Is there one proper way to calculate square footage?

A Realtor recently reached out to us to ask if there was one proper way to calculate square footage. An article in Realtor magazine (published in May 2021 and updated in 2022), titled Why Do Square Footage Disputes Arise?, provides some answers:

As of April 1, 2022, Fannie Mae requires appraisers to use the ANSI standard for "measuring, calculating, and reporting gross living area (GLA) and non-GLA areas of subject properties for appraisals requiring interior and exterior inspections.

ANSI is the American National Standards Institute. Read the full article for more information about measuring square footage. The second link above contains a long FAQ with questions like: “The ANSI standard requires any area that is partially or wholly below grade to be counted as basement; what defines ‘partially’ below grade?”

Photo by Elisa Michelet on Unsplash