Home › Glossary › Net Floor Area

Net Floor Area

Net floor area is the usable floor space inside a building, measured from the interior faces of the walls. It leaves out the area taken up by walls and, depending on the standard, some shared or service spaces.

The term is used mostly in commercial buildings and in countries that measure homes from the inside. In U.S. residential use a close equivalent is net livable area, measured from interior wall surfaces, which is smaller than gross living area for the same home because it excludes wall thickness.

Before comparing two square footage figures, check whether each is net or gross. See net livable area vs gross living area.