Do Sunrooms Count As Square Footage?

Whether or not a sunroom counts as square footage depends on the type of room you build, because they come in different types. In order for a sunroom to count towards the square footage of your home, it must be a fully enclosed and insulated addition with electric and heat. This is also called a four-season room. Because four-season sunrooms are insulated, heated, and have electricity, they can be integrated into the floor plan of the home, which is considered living space, and counts towards square footage.

A sunroom must also meet the construction quality of the rest of your home’s interior for it to be considered extra square footage. Most sunrooms and other patio enclosures don’t meet the construction requirements to be considered living space and are therefore excluded from square footage calculations.

I’ve been a NJ sunroom contractor for over 25 years and can tell you firsthand that a four-season room may or may not add to your square footage depending on its usage and how its connected to the home.

If you want it to count, integrate it into the floor plan of your home by removing the exterior door or entire wall between the addition and your home.

If you don’t want it to count, leave the door there so the room is kept separate from the house.

Other types of sunroom additions, like three-season rooms, patio enclosures, porch conversions, green-houses, and solariums do not have to be insulated or sealed and don’t require electrical, so they don’t count towards square footage.

Do Four Season Rooms Count As Square Footage?

A four-season sunroom is insulated, fully enclosed, and has heating, so it can be integrated into the home’s floor plan. Once you integrate the room into your home, meaning you remove the exterior door, or entire wall, separating the sunroom and home, it’s considered living space and will count as square footage.

If you build a four-season room but don’t fully integrate it into your home, it will not count as square footage. You must include an exterior door between the sunroom and house to clearly separate the sunroom as its own standalone space.

Once you integrate the sunroom into your home’s footprint by removing the dividing wall and/or exterior door, it becomes part of the home’s living space and counts as square footage.

Whether it does or not can also depend on the town you live in and how they classify it. Typically this is based on how you plan on using the room.

Some towns classify a four-season room as square footage because it’s enclosed, heated, insulated, and has electricity, which meets the standard for living space.

If you don’t want the room counted as square footage, make it clear to the township that it won’t be used as living space. Make sure to include a locking exterior door between the home and addition.

Does A Three-Season Porch Count As Square Footage?

A three-season porch does not count as square footage because it doesn’t have heat, and usually isn’t insulated. In order for a sunroom to count as square footage it must be considered living space.

There are special requirements a room must meet in order to be considered living space. This includes heating, insulation, electricity, and the room must be fully enclosed. A three-season sunroom porch doesn’t meet these minimum standards, so it doesn’t count towards square footage.

In order for a three-season porch to count as sq. ft. it must be converted to a four-season room. This means fully enclosing it, installing the proper amount of insulation, running electrical to code, and installing heat.

Heat is expensive, but an affordable option is a mini-split system. This is a great way to convert a sunroom on a budget. They can be installed on any wall and provide both heat and A.C. to the room.

Once a three-season room is converted to a four-season, it must be inspected and deemed as living space. It can then be counted towards the square footage of a home.

Does An Enclosed Patio Count As Square Footage?

An enclosed patio does not count as square footage unless the room has heat, insulation, electricity, and is fully enclosed. In order for a patio enclosure to count as square footage it must be considered living space.

There are special requirements for a room to be considered living space. This includes heating, insulation, electricity, and the room must be fully enclosed. A patio enclosure usually doesn’t meet these minimum standards, so its area doesn’t count towards square footage.

In order for a patio enclosure to count as sq. ft. it must be converted to a four-season room. This means fully enclosing it, installing the proper amount of insulation, running electrical to code, and installing heat.

Heat is expensive, but an affordable option is a mini-split system. They can be installed on any wall and provide both heat and A.C. to the room.

Once the room is converted to a four-season room it must be inspected and deemed as living space. It can then be counted as square footage.

If you have any questions or comments email or leave a comment down below.