How Is Living Area Calculated?

[Nicinus]

I've seen some discrepancies between the total of my rooms and the living area displayed by Chief so I removed all interior walls in my basement in order to create one large room and compare, see the enclosed pic.

 

 

I've set the garage and the two light wells to be excluded. Chief states the room size as 2589 sqf but the living area as 2752 sqf, a 163 sqf difference. As you can see in the schedule there doesn't seem to be any hidden room or other anomaly.

 

What gives? The only thing I can think of is that Chief includes perimeter walls in the living area?

 

 

[Nicinus]

As suggested in an earlier post, I really wish there was a way to get a visual verification overlay of the area included in 'living area'. And while they're at it also be able to define multiple areas with colors.

[Kiwideziner]

this is from the manual suggest you read up to fully understand as it does get a bit confusing.

 

Living Area vs. Footprint

The Living Area should not be mistaken for the footprint of a house. Only true livable areas are included in the Living Area calculation. By default, exterior and hybrid room types such as Garage, Deck, and Porch are not included. Neither is any room labeled Open Below or Attic. See Available Room Types.

Regardless of its room type, you can specify whether a room is included in the Living Area calculation in the RoomSpecificationdialog. See General Panel.

 

You can quickly see which rooms are included in the Living Area using the Select Same Type edit tool. See Select Same Type.

Living Area is measured from either the outside surface or the outer surface of the Main Layer of exterior walls. When walls separate the living area from exterior or hybrid room types, it is measured to the wall center line. See Wall Type Definitions.

To find the footprint of a floor

1. Click outside a plan, near an exterior wall. This selects the exterior “room” surrounding the plan.

2. Click the Make Room Polyline  edit button. This creates a polyline surrounding the plan from the exterior wall surface.

3. You can edit the polyline shape if you want to measure portions of a home.

[Nicinus]

Thanks, if I've understood it correctly the living area includes the walls, except when bordering to unconditioned space when it is calculated from the center.

 

I wonder if my local building office will see it the same way.

[lbuttery]

I wonder if my local building office will see it the same way

 

Nicinus:

 

this topic has been discussed many, many times in prior threads

mostly on the old forum but I think there is at least one on this forum

 

bottom line is that there are many "official" ways to calculate living area

depending on which "official" agency or entity wants the info

 

contact you building office to see what their criteria is

 

they may say HUD, or appraiser, or real estate or ... or...

 

most likely you will have to start with Chiefts and then make some adjustments

 

I have long advocated that Chief create a schedule based on the most common

methods so that we can choose which to use for each occasion we need that info

 

Lew

[builtright3]

I gave up on CA area calculations. I just draw a poly line around the perimeter to figure out my square footage. Its more accurate that way and I know exactly what I'm calculating. A little time consuming but effective. The city planners have given me a hard time before so that is why I do it. Maybe CA will come up with a better idea in the future but for now I'm on the safe and accurate side.

[Nicinus]

Thanks, Joe. Good idea that gives great control.

 

How great it would be if one could create a closed polyline on a layer and then give it a name and extract info from it with a macro, like %polylineX.area%. I could then have a layer I called 'areas' with multiple polylines with different fill colors, and create my own custom labels/legends.

[builtright3]

Maybe you can make that suggestion to Chief to create something like that. 

[rlackore]

General Plan Defaults>Living Area To

 

Selecting Main Layer will calculate Standard Area to the exterior face of the Main Layer. Selecting Surface will calculate Standard Area to the exterior face of the exterior finish of the wall, minus bay, box, and bow windows. This is in line with the ANSI Z765 method for calculating square footage, which is what developers, marketers, and realtors use.

[Joe_Carrick]

Thanks, Joe. Good idea that gives great control.

 

How great it would be if one could create a closed polyline on a layer and then give it a name and extract info from it with a macro, like %polylineX.area%. I could then have a layer I called 'areas' with multiple polylines with different fill colors, and create my own custom labels/legends.

This is already possible but there are a couple of details:

 

1.  The macro must be defined as "Referenced"

2.  The Text Box must have an arrow that points to the Polyline.

3.  Overlapping Polylines or other objects could confuse the Text Box as to what is being pointed to.

 

This is why some of us have been requesting that CA provide "Labels" for closed Polylines.

[lbuttery]

the ANSI Z765 method for calculating square footage, which is what developers, marketers, and realtors use

 

Robert:

 

not quite - scroll down to see that their is variation among the "methods"

 

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+ANSI+Z765+standard+for+calculating+square+footage.-a0354182483

 

Lew

[4hotshoez]

I have read the reference manual definition for "Living Area" and using the rules, created my own poly-line to the outside layers etc. and come up with a slightly different number. Since I cannot SEE what Living Area is calculating, I don't rely on it any more. To bad though, it is a good tool for a guide for starting out, but not helpful without some visual feedback.

