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Real Estate Intelligence · Guide

How to audit carpet area & strip builder markup.

Super built-up area is a marketing metric, not a physical space. Builders routinely inflate sales brochures by loading common areas, corridors, and clubhouses into your apartment price. Here is how to use RERA filings to find the actual, usable square footage you are paying for.

1. The RERA Definition of Carpet Area

Under the RERA Act, carpet area is strictly defined as the net usable floor area of an apartment, excluding the area covered by the external walls, areas under services shafts, exclusive balcony or verandah area, and exclusive open terrace area, but including the area covered by the internal partition walls of the apartment.

The Vetting Rule: Ignore any quote based on "super built-up area" (SBUA) or "saleable area". Demand the exact carpet area in square meters. By law, the agreement for sale must specify the purchase price based solely on the RERA carpet area.

2. Calculating the "Loading Factor"

The loading factor represents the percentage difference between the carpet area and the super built-up area.

Loading Factor (%) = [(Super Built-Up Area - Carpet Area) / Carpet Area] x 100

The Vetting Rule: A sane loading factor for premium high-rise apartments ranges between **20% to 25%**. If a builder quotes 2,000 sq ft SBUA but the RERA carpet area is only 1,300 sq ft, the loading is **53.8%**. You are paying a premium rate for 700 sq ft of common corridors and lift lobbies.

3. Extracting the "Form A" Floor Plans

When registering a project, developers must upload the approved municipal floor plans and a carpet area schedule signed by the project architect.

The Vetting Rule: Do not rely on brochure layout drawings. Go to the state RERA portal, locate the project's documents folder, and download the **Sanctioned Plans** and the **Architect's Area Certificate**. Cross-check the dimensions of each bedroom, toilet, and kitchen on the municipal plan against the sales manager's brochure sheet.

4. Balcony vs. Carpet Area Disclosures

Balconies, utility areas, and terraces are legal spaces but must be declared separately from the core carpet area.

The Vetting Rule: Builders often group balconies into a "carpet area + balconies" hybrid figure to hide low internal space. Check the project's RERA filing for the **Apartment Details Schedule**, which explicitly lists the core carpet area and balcony area as separate columns. Verify that you aren't paying a premium price for outdoor slab space.