Understanding Carpet Area, Built-up Area, and Super Built-up Area
Homebuyers who possess knowledge of carpet areas, built-up areas, and super built-up areas are better equipped to make informed decisions than those who need help understanding the differences between them. A comprehensive understanding of these real estate terms will help you avoid confusion and make better property choices.
When purchasing a house, you pay for the square footage you will occupy. It is important to understand what you are paying for and why. Builders, developers, and brokers often use terms such as Carpet Area, RERA Carpet Area, Built-up Area, Loading Factor, Super Built-up Area, etc. Understanding these terms using relevant formulae and examples can give you an edge while searching for your ideal home.
Table of Contents
- What is the Carpet Area?
- What is RERA Carpet Area?
- How to Calculate Carpet Area & RERA Carpet Area?
- What is a Built-up Area?
- How to Calculate Built-up Area?
- Carpet Area Vs Built Up Area
- What is a Super Built-up Area?
- How to Calculate Super Built-up Area?
- What is The Loading Factor?
- Built-Up Area Vs Super Built-up Area
- Difference Between Carpet area, Built-up Area, And Super Built-up Area
What is the Carpet Area?
The carpet area is the net usable area of an apartment or house, including the bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathrooms, balconies, and staircases within the house/flat. It does not include external and internal walls, terraces, common areas, lifts, corridors, utility ducts, etc.What is RERA Carpet Area?
According to the RERA Act 2016, the RERA Carpet Area is an apartment or house’s net usable floor area, excluding external areas, common areas, exclusive balcony or veranda areas, and exclusive open terrace areas, including the area covered by internal partition walls. The thickness of the internal partition walls is the only difference between the RERA Carpet Area and the Carpet Area. The thickness of the internal walls is included in the RERA Carpet Area, while in the general Carpet Area, it is excluded. RERA Carpet Area is approximately 5% more than the general Carpet Area.What is the difference between RERA Carpet Area & Carpet Area?
The inclusion of the internal partition walls’ thickness is the only difference between RERA Carpet Area and Carpet Area. RERA Carpet Area includes the thickness of the internal walls, while general Carpet Area excludes it. The difference between the two carpet areas is approximately 5%. Specifically, RERA Carpet Area is 5% greater than general Carpet Area.How to Calculate Carpet Area & RERA Carpet Area?
The formula to calculate the carpet area is (area of bedroom + living room + kitchen + balconies + toilets), which is the thickness of the inner walls. In most cases, the carpet area in your apartment typically comprises between 70% to 90 % of its total built-up area. Similarly, the formula to calculate the RERA Carpet Area is the Net Usable Area of the Apartment (excluding external walls, Terrace Area, Balcony area, & Verandah Area) + Areas of the Internal Partition Walls.What is a Built-up Area?
Built-up Area is the sum of the carpet area and the area of the exterior and interior walls, balcony, exterior staircase, and other liveable areas, if any. If there is an exclusive terrace, then that, too, is included in it. The built-up area comprises around 70-80% of the super built-up area. The formula to calculate the Built-up Area is Carpet Area or RERA Carpet Area, Both Interior & Exterior Wall areas, Exclusive Balcony, and Corridor, if any.How to Calculate Built-up Area?
In order to determine the built-up area of a property, it is essential to combine various components such as the carpet area, RERA carpet area, interior and exterior wall areas, exclusive balcony, and corridor (if applicable). The formula for computing the built-up area is as follows: Built-up Area = Carpet Area + Wall Areas + Terrace and Balcony + Exclusive Corridor. Typically, the built-up area is 10% to 15% more extensive than the carpet area. So, if your RERA carpet area is 1211 sq. ft., your built-up area will be between 1332.1 sq. ft. and 1392.65 sq. ft.Carpet Area Vs Built Up Area
The difference between the carpet area and the built-up area is that, per RERA, the carpet area is measured by adding the area of the bedroom, living room, kitchen, balcony, Toilet and the thickness of the internal partition walls. In contrast, the built-up area is the summation of the Carpet Area, External Wall Area, Terrace, or Balcony, if any and Exclusive Corridor, if any. The Built-up Area is always more than the Carpet Area and excludes common areas such as the lift, security room, lobby, clubhouse, etc.What is a Super Built-up Area?
The super built-up area, also known as the saleable area, is the sum of the exclusive built-up area and common areas, including the lift, corridors, security room, lobby, clubhouse, etc. Homebuyers are usually charged based on this value.How to Calculate Super Built-up Area?
The calculation of super built-up area is done by combining the built-up area and the corresponding common area. Alternatively, it can also be computed by multiplying the carpet area with 1 + loading factor. For instance, if the RERA carpet area is 1211 sq. ft. and the loading factor is 50%, then the super built-up area will be 1816 sq. ft. Suppose you possess a 1000 sq. ft. flat on the third floor, and your friend has a 2000 sq. ft. flat on the same floor. In case the total area of common space is 1500 sq. ft., the builder will divide the common area in proportion to the built-up area. In this scenario, the ratio is 1:2, which means the builder will add 500 sq. ft. to your apartment and 1000 sq. ft. to your friend’s apartment. As a result, the super built-up area of your property will be 1500 sq. ft., and your friend’s super built-up area will be 3000 sq. ft.What is The Loading Factor?
The additional space added to the carpet area of a flat is referred to as the Loading Factor and it is the difference between the super built-up area and the carpet area. The added space usually includes elevators, lobby, maintenance room, parking, etc. If the Loading Factor is 1.50, it means that the builder has increased the carpet area by 50%.How to Calculate the Loading Factor?
If we have a super built-up area of 1816 square feet, and a carpet area of 1211 square feet, we can find the loading factor through the following calculation: Subtract the carpet area from the super built-up area, which results in 605 square feet. This value is equal to 50% of the carpet area, which means that the loading factor is 50%.Why You Should Know About the Loading Factor?
A Loading Factor of less than 60% would be ideal for luxury apartments. If the value is higher than this, it means that the super built-up area is larger while the carpet area is smaller. This would result in homebuyers having to settle for smaller homes. By keeping this value in mind, homebuyers can make an informed decision about the amount they are paying and what they are getting for it.Built-Up Area Vs Super Built-up Area
A built-up area comprises the area of the carpet, balcony, exclusive corridor, terrace, staircase, etc., along with the thickness of all walls. On the other hand, a Super Built-up Area consists of an exclusive built-up area and common areas like lifts, common corridors, staircases, a clubhouse, and other amenities. It is also referred to as a “saleable area”.Difference Between Carpet area, Built-up Area, And Super Built-up Area
| Area | Carpet Area | Built-up Area | Super Built-up Area |
| Living Room/Common Hall | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bedroom | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Kitchen | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dining Room | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bathrooms | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pooja Room | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Balcony | No | Yes | Yes |
| Study Room | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Utility Area | No | Yes | Yes |
| Inner Staircase | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Outer Staircase | No | Yes | Yes |
| Terrace | No | Yes | Yes |
| Verandah | No | Yes | Yes |
| Lobby | No | No | Yes |
| Lift | No | No | Yes |
| Swimming Pool | No | No | Yes |
| Garden | No | No | Yes |
