How to Measure Floor Area Ratios

Floor area ratio is used in architecture to measure the density of development. It is the ratio between a building's total floor area -- for all its floors -- and the area of the site on which it is built. FAR gives an idea of the bulk of the building. It's particularly useful when considering the development of non-residential or mixed-used buildings.

Calculator

Instructions

- 1
  Calculate the area, in square feet, of the building. For each floor in the building, multiply the length, in feet, of the building by the width. Add these together to get the area of the building.
- 2
  Calculate the area of the site. Multiply its length, in feet, by its width to arrive at the total square footage. For sites that are not rectangular or square, divide the space into rectangles, calculate the area of each and add them up to arrive at the total.
- 3
  Divide the area, in square feet, of the building by the area of the site. This gives the floor area ratio.

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