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