Buildable Area Calculator
Calculate maximum buildable area from FAR, lot coverage, setbacks, and height limits.
Inputs
Results
Max Buildable Area
40,000 SF
Max Footprint
12,000 SF
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter Lot Area in square feet, Lot Width, and Lot Depth from the survey or property record.
- Set Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and Max Lot Coverage % from the applicable zoning code.
- Enter Front, Side, and Rear Setback distances to calculate the net buildable footprint.
- Set Max Stories allowed by zoning.
- Review Max Buildable Area (FAR-limited) and Max Footprint (coverage-limited) — the binding constraint is the smaller value.
- Use outputs to assess development feasibility before ordering full engineering or purchasing the site.
What each input means
- Lot Area
- Total lot area in square feet.
- Lot Width
- Lot width (frontage) in feet.
- Lot Depth
- Lot depth in feet.
- Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
- Maximum floor area ratio from zoning code.
- Max Lot Coverage
- Maximum percentage of lot that can be covered by building.
- Front Setback
- Required front setback distance.
- Side Setback
- Required side setback distance (each side).
- Rear Setback
- Required rear setback distance.
- Max Stories
- Maximum number of stories allowed.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersLot Area = 20000, Lot Width = 100, Lot Depth = 200, Floor Area Ratio (FAR) = 2 = 9 input(s) provided
- Calculate Max Buildable AreaMax Buildable Area40000 = 40000
- Calculate Max FootprintMax Footprint12000 = 12000
- Calculate Max GFAMax GFA40000 = 40000
- Calculate Buildable EnvelopeBuildable Envelope13200 = 13200
Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.
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