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Part of: Floor Plan Measurement Tools: The Complete Comparison Guide

How to Get Square Footage from a CubiCasa Floor Plan

CubiCasa produces some of the most accurate floor plans in real estate, but it deliberately leaves out total square footage. Here is why, and how to get the number you need in about two minutes.

Why CubiCasa doesn't show total square footage

CubiCasa uses LiDAR scanning and photogrammetry to produce highly accurate, to-scale floor plans. They are widely used by real estate agents, especially in markets like San Francisco where professional floor plans are now standard practice.

Despite that accuracy, CubiCasa withholds the total square footage as a liability measure. If a published number turned out to be off in a transaction, CubiCasa could face disputes, so it shows room-by-room labeled dimensions and leaves the total to the appraiser, agent, or homeowner.

The result: you have a precise, to-scale plan with every room dimension you need, but no total. And calculating it manually from room dimensions is tedious and error-prone on anything but a simple rectangular plan.

Step 1: Download the CubiCasa PDF or high-res image

From your CubiCasa account or the agent's link, download the floor plan as a PDF (preferred) or high-resolution PNG/JPG. Don't screenshot it if you can avoid it: the original file has significantly higher resolution. If the plan is only embedded in an MLS listing with no download link, use the highest-zoom screenshot you can capture.

Step 2: Upload to MeasureFloorPlan

Go to MeasureFloorPlan.com and upload the PDF or image. For multi-story homes the CubiCasa PDF shows each floor on a separate page: upload each page as its own plan.

Step 3: Set the scale from a labeled room dimension

CubiCasa labels most rooms with dimensions. Use the longest labeled dimension you can find: a bedroom's 15'6" wall, a living room width, or the overall house dimension if labeled. Click the two endpoints of the wall that matches the label, enter the real length, and the scale is calibrated. Every measurement you draw afterward shows its true length as you go.

Step 4: Trace the above-grade perimeter

Click around the exterior walls of the above-grade living space, or let auto-detect trace the perimeter for you. CubiCasa plans show the garage as a distinct labeled area: exclude it from your GLA trace, and add garages or ADUs as separate polygons if you need those areas broken out. Trace finished basements as their own polygon too, so they stay out of the above-grade total.

Step 5: Read the total

Each polygon shows its area once traced. For a multi-level home, sum the floor totals for full GLA. Because CubiCasa plans are generated from LiDAR data and are accurately to-scale, results are consistently within 1% of true square footage when calibrated from a known wall measurement.

Which CubiCasa plan format works best?

• 2D floor plan (PNG/PDF): Best option. Clean lines, clear room labels, auto-detect works reliably.
• Furnished floor plan: Works, though furniture can sometimes confuse auto-detection. Trace manually if needed.
• 3D renders: Not supported. MeasureFloorPlan needs a top-down 2D view.

Manual alternative: calculating from room dimensions

If you would rather calculate manually from the CubiCasa room labels:

1. List each room's dimensions from the plan labels.
2. Multiply width × length for each room.
3. For irregular rooms (L-shapes, angled walls), break them into rectangles and sum.
4. Add all room areas together.
5. Subtract any areas that shouldn't count as living space (closet walls, stairwells depending on jurisdiction).

This works but has real failure modes: it is easy to miss a wall offset, double-count a shared wall, or misread a label. On a complex floor plan, manual calculation can be off by 50–200 sq ft without you realizing it.

For appraisers: interior vs exterior, and cross-checking GLA

CubiCasa measures from interior wall surfaces, not exterior. The ANSI Z765 standard requires exterior measurement, and for a typical wood-frame home the difference is roughly 30–60 sq ft. For buyer and investor use that difference is usually acceptable; for appraisal use, note the distinction.

If you're an appraiser, your own field measurement remains the primary source. MeasureFloorPlan on a CubiCasa plan is useful as a quick cross-check: if your field measurement and the traced plan diverge significantly, it is worth investigating before the report goes out. Many SF Bay Area appraisers use this workflow as a secondary verification step on every appraisal.

Related: Matterport Floor Plan Square Footage · iGUIDE Floor Plan Square Footage · CubiCasa vs Matterport · FAQ: Using CubiCasa, Matterport & iGUIDE with MeasureFloorPlan

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