Guides · Floor Plan Measurement
Square footage discrepancies are one of the most common sources of contract disputes and appraisal surprises. As the listing agent you have the most to gain — and the most to lose — from getting the number right before it goes on the MLS.
Scenario: you list a home at 2,400 sq ft based on county records. The buyer's lender orders an appraisal. The appraiser measures 2,180 sq ft — a 220 sq ft difference. The appraised value comes in below contract price. The deal falls apart or requires renegotiation. This happens constantly. County records, prior MLS listings, and public data are notoriously inaccurate. The only reliable number is one you verify independently.
1. Order a CubiCasa floor plan (most agents do this for listing photos anyway). 2. Download the CubiCasa PDF. 3. Upload to MeasureFloorPlan.com. 4. Trace the above-grade living area and set scale from a labeled dimension. 5. Compare to county records. Match within 2%: proceed. Significant difference: investigate before listing.
County records include basement: If county shows 2,800 sq ft and your trace shows 2,000 sq ft above-grade, the 800 sq ft difference is likely a finished basement. Report them separately on the MLS. Addition not in county records: A permitted addition from 2015 may not have updated county records. Your CubiCasa trace should capture it. Garage counted by county: Some assessors include garage. Subtract it from county records before comparing.
Best practice: use verified above-grade GLA in the primary square footage field. Report below-grade finished area separately. Never combine above and below grade without disclosure — it creates exactly the kind of appraisal gap that kills deals. If your measured GLA differs from county records, note in the listing that square footage is based on floor plan verification.
If you're representing a buyer and the listing square footage seems high relative to what the floor plan shows, measure it before your client makes an offer. A 10% sq ft overstatement at $150/sq ft on a 2,400 sq ft listing could mean your buyer is paying $36,000 more than the home will appraise for.
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