Who Is Responsible for Verifying Square Footage in a Home?

Whether you are living in, buying, or selling a house, accurate square footage calculation is important. After all, the total square feet play a big role in determining its value. And, as a homeowner, you’d want to ensure you get what you pay for. So, an important question for you should be, how can I find the square footage of my house? And, who is responsible for verifying the square footage in a home? Finally, what legal steps can I take if my new home turns out to be smaller? Let’s get some answers here.

Why is knowing a house’s square footage important?

Whether you’re selling your home, disputing a high property tax bill, or planning a renovation, knowing the exact house size can be helpful.

If you’re selling, the square footage of a home helps set a fair asking price. Appraisers compare your home to others of similar size in the area. If your square footage is off, your home appraisal and sale price could be too. Loan lenders also need this info to determine your home’s value when giving you a mortgage.

Beyond that, knowing square footage is useful for things such as getting building permits for home renovations or even appealing property tax assessments.

Who is responsible for verifying the square footage in a home?

Typically, the responsibility of confirming the size of a property falls on the buyer. If the buyer is seeking a home loan to fund their purchase, their loan lender will probably mandate a certified home appraisal to assess the house’s value.

And, if the home appraiser finds that the home size is less than expected, leading to a lower appraisal, this can put your home financing in jeopardy.

That’s why, it’s important to have accurate information in the home’s sale listing on the home seller’s part. However, there’s always room for honest mistakes. You’ll find that most listings include a disclaimer to protect the sellers in case of a slight inconsistency.

How can I find the square footage of my house?

Square footage is the measure of the floor space in a house. Here’s what you’ll need to calculate square footage of your home:

Paper and pencil
Calculator
Measuring tape or laser tool

If your home is a simple rectangle, just measure the length and width, then multiply those numbers. For example, a home that is 60 feet by 40 feet would be 2,400 square feet (60 x 40 = 2,400).

For triangular rooms, measure the longest wall (the base) and the height. Multiply the base and height, then divide by two.

For more complex layouts, follow these steps:

Sketch the floor plan and label each room, including hallways.
Measure each room’s length and width, then multiply those numbers to get its square footage.
Add up all the rooms to get the total square footage.

Important: When measuring, don’t count spaces you can’t actually live in, such as unfinished basements or garages. Generally, U.S. states allow finished basements, finished attics, and heated garages in the total – provided they have a proper entrance and exit. It’s best to check your local regulations.

Where can you find the square foot information?

Listing agents use the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) to organize property listings, including details such as the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and square footage. Another way to verify the listed square footage of a house is by using local property records or tax assessments. The real estate agent you hire can help you with the best way to verify the total square feet.

What happens if there are discrepancies in measuring the square footage?

Square footage discrepancies can occur for various reasons, many of which are inadvertent errors. Sometimes, it’s difficult to calculate sharp corners and complex layouts which may result in marginally different measurements. Additionally, unpermitted additions, DIY renovations, or missing appraisals for older homes may lead to inaccurate square footage.

If you notice discrepancies, you should report them to the MLS as soon as possible. Remember that misrepresenting square footage violates realtor ethics.

What legal steps can you take for inflated square footage?

Understand that if a home seller knowingly misquotes the square footage of their property, it’s a problem. In such cases, you have a few options. If you have a financing or appraisal contingency in the written purchase contract, you may be able to walk away and get your earnest money deposit back. If you still want to buy the house despite its smaller size, you can talk to the buyer agent about negotiating a lower price with the seller.

If you’ve already closed on the home, legal action against the seller might be your only option.

How can I find the square footage of my house? Need help! was last modified: May 12th, 2025 by Ramona Sinha

Written by Ramona Sinha. April 3, 2023

Ramona is the Senior Content Writer for Kukun. This experienced blogger uses simple and succinct words to decipher the complex phenomenon called life. She has written articles covering a broad range of topics, such as real estate, lending and mortgage, finance, business, taxation, home designs, home improvement projects, decor concepts, and more. An avid traveler, she’s a digital nomad at heart and an animal lover from the depth of her soul.