large enclosed room that’s wired and lit but unheated would not count, right?
Thanks!
Quick Google search:
[ul]
[li]Exterior length times width times number of floors, excluding basement.[/li][/ul]
When in doubt, ask the power company.
When buying/selling houses, basements are not typically included (nor garages). In our housing development, the HOA bylaws specifically excluded rooms more than 50% below ground for calculating square footage to meet minimums (in a section on rebuilding a house damaged by fire or whatnot).
I wouldn’t include the pole barn room even if it were heated.
It’s typically the living space. Attics, basements, and outbuildings wouldn’t be counted. A built in garage might be counted. Realtors tend to mazimize the number, appraisers take more careful measurements. If the power company is considering your heating or cooling costs they’ll want those specific areas affected. Otherwise they don’t need that accurate a number, they may just be grouping you in a category of 1000 sq.ft. increments. Your mortgage, deed, and municipal records should also list some numbers, which may vary.
Your property tax records probably contain a number. There may well be a county-wide tax appraisal website that lets you look up your house and will include the square footage.
I seriously doubt there is any single agreed upon method - not to mention different calculations might be used for different purposes. I usually just calculate based on the footprint times the number of floors. Basement may or may not be included depending on whether it is finished, how far below grade, etc.
Really can be so many variables. Do you exclude closets? Interior walls? Do you add in for volume ceilings.
Another thing - don’t put too much stock in whatever measurements you were given on a listing sheet when you purchased. On more than one occasion I have found those to be WAY off.
For most purposes, I suspect a reasonably close estimate is really all that is needed. I’d probably go with whatever is on the assessor’s site. Worst case scenario - you wouldn’t want something to happen where you calculated your square footage differently with the result that your taxes increased.
Generally accepted real estate practices would include all finished areas of the house. Unfinished basements and attics would not count, neither would garages. It sounds like your basement would count since it’s painted, wired and I would assumes since you went to the expense of finishing it, you use it as living space. You pole barn would definitely not count.
For most purposes, you only count “heated” areas. The finished area of a basement (if any) would be inlcluded) but areas such as porches, patios, carports, etc. would not.
The most important question: What are they using this information for?
Also, will it help you for the answer to be accurate? Or will it help you for you to over- or underestimate the square footage?
I’m wondering the same thing. The only thing I can think of is if there are different meters for different amounts of residential power but this seems kind of far fetched.
I mean, who would best be able to see historical power usage better than the power company itself?