Total Living Area (3D)
Common Errors
Table of Contents
1. Questionnaire: 1.5 Stories
2. Garage Placement
3. Deducting porch area
4. Apartments / Condos
5. Townhouses
Questionnaire: 1.5 Story
• Common error: incorrectly answering the questionnaire for 1.5 story buildings
• Below is a common type of 1.5 Story building - be sure to mark these as “1.5” in
the questionnaire
• Note: if you can see a second set of windows (not basement windows), then draw
second floor
Two sets of windows
visible, but only for
half of house
Second floor only
covers half of
bottom floor
Second floor only
covers half of
bottom floor
Questionnaire: 1.5 Story
• Common error: incorrectly answering the questionnaire for 1.5 story buildings
• Below is another common type of 1.5 Story building - be sure to mark these at
“1.5” ” in the questionnaire
• Note: the total living area for this building is still measured as one floor
Door off-set
from first floor
Small basement
windows visible
Garage Placement
• Common error: not deducting the garage area properly
• Garages usually measure ~20 -23 feet deep, 14 – 24 feet wide (and the doors are
usually 10 – 20 feet wide)
• Use the measurement tracker in the bottom right of the
software to make sure you’re on-track
Usually
structure edges
will indicate
where garage
ends
2 Car garage
shown, should
measure ~20 x 20
Garage Placement
• Common error: not deducting the garage area properly
• Garages usually measure ~20 -23 feet deep, 14 – 24 feet wide (and the doors are
usually 10 – 20 feet wide)
• Use the measurement tracker in the bottom right of the software to make sure you’re
on-track
Usually structure edges will indicate where garage
ends
2 Car garage shown, should measure ~20 x 20
Garage Placement
• Common error: not deducting the garage area properly
• Garages usually measure ~20 -23 feet deep, 14 – 24 feet wide (and the doors are
usually 10 – 20 feet wide)
• Use the measurement tracker in the bottom right of the software to make sure you’re
on-track
The back of the garage will often line-up with the
beginning of the front door
Usually structure edges will indicate where garage
ends
2 Car garage shown, should measure ~20 x 20
Deducting porch area (using “void”)
• Common error: not deducting porch area properly
• Porch area is outside area that is still covered by the roof, and must be deducting
from your total living area by drawing a “void” polygon
Covered by roof, but
not actual “living
area”, so must be
deducted
Deducting porch area (re-shaping “main”)
• Common error: not deducting porch area properly
• Porch area is outside area that is still covered by the roof, and can be alternatively
deducted by re-shaping your “main” polgyon
Covered by roof, but
not actual “living
area”, so must be
deducted
Apartments
• Common error: drawing apartments
• Apartments are defined as:
• Having a single communal entrance
• It is not possible to accurately determine the boundaries of units
• Apartment tasks are not to be labeled (no main, parcel, out-building, etc.)
• However, you MUST ANSWER THE QUESTIONAIRE
Communal
entrance
Not possible to
separate units
Apartments
• Common error: drawing apartments
• Apartments are defined as:
• Having a single communal entrance
• It is not possible to accurately determine the boundaries of units
• Apartment tasks are not to be labeled (no main, parcel, out-building, etc.)
• However, you MUST ANSWER THE QUESTIONAIRE
Communal
entrance
Not possible to
separate units
Apartments
• Common error: drawing apartments
• Apartments are defined as:
• Having a single communal entrance
• It is not possible to accurately determine the boundaries of units
• Apartment tasks are not to be labeled (no main, parcel, out-building, etc.)
• However, you MUST ANSWER THE QUESTIONAIRE
Communal
entrance
Not possible to
separate units
Townhouses
• Common error: not separating townhouses
• Apartments are defined as:
• Having two or more separate entrances and backyards
• Different units can be distinctly separated
• Apartment tasks are MUST BE LABELLED (main, parcel, etc. same as regular houses)
• You must also answer the questionnaire
Separate
entrances and
decks
Can separate two
distinct units
