How to Find Building Coverage on Floor Plans

Local building codes describe limits on the amount of land that structures can cover, depending on the land use zone. The codes may use the term building coverage or lot coverage, and it's expressed as a percentage of the total land area. The building coverage percentage includes accessory buildings, as well as the house and garage, as defined by the local code. Plans prepared by architects or designers should contain the statistic for building coverage, as well as any other information required for the building permit, on the site plan.

Set of drawings
Architects' scale (optional)
Engineers' scale (optional)
Highlighter

Instructions

- 1
  Check the site plan for site statistics. Look for a list of lot area, lot or building coverage, gross floor area and height, usually to the bottom of the drawing. Verify that lot coverage meets regulations.
- 2
  Turn to the floor plan, looking for notes -- or text -- for building statistics if they're not listed on the site plan. Check for a list itemizing gross floor area for each building and total building area contained either in a notes section of the title block or separately under the drawing.
- 3
  Alternatively, find the building area note on top of the graphic for the building -- the square or rectangle denoting the building footprint. Calculate building or lot coverage by dividing the lot size by the sum total of all building areas.

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