Are you a first-time property buyer? We are sure you will feel floored when you hear the terms and technical jargon like carpet area, built-up area, and super built-up area. In fact, these are three key terms that are frequently used in connection with real estate properties in India.
Property buyers can often get confused by these terms, and scammers are ever ready to make it worse. This guide is an attempt at helping you understand these terms and find what exactly you are paying for.

Carpet Area is also called the net usable area. Carpet area means the actual usage area within your property. The term carpet area is used because this is the area that you can cover with the carpet. It includes the functional living spaces that include bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and internal staircases.
These are the spaces that are used to place the furniture and live comfortably. The carpet area of the property excludes the external walls, utility ducts, common areas, balconies, terraces, lifts, corridors, and other shared facilities. The measurement of carpet area can help you get the most realistic measure of your complete personal living space.
The carpet area is important for several reasons.
You Can Also Read: How to Increase the Resale Value of Apartments?
It is quite easy and straightforward to calculate the carpet area.
Example: If your property has three rooms measuring 120 sq ft, 150 sq ft, and 80 sq ft respectively, your total carpet area would be 120 + 150 + 80 = 350 sq ft.

The built-up area includes the carpet area and the thickness of all the internal and external walls. It includes everything that includes balconies, terraces, exclusive corridors, and exclusive staircase areas.
The built-up area means the total area that is physically constructed and enclosed within the property. The built-up area includes the area that you do not use as such.
The built-up area bears a lot of importance when it comes to real estate calculations and transactions.
Read More: Home Loan Tax Benefits
Here is how you can calculate the built-up area-
Example: For a living room measuring 15 feet x 12 feet with 6-inch (0.5 feet) wall thickness on each side:
Adjusted dimensions: (15 + 0.5 + 0.5) x (12 + 0.5 + 0.5) = 16 x 13 = 208 sq ft

The Super Built Up area is also known as the saleable area. It represents the total area of the property that you pay for. It includes your exclusive built-up area plus a proportionate share of all common facilities and amenities in the building.
This measurement includes the built-up area and all the common areas of use. The Super Built Up area includes compound walls, open-to-sky swimming pools, parks, driveways, open sports facilities, underground water tanks, septic tanks, or inaccessible garden areas.
Here are a few important reasons that make Super Built Up Area essential. It plays a major role in real estate transactions.
Read More: NRI Real Estate Investment in India
You will add the area of the common areas to the super built-up area to get the super built-up area.
The table below should give you a clear idea of the difference between carpet area and built-up area
| Aspect | Carpet Area | Built-up Area |
| Definition | Net usable space excluding walls | Carpet area plus wall thickness |
| Inclusions | Bedrooms, living room, kitchen, bathrooms | All carpet area elements plus walls, balconies, and an exclusive terrace |
| Exclusions | Wall thickness, balconies, terraces, common areas | Common areas, shared facilities, lift, lobby |
| Size Comparison | Smaller (80-90% of built-up) | Larger by 10-20% than the carpet area |
| Calculation | Measure only usable rooms | Add wall thickness to the carpet area |
| Pricing Basis | Used for cost per sq ft comparison | Used for property valuation |
| Use Case | Actual living space assessment | Total constructed space assessment |
| RERA Requirement | Mandatory disclosure | Mandatory disclosure |
Key differences – Built-up area is always larger than carpet area because it includes the thickness of walls and other structural elements that carpet area excludes.
Here is a comparison between the built-up area and the super built-up area.
| Aspect | Built-up Area | Super Built-up Area |
| Definition | Exclusive enclosed space with walls | Exclusive space plus proportionate common areas |
| Inclusions | Carpet area, walls, balcony, and exclusive terrace | Built-up area plus lobby, lift, staircase, corridors, and amenities |
| Common Areas | Not included | Included (proportionate share) |
| Size Comparison | Smaller | Larger by 25-60% (loading factor) |
| Also Known As | Individual unit area | Saleable area |
| Pricing Impact | Used for partial cost calculation | Basis for final property price |
| Calculation Method | Add walls to the carpet area | Built-up area + common area share |
| Investment Relevance | Shows exclusive space | Shows total investment cost |
Key differences – Super built-up area includes your share of common facilities and amenities, making it the largest of the three measurements.
Let us now compare the difference between the super built-up area and carpet area.
| Aspect | Carpet Area | Super Built-up Area |
| Scope | Usable living space only | Includes common facilities |
| Size Differential | Base measurement | Larger by 25-60% (loading factor) |
| Components | Rooms, kitchens, bathrooms | Everything in the carpet area + common spaces + walls |
| Shared Spaces | None | Included proportionately |
| Final Price Basis | Not used directly | Used for calculating the final property price |
| Importance for Buyers | Most important for space assessment | Important for understanding the total cost |

The RERA Carpet Area slightly differs from the carpet area that we calculate. Understanding it should help you get the best experience in handling the experience.
RRERA Carpet Area
According to the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act 2016, the RERA carpet area is defined as the net usable floor area of an apartment or house, including the area covered by internal partition walls but excluding:
Key difference between the RERA carpet area and the General carpet area
The only difference between the RERA carpet area and the regular carpet area is the inclusion of the internal partition wall thickness in the RERA calculation. RERA carpet area is typically 5% more than the general carpet area.
Loading Factor
The loading factor is a crucial concept representing the proportionate share of common areas added to your carpet area to calculate the super built-up area. It’s expressed as a percentage or decimal multiplier.
The loading factor determines how much extra area (beyond your exclusive built-up area) you’re paying for to cover shared facilities and amenities. Generally, it ranges from 25% to 60%, though luxury apartments typically maintain it below 60%.
When purchasing properties, it is advisable to pay special attention to a few specific areas.
Also, pay attention to the RERA compliance. It may also be a good idea to check the resale value.
Understanding the difference between the carpet area, built-up area, and super built-up area is quite essential in understanding the worthiness of real estate investment decisions.
When buying a property, use carpet area as your basis for comparison, calculate the cost per square foot using only the carpet area, and ensure you’re comfortable with the loading factor percentage. Always request proper documentation from the developer showing all three measurements, verified according to RERA guidelines.
How do you calculate carpet area from built-up area?
For the carpet area, you should take the length and breadth of each room and calculate the area individually. Summing up all the areas will give you the total carpet area.
What does the built-up area not include?
The built-up area includes the carpet area plus the wall thicknesses. You should consider both external and internal walls. It does not include the common use areas such as lobbies, staircases, lifts, common corridors, elevators, clubs, security areas, or any shared amenities.
What is a built-up area as per RERA?
As per RERA, the built-up area includes the carpet area plus the thickness of all walls (internal and external), exclusive balconies, exclusive terraces, and exclusive corridors.
How do developers use Super Built-up Area?
Developers use the super built-up area to calculate the final property price that buyers pay. They distribute the cost of common areas, amenities, lifts, staircases, and other shared facilities among all property owners proportionally based on their carpet area or built-up area.
Should I focus more on Carpet Area, Built-up Area, or Super Built-up Area when buying a property?
Carpet area should be your prime focus. This is the area that you would actually be using. However, all three are important from the cost considerations.
Why is the super built-up area always higher than the carpet area?
Super built-up area is always higher because it includes not only the carpet area and wall thickness (from built-up area) but also a proportionate share of all common areas and amenities like lifts, lobbies, staircases, corridors, gyms, and clubhouses.
What is a loading factor, and how does it affect the super built-up area?
The loading factor is a percentage or multiplier applied to the carpet area to calculate the super built-up area. The loading factor accounts for the proportionate share of common areas.
What is included in the super-built area?
Super-built area includes: the entire built-up area (carpet area, walls, exclusive balconies, exclusive terraces), plus a proportionate share of all common facilities such as lifts, elevators, common staircases, lobbies, common corridors, passages, clubhouses, gyms, swimming pools, security rooms, common gardens, and other shared amenities specified in the developer’s plans.
What is the difference between floor area and carpet area?
Floor area typically refers to the total area of a floor or building level, which is broader than carpet area. Floor area is a term used in the construction documents.