Area & Measurement
What is Super Built-Up Area?
The number on the brochure. The number you pay for. And the reason a 1,200 sq ft flat feels like 850. Because it is.
The short answer
Super built-up area is your flat plus a share of the building's common areas. The lobby, the staircase, the lifts, the corridors, the clubhouse. It is the figure most Indian builders advertise and price against.
It typically runs 25% to 40% larger than the carpet area. So a flat sold as 1,200 sq ft may give you around 850 sq ft to live in. Nothing illegal is happening. The number is simply measuring something other than your home.
What super built-up area includes
Start with your built-up area. Your flat, its walls, its balcony. Now add a proportionate share of everything the building has that you don't own but do use:
- Lift lobbies and corridors
- Staircases and fire escapes
- Lift shafts and machine rooms
- Clubhouse, gym, swimming pool
- Security cabin, generator room, electrical room
- Sometimes: the entrance plaza, the landscaped garden
"Proportionate" means your flat's share is calculated against the total. Own a bigger flat, carry a bigger share of the lobby.
How it's calculated
Super built-up area
Super built-up = Built-up area + (your proportionate share of common areas)
- Carpet area
- 840 sq ft
- + walls and balcony
- 170 sq ft
- = Built-up area
- 1,010 sq ft
- + share of common areas
- 190 sq ft
- Super built-up area
- 1,200 sq ft
RERA defines carpet area. It says nothing about how a builder should calculate your share of the common areas.
Which means the loading factor. The gap between 840 and 1,200. Is a commercial decision, not a regulated one. Two builders on the same street can load the same flat by 28% and 44%. Both are legal.
How it compares to the other area figures
| Term | What it measures | Internal walls | External walls | Balcony | Common areas | Typical size* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpet area (literal) | Floor you can lay a carpet on | No | No | No | No | ~810 sq ft |
| RERA carpet area (the legal one) | Net usable floor area per Section 2(k) | Yes | No | No | No | ~840 sq ft |
| Built-up area | Carpet + all walls + balcony | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | ~1,010 sq ft |
| Super built-up area | Built-up + share of lobbies, lifts, stairs, clubhouse | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1,200 sq ft |
| Saleable area | The number the builder prices against. Usually identical to super built-up. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1,200 sq ft |
*On a flat advertised as 1,200 sq ft at a typical 30% loading factor. Actual figures vary by project and must be taken from the RERA-registered agreement, never from a brochure.
What it actually costs you
Here is the calculation that matters, and almost nobody does it.
Two flats. Same brochure. Not the same flat.
Both advertised at 1,200 sq ft, ₹8,000 per sq ft. Both cost ₹96 lakh.
- Project A. Loading 30%
- Carpet area
- 923 sq ft
- Real rate per usable sq ft
- ₹10,401
- Project B. Loading 45%
- Carpet area
- 828 sq ft
- Real rate per usable sq ft
- ₹11,594
- You get 95 sq ft less in Project B
- for the same ₹96 lakh
The brochures are identical. The flats are not. On a purchase this size, 95 square feet is a study.
Is selling on super built-up area legal?
Yes. