Q. We enclosed the back porch and ran a HVAC duct to the area. Will this be counted in the GLA?
Q. The GLA measured by the appraiser is different from the amount listed in the Central Appraisal District (CAD).
Q. How is GLA measured for an appraisal?
A. GLA - Gross Living Area - The appraiser draws a sketch of the house, measuring the first floor from the outside of the building. Then the second floor perimeter is measured from the inside taking into consideration the thickness of the outer walls. Areas that have no floor space like stairwells and areas open to the floor below are subtracted as is any attached garage space.
Gross Living Area is based on floor space in the living area of the building. It does not include attic storage space, garage space, pool cabana space but does include closet space.
Sample Sketch
Q. We enclosed the back porch and ran a HVAC duct to the area. Will this be counted in the GLA?
A. In order for it to be counted in the GLA the area should feel like you are on the inside of the house. It should be finished off in a manner consistent with the rest of the house. If the floor is bare concrete, the walls are external brick or the door to the area is an exterior door, these things will make the area more of a porch and less like the interior of the house. Removing the exterior door that leads from the inside and finishing the floor, ceiling and walls similar to the inside of the house and using a weather sealed exterior door from the space to the outside will go a long way to having the area included in the GLA.
Also to be counted in the GLA the area needs to be continuous. I appraised a home a while ago which had an addition above the garage. However, to get to the addition you had to walk through the garage to a stairwell on the other side of the garage and then go up the stairs to the addition.
While this addition could not be considered in the GLA it doesn't mean this area does not have value. An area like this can be given value even though it is not counted as GLA.
Q. The GLA measured by the appraiser is different from the amount listed in the Central Appraisal District (CAD).
A. This is often the case. The CAD does not come out to measure your house. It relies on information from the builder. There may have been an addition that was not taken into account. The builder may have provided the wrong information. I have seen where the builder submits the plan to the CAD and then the buyer tells the builder they have changed their mind and now they do want the 300 sf media room above the garage. The builder builds it but does not update the CAD. The reverse can also happen. I have seen cases where the house is measured at 10% less than the CAD record. This means that the homeowner may have been paying too much in taxes every year.
- Van Landrum
