Area & Measurement
What is Balcony Area? (And Are You Paying Full Price For It?)
RERA deliberately keeps the balcony out of your carpet area. Then the builder charges you the full per-square-foot rate for it anyway.
The short answer
Under RERA, the balcony is NOT part of your carpet area. Section 2(k) excludes it — deliberately.
But it must be disclosed separately, as "exclusive balcony or verandah area".
And here is what almost nobody asks: what RATE are you being charged for it? Many builders charge the full per-square-foot rate — the same as for enclosed, air-conditioned, usable floor.
What RERA says — Section 2(k)
RERA's definition of carpet area is the net usable floor area of an apartment, excluding:
• The area covered by external walls
• Areas under services shafts
• Exclusive balcony or verandah area
• Exclusive open terrace area
— but including the area covered by the internal partition walls of the apartment.
The balcony is out. And the promoter must state it separately.
The logic is sound: a balcony is not the same thing as enclosed floor. It is open to the weather, it cannot be air-conditioned, and in Indian summers a west-facing balcony is unusable for half the day.
The rate question — and it is the whole page
RERA says the balcony is not carpet area.
RERA does not say what rate a builder may charge for it.
So a great many builders charge the full per-square-foot rate — the same rate as your bedroom.
You are paying bedroom prices for a ledge that is open to the rain.
What that costs
100 sq ft of balcony. ₹9,000/sq ft.
- Charged at full rate
- ₹9,00,000
- Charged at 50% (which some builders do)
- ₹4,50,000
- The difference, worth asking about
- ₹4,50,000
Some builders charge 50% for balcony area. Some charge nothing, treating it as thrown in. Most charge full rate and hope you don't ask.
It is negotiable. It is a large number. Almost nobody raises it.
What a balcony is actually worth
A good balcony is genuinely valuable. A deep, shaded, north-facing balcony where you can put two chairs and a plant is one of the best things about a flat, and people use them every day.
A bad one is worthless. Specifically:
- Too shallow to sit in. A 3-foot-deep balcony fits a drying rack and nothing else. Measure it.
- West-facing. Unusable from 2pm to 6pm for eight months of the year.
- Overlooking the generator, the STP, or the car park.
- Directly facing the neighbour's balcony, six feet away. You will never use it.
- Enclosed later — which is a deviation from the sanctioned plan, and unauthorised. It happens constantly and it can cost you your OC.
Put two chairs on it, in your head. Can you? Or is it a ledge?
Then go at 4pm on a hot day and see whether you'd want to.
That is the difference between a balcony worth ₹9 lakh and a drying rack worth nothing — and you can tell in ninety seconds.
What to ask
- “What is the carpet area, and what is the balcony area, separately?” RERA requires both.
- “What rate am I being charged for the balcony?” Full? 50%? Ask, and then negotiate.
- “Is the balcony area included in the super built-up figure?” Usually yes.
- “Can it be enclosed?” Almost certainly not — that is a deviation from the sanctioned plan, and it can block your OC.
- Measure the depth. Under 5 feet and you cannot really sit on it.
- Check the facing. A west-facing balcony in India is an oven.
Frequently asked questions
Is the balcony included in carpet area?
No. Section 2(k) of RERA explicitly excludes exclusive balcony or verandah area from carpet area — deliberately, because a balcony is not the same thing as enclosed floor. But the promoter must disclose it separately.
Do I pay full price for balcony area?
Very often, yes — and this is the question almost nobody asks. RERA says the balcony is not carpet area, but it does not say what rate a builder may charge for it. So many builders charge the full per-square-foot rate: bedroom prices for a ledge that is open to the rain. Some charge 50%. It is negotiable, and on 100 sq ft at Rs 9,000 it is a Rs 4.5 lakh question.
Can I enclose my balcony?
Almost certainly not lawfully. Enclosing a balcony is a deviation from the sanctioned plan and is unauthorised construction. It happens constantly, and it can block the occupancy certificate for the whole building.
What makes a balcony worth having?
Depth and facing. Under about five feet deep and you cannot really sit on it — it fits a drying rack. West-facing, and it is unusable from 2pm to 6pm for eight months of the year. Go and stand on it, imagine two chairs, and then visit at 4pm on a hot day. That is the difference between a Rs 9 lakh balcony and a Rs 9 lakh drying rack.
Is balcony area included in super built-up?
Usually yes — which means you are paying for it in the super built-up figure, and also paying maintenance on it every month. Ask specifically what is included in the super built-up number.