Have Questions About Floor Plan Measuring? We’ve Got Answers!
Often when we meet new clients for the first time, we get some common questions regarding how things are done when we do our floor plan measuring. We’ve put together answers to a few of our Floor Plan Measuring FAQs for REALTORS® and homeowners!
Q: How long does it take to measure my floor plan?
A: For a typical 2000 SQFT home, it will take about an hour, for a 3000 SQFT home about 1.5 hours. So it is about 30min per 1000 SQFT. However, this very much depends on the layout and design of the home. For example, if a home has many walls, or architectural features such as angled walls and large millwork, it may take us a bit longer than normal
Q: When can I get the final floor plan?
A: Our official turnaround time is 48 hours on business days. However, we’ll typically get your floor plan files sent to you by the next morning after your floor plan measuring appointment.
Q: Do you measure closets and/or pantries?
A: Yes we do! They are part of the interior finished area, and should definitely be included in the Total Usable Area.
Q: What’s your actual technical job title?
A: This one might sound funny, but we actually get asked this a lot! We’re officially called Floor Plan Measuring Technicians, and we’re are experienced technicians that come from architectural or interior designing backgrounds with experience in drafting and a keen sense of direction and space. We know our stuff so you can be confident in the end result!
Q: Do you measure garages, decks, workshops or garden sheds?
A: We measure everything that is part of the construction plan. This includes garages, decks, workshops but not necessarily garden sheds if they are just a small addition in the back yard. However, you can request to have that measured too – Ultimately it is up to you to decide whether you would like these measured items included on the floor plan depending on your marketing strategy (additional charges may apply depending on the square footage and complexity)
Q: What is the ‘Total Usable Area’?
A: Total Usable Area can also be called Total Living Area or Total Finished Area. They are the main living space within the main structure within a property. They do not include unfinished areas and detached finished areas (such as Carriage Houses where you’d have to exit the main living area to the exterior, and enter the carriage house)
Q: What is the NOT Included Area?
A: The Not Included Area refers to all the areas that are unfinished, detached from the main living area, or area that are not suitable for year-round use. Unfinished areas include garages and unfinished basements. Detached areas can be carriage houses, cabanas in the back yard, or any space that requires you to leave the main living space. Areas not suitable for year-round use include seasonal sun rooms, green rooms and semi-enclosed or exposed outdoor areas such as decks and patios
Q: Are the walls included?
A: Yes, the exterior and interior walls are always included in the Total Usable Area we provide you on the floor plan. However, the room dimensions on the floor plan do not include the thickness of the walls; they are the clear distance from one side of the room to the other side. We measure the exterior wall thicknesses by using a caliper we created specially for this task. Exterior walls of detached properties (ie standalone houses) are all included in the Total Usable Area, whereas for condos and townhouses, we follow the Strata Act of BC and include only half the exterior wall thickness
Q: Do you have to go through all of the rooms and closets?
A: Yes. Unfortunately, that’s the only way we record and verify all the spaces within the property. Without doing so, we cannot provide you with a complete floor plan with all the square footage accurately. We respect your privacy and try not to touch anything unless necessary. We are typically just looking for empty wall space to place our measuring device and record the measurements so we usually don’t notice anything that might be uncomfortable for you
Q: Do we need to move furniture out of the way?
A: Usually it’s not necessary, unless it is something that blocks an entire wall. Our laser measuring device only requires an area that is the size of a fist on both sides of the room and an unobstructed path. Our device also has a tilt sensor that allows us to measure in an angle, so that the two fist-sized areas need not to be at the same height of the wall – cool right!?
Q: Where’s your big tape measure roll?
A: If we used big manual tape measuring rolls, not only would it take at least twice as long to measure a home, but it would leave room for human error. Instead, we use highly accurate laser measuring devices for almost all the measuring to get the pin-point accurate results you want!
Q: Can you give us the square footage right away after you finish measuring?
A: We can give you a ballpark number usually in less than 2 minutes. However, because the draft floor plans are usually full of information and still slightly unedited, we like to go back and clean it up, and verify our drawings with all the information we recorded before we give you your accurate E&O Insured floor plan square footage.
Still Have Questions? This is by no means a completely exhaustive list of questions and anyone on the team is always happy to help. Just reach out!! 🙂
