How to Calculate Ground Coverage?

If you have been in the real estate industry or construction industry terms like ground coverage, FAR and FSI must be easier for you to understand. But when it comes to a common man like me or anybody else, these terms are a little bit difficult to decipher. On my quest for a perfect abode, I was thrown these terms quite frequently. So I wanted to know what they mean and I used to hear a lot that calculations for ground coverage and FAR are important for construction. So I started looking at these things and found out the ground coverage formula. I am going to share it here.

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Before jumping into anything else, I would like you to know what this is. Ground coverage area is the built up area at ground level, i.e. ground level immediately above the plinth. It is calculated as a percentage.

The ground coverage formula is as follows:

Ground coverage area = (Maximum built up area at any floor / Plot area)x 100

The maximum ground coverage as prescribed by MoHUA is as follows:

• For a LIG plot of 30 sq mt: 75%

• For a LIG plot of 30 to 50 sq mt: 75%

• For a normal housing plot of 50 to 250 sq mt: 65%

• For a normal housing plot of 250 to 500 sq mt: 55%

• For a normal housing plot of 500 to 1000 sq mt: 45%

• For a normal housing plot of 1000 to 1500 sq mt: 40%

• For a normal housing plot of 1500 to 2250 sq mt: 33 ⅓ 

You can find ground coverage details for commercial properties on the official website of MoHUA. Or click on the link below:

This is all about ground coverage formula, and how to calculate ground coverage.

Ground coverage is very easy to calculate if you know the basic formula. Initially, I was clueless about the meaning of ground coverage and didn’t know how to calculate it. I spoke to our renovation contractor, and he told me it’s a percentage of the total plot area and excludes the open spaces like lawns, courtyards, and non-built areas. Here’s the ground coverage formula you can use to get the exact percentage.

Ground Coverage (%) = Built-up area on the ground floor / Total Plot Area × 100

In small residential areas, this percentage normally goes up to 90% depending on the guidelines of the area. That’s all I know about ground coverage.

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How To Calculate Coverage Area Of A Building?

Personal Insight: In my case, I was designing a compact backyard retreat. Determining the ground coverage was crucial to strike the right balance between functionality and aesthetics.

• Ground Coverage Calculation Formula:

  • Personal Experience: I started by measuring the total plot area and deducting spaces occupied by structures like the house and garage.

  • Expert Insight: Ground coverage is calculated by dividing the total built-up area by the total plot area and multiplying by 100 to get a percentage.

          Coverage Area Calculation for Building:

• Personal Experience: For the main structure, I considered both the footprint and any projections like balconies.

• Expert Insight: Every city has regulations on the permissible ground coverage for a building. It's essential to adhere to these norms.

• Consideration of Open Spaces:

  • Personal Insight: I left ample open space, thinking about future gardening projects and a potential play area for kids.

  • Expert Advice: Many local authorities encourage green spaces and have guidelines on the minimum open area required.

Balancing the practicalities of regulations with the personal touch of individual preferences, I achieved a ground coverage that not only adhered to norms but also created a harmonious living space.

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The ground coverage calculation is done by computing the ratio of the maximum ground-level build-up area to the plot's overall area.

The entire area of buildings that are directly above the plinth level is considered in the ground coverage. It does not include Swimming pool, sump tank, pumphouse and electric substation, utilities.

How to calculate permissible ground coverage?

The formula used to assist one with how to calculate ground coverage percentage is as follows;

Ground coverage area = (Maximum built up area at any floor / Plot area)x 100. 

While dealing with real estate transaction you will get to know about these terms like, Ground coverage, FAR, and FSI.

Hope this will help you!

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I like what Mr Kamal has pointed out about plot coverage calculation. What he has pointed out is correct. The formula to calculate ground coverage is:

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(Maximum built up area at any floor / Plot area)x 100

He has also pointed out that the permissible ground coverage is stated by MoHUA. I won't further explain the guidelines. But I would like to explain what is FSI or FAR is, which I feel is related to this question.

The floor area ratio (FAR), or floor space ratio (FAR) determines the maximum floor space that can be constructed on a piece of land. The ratio between the building’s total construction area and the land area is the FAR. 

There are some building construction FSI guidelines.

• The FSI value for building a house on a plot which is less than 80 sq.m and the road width below 6m is 1.37 to 1.43.

• For a multi-storeyed building, the FSI can range between 2, 3, and 5. The area of the plot should be 1200 sq.m to 15,00 sq. m.

• If the road width is less than 10m and the area of the plot is less than 660 sq.m then the FSI would be 1.0 to 1.8. This is valid for both residential and commercial plots.

• Generally, the value of FSI should range between 1.25 to 3 in metropolitan cities.

The formula to calculate FAR is:

FAR= Total area of building/ total area of the plot.

The Ground coverage area is the ratio of the maximum allowed build-up area on ground level to the total area of the plot. This is ground coverage meaning. 

In this context let us know how to find a built-up area:

Plot Area x FSI = Built-up area 

This was all about plot coverage calculation in a nutshell. 

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