FAR (Floor Area Ratio) ?

[Joe_Carrick]

I have been told that in some jurisdictions the Garage is included in the FAR and in some jurisdictions it isn't.  I've also been told that some jurisdictions only include the Living Area while some count everything including unfinished basements.

 

What do you have to include and what can you exclude?

[DRAWZILLA]

It varies ( from city to city) around here also.

[Richard_Morrison]

In these parts, garages are ALWAYS counted as part of the square footage in FAR. You get wrinkles with some places counting stairways at each level, some only at one level. Some things count as lot coverage, but not FAR (especially covered open porches), some have 2nd or 3rd floor "equivalent" square footage (where high ceilings add some square footage to the FAR), and other subtleties. You have to check the zoning ordinance of each city very carefully, especially since it gets changed regularly, too. 

[HumbleChief]

City of San Diego FAR includes the garage but in some areas you get a 400 SF credit for the garage. Some San Diego County cities use FAR and lot coverage. Others use only FAR, still others  only lot coverage. The County of San Diego use another completely different set of parameters depending on the zone. Coronado another different look where you can gain FAR credits by performing certain tasks while building. And so on and so on....

 

I do 'research' on every project to define those parameters before anything is drawn. 

 

That reminds me Richard we have 'phantom floors' in some cities now as well. Those high attics and basements can count towards square footage sometimes, in some locales, in others not so much. It is a mine field no doubt.

[rlackore]

It varies by municipality in my area. Some use gross area of all levels, including lofts and mezzanines within a floor/story, basements, and garages. Some allow "deductions", such as the first 500 sqft of an attached garage is "free." It's kind of like ISR - some municipalities allow open decks and gravel paths/drives to be considered as pervious, others define them as impervious.

[Joe_Carrick]

As I thought - as well as my experience - it''s almost totally random. 

So any solution to automate the calculation needs to be very flexible.

[dshall]

........So any solution to automate the calculation needs to be very flexible.

 

 

That has been my argument since day 1.  

[Joe_Carrick]

That has been my argument since day 1.  

Joe to the rescue ;)

It's a piece of cake just relying on the correct macros.