[DRAWZILLA]

you can , using the "Select same-load same" tool. The numbers are pretty good for me, A couple of s.f. off  is ok in my book, and really, its only a problem with the garage house wall, where it goes to 1/2 the garage wall.

[4hotshoez]

its only a problem with the garage house wall, where it goes to 1/2 the garage wall.

 

Ah, that must be the difference in my number. Good to know.

[LevisL]

How great it would be if one could create a closed polyline on a layer and then give it a name and extract info from it with a macro, like %polylineX.area%. I could then have a layer I called 'areas' with multiple polylines with different fill colors, and create my own custom labels/legends.

 

 

This is why some of us have been requesting that CA provide "Labels" for closed Polylines.

 

I'm with you guys. I use a similar polyline system that a few others have mentioned, since I also like to have a quick visual of what's included or not. I have a 'CAD, Area Polylines' layer and a few layersets where this layer is visible (e.g.: 'Prelim Design Set + Area Polylines', 'Working Drawing Set + Area Polylines'). In these layersets, I also turn on the 'Walls, Main Layer Only' layer to make things easier to snap to. And I made a CAD block in my library of 5 or 6 different colored filled polylines (on the proper layer) that I can just insert in a plan and unblock, which saves me a couple steps every time. The only thing missing is to be able to extract the areas of those polylines to automatically update and add up in my Areas table.

[Joe_Carrick]

I'm with you guys. I use a similar polyline system that a few others have mentioned, since I also like to have a quick visual of what's included or not. I have a 'CAD, Area Polylines' layer and a few layersets where this layer is visible (e.g.: 'Prelim Design Set + Area Polylines', 'Working Drawing Set + Area Polylines'). In these layersets, I also turn on the 'Walls, Main Layer Only' layer to make things easier to snap to. And I made a CAD block in my library of 5 or 6 different colored filled polylines (on the proper layer) that I can just insert in a plan and unblock, which saves me a couple steps every time. The only thing missing is to be able to extract the areas of those polylines to automatically update and add up in my Areas table.

This can be done using referenced macros with global variables.  I have such a system that I use which relies on referenced macros and Global Ruby variables.  It isn't perfect but it works.  The thing that a Label for Polylines would do is eliminate the need for the reference and text box with arrow.

[dshall]

..............The only thing missing is to be able to extract the areas of those polylines to automatically update and add up in my Areas table.

This is so so so important for me.  Please CA,  make this so.  I can not tell you how important this is for me.  I understand that JC has a method to do it,  I have used such a system in the past,  but it is not reliable,  therefore essentially useless for me.

 

Out here in the land of fruits and nuts,  the areas of different designated areas are used in so many calculations,  that it is a chore to remember to update all when something changes.

 

Again,  this is huge for me,  please make it so we can extract information from a polyline. 

[4hotshoez]

I have not used Space Planning in Chief yet, but Archicad has something similar called Zones as they are also 3D zones and provide visual feedback (like a glass house of colors), labels, and area/volume calculations. You can designate a zone of any size, shape and configuration, such as sloped ceilings. I believe they can overlap for various purposes to include net/gross space. Could the Space Planning feature be adapted for some of what users need? Or maybe they could be used as is?

[rlackore]

the ANSI Z765 method for calculating square footage, which is what developers, marketers, and realtors use

 

Robert:

 

not quite - scroll down to see that their is variation among the "methods"

 

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+ANSI+Z765+standard+for+calculating+square+footage.-a0354182483

 

Lew

 

Lew,

 

Of course there is variation - all ANSI standards are voluntary unless mandated by the governing jurisdiction. That said, there is broad use of this standard throughout the industry, and the CA implementation conforms very closely to the ANSI methodology.

[lbuttery]

Robert:

 

it is more than variation

there are other "official" methods

 

Lew

[rlackore]

Okay Lew, point taken, I was wrong. Other methods are used. Other opinions are available. Regardless, CA closely follows the ANSI standard. If people are interested in learning more about the hows and whys, they can reference the standard.

[lbuttery]

Robert:

 

I agree CA's method is understandable

 

my advocacy is they has the info available for the other "methods"

so why not create a schedule with the various info

so that we the user can choose which data we need for our client

 

Lew

[rlackore]

Robert:

 

I agree CA's method is understandable

 

my advocacy is they has the info available for the other "methods"

so why not create a schedule with the various info

so that we the user can choose which data we need for our client

 

Lew

 

Lew, that would be the best. I'm just happy that CA chose a recognized standard and implemented it well.