floortotal

Floortotal is a metric used in architecture, urban planning, and construction to denote the total sum of floor areas across all levels of a building. It is defined as the sum of the floor area of each floor, including basements, mezzanines, and other occupiable levels where they contribute to the building’s usable footprint. The exact inclusions and exclusions for floortotal can vary by jurisdiction, project standards, or software tools, so practitioners check local guidance before calculation.

Floortotal is distinct from related measures such as gross floor area (GFA) or gross building area, which may count non-occupiable spaces differently or apply broader or narrower criteria depending on the rule set in use. Because measurement rules differ, floortotal is best understood in the context of a specific standard or jurisdiction for a given project.

Calculation typically involves summing the floor areas of all eligible levels. For example, a building with floor areas of 1200, 1100, and 1050 square feet across three levels yields a floortotal of 3350 square feet. Some jurisdictions treat mezzanines as fully part of floortotal, while others count them proportionally or exclude them altogether. Basements may be included or excluded depending on the applicable standard.

Applications for floortotal include planning submissions, feasibility studies, energy modeling, cost estimation, and BIM workflows where a cumulative measure of footprint volume or capacity is needed. Because definitions vary, practitioners rely on project manuals or local codes to determine which spaces count toward floortotal.

See also: gross floor area, net floor area, floor space index, floor area ratio.