How to Measure Square Footage

Find the Square Footage of a Space

Break down the area into manageable parts. If you're having trouble finding the square footage, then it's probably because you're not working with a neat area with just one length and one width. The space might have squares jutting off in different places and could be shaped erratically. All you have to do is split up the space into even squares or rectangles. To find the square footage, or the area, of the entire space, you'll need to find the square footage of the individual spaces and then add them all together. Draw faint lines separating the different sections. Label them A, B, and C for your convenience.

Measure the length and width of the first space. Using a ruler or measuring tape, find the length and width of the first space you've created, Space A. The length of the space is 12 feet (3.7 m), and the width is 15 feet (4.6 m).

Multiply the length of the first space by the width of the first space. To find the square footage -- or the area -- of the space, just multiply the length times the width, just as you would do with any rectangle. Ex: 12 feet (3.7 m). x 15 feet (4.6 m). = 180 square feet

Measure the length and width of the second space. Let's say that the length of Space B is 20 feet (6.1 m) and the width of Space B is 10 feet (3.0 m).

Multiply the length of the second space times the width of the second space. This will lead you to find the square footage of the second space. Here's how you find the square footage of Space B: Ex: 20 feet (6.1 m). x 10 feet (3.0 m). = 200 square feet.

Measure the length and width of the third space. Let's say that the length of Space C is 20 feet (6.1 m) and the width of Space C is 35 feet (10.7 m).

Multiply the length of the third space times the width of the third space. This will lead you to find the square footage of the third space. Here's how you find the square footage of Space C: Ex: 20 feet (6.1 m). x 35 feet (10.7 m). = 700 square feet

Add the square footages of the three spaces. Once you find the sum of the square footages of the three spaces, you'll know the square footage of the entire space. Here's how you do it: Square footage of Space A + square footage of Space B + square footage of Space C = square footage of the entire space 180 + 200 + 700 = 1080 square feet

Learn a Few Tricks for Finding Square Footage

Find the approximation of square footage. If you're looking for an approximation of square footage, you can also try measuring the outside of your home and then subtracting any areas that won't be factored in to the square footage, such as the porch stairs or garage. Ceiling and floor tiles are often one square foot in size. You can simply count these to get a close approximation of the total square footage. Use this for rent calculations. "This is exactly what I needed to figure out if my rent was fair, and it helped me rent out my space with correct measurements! Thank you. My tenants are happy!" - Missy L. Use this for your next remodel. "I'm planning to tile my living room and have my eye on a beautiful tile from Costco. The box said it covers 10 square feet. I now know that I need about 30 boxes for my living room. I can't wait to see the new tile." - Monica W. Have a story our readers should hear? Share it with 1 billion+ annual wikiHow users. Tell us your story here.

Find the square footage of a space that's shaped like a half-circle. If there's a part of your house that's shaped like a half of a circle, you can find the square footage of the circle by finding the area of the space as if it were a full circle and then dividing it by half. To do this, simply measure the long line that cuts the "circle" in half to get the diameter. Next, divide that number by 2 to get the radius (r) and plug the result into the equation A = πr. Finally, divide by 2 to get the area, or square footage, of the half circle.

Find the square footage of a space that's almost regularly shaped. If you're measuring a space that is almost fully a square or a rectangle, with only a small square or rectangular part missing, then measure the square footage of the entire space as if the missing part was filled in. Then, find the square footage of the missing part and subtract it from the overall square footage to find the square footage of the space. This will save you time.