Queryasked by Bhavin Patel
Ground floor in my 7 storeyed building is the parking floor. Tell me whether it should be considered in calculation of built up area or not?
Solutionby Gharpedia
As such there are no rules by any Government nor any binding or even ethical guidelines by any authorities – trade associations regarding definition and calculations of carpet area, built up area and super built up area (Know more regarding difference of carpet area, built up area & super built up area). These terms have come into practice as a “trade practice” followed by builders and accepted willingly or unwillingly by people at large. Logically the concept is correct as builder has to pay the contractor for each and every sq.ft. that he constructs. Hence he should also receive payment for each and every sq.ft., that he pays. All the areas beyond the four walls of the flat and common to all the flat holders on a typical floor is therefore added on pro-rata basis to the built up area of the flat in particular. This way the builder will be able to receive the payment for the common areas like staircase, passages etc. Hence it is logical to add these common areas to the built up area of the flat. The summation of this should be called as super built up area. Similarly entrance foyer on the ground floor as well as staircase cabin, lift cabin on terrace floor can also be distributed on pro-rata basis to all the flats for arriving at super built up area. Now as far as your question is concerned, it is not a good and fair idea to add area of the parking floor to the super built up area of the flats for the following reasons. Parking is an amenity provided along with the flat and hence it should not be added as a component of area. The builder should add its cost while arriving at the cost of the flat for sale i.e. he should include it in the rate either per sqm or lump sum rather than in the area. If the same logic is accepted, how would you add independent parking outside the building, club house, pump room, temple, swimming pool, watchman cabin and many other social amenities etc., that the builder may provide as an attraction and amenities to the scheme. All the amenities therefore should be included in the rate and not with the area of the flat, as it inflates the area of the flat. By adding such areas user will never get an idea how much area actually he owns or he is buying. However please note that with latest Real Estate Regulation Act of Government of India now it has become mandatory to sell flats on carpet area basis, which is the right method. Further the parking floor does not cost 100% of typical floor as it does not contain internal walls, its plaster and painting, doors, windows, toilets etc. Hence its cost of construction is also less and therefore also not logical to add area. Hence in your case, area of the parking floor on ground floor should not be added while arriving at super built up area of the flat. The builder may add its cost while calculating the price / rate for the flat.
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