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How do I find the square footage of my house?

To calculate your home's square footage yourself, sketch each level and measure the exterior length and width of every rectangular section. Multiply each section's length by its width, then add the totals. A 30-foot by 40-foot main section is 1,200 square feet. Add a 10-foot by 12-foot addition and the footprint comes to 1,320 square feet.

Measure each floor on its own. Do not automatically count a garage, covered porch, unfinished attic, deck, or basement as living area. Whether those spaces count depends on why you are measuring. A finished below-grade basement, for example, is often measured and reported separately from above-grade living area.

Use a laser distance measure when you can. Record to the nearest inch, and check the total against a second pass or an existing plan.

A formal appraisal-style calculation generally uses exterior measurements and keeps finished above-grade space separate from below-grade or nonliving areas. When accuracy has financial consequences, a professional measurement is worth paying for.