Carpet vs Built-Up vs Super Area: What You Actually Pay For

Carpet area is the usable area within the walls of your home — the space you can actually lay a carpet on. Under RERA, builders must disclose carpet area, which is the fairest basis for comparison.

Built-up area is the carpet area plus the thickness of internal and external walls, and usually balconies — typically about 10–15% more than carpet area.

Super built-up (or “saleable”) area adds a share of common spaces: lobbies, staircases, lifts and sometimes amenities. This is the number developers often quote, and it can be 20–35% larger than carpet area — so a “1,500 sq.ft.” flat may have far less usable space.

The ratio of carpet to super area is the “loading”. A lower loading means more of what you pay for is usable. Always ask for the carpet area and the loading percentage before comparing per-square-foot prices.

When you compare two listings, compare on carpet area and price-per-carpet-foot. A cheaper super-area rate can hide a higher loading, making the home more expensive in real, usable terms.