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What numbers come first on dimensions for floor plans?

Floor plan dimensions are usually written width by length, shown as W × L. A bedroom labeled 12'-0" × 14'-0" is typically 12 feet wide by 14 feet long. The first number often runs horizontally on the drawing and the second vertically, but that is a convention, not a fixed rule.

The dimension lines and their arrowheads tell you exactly which walls are being measured. The order of the numbers alone does not.

An irregular room may be dimensioned as several wall segments rather than one overall size. Exterior dimensions usually describe the building footprint. Interior dimensions locate walls or give room sizes.

Check the title block, notes, and scale before relying on any dimension. In construction, a written dimension governs over anything measured with a ruler from the printed plan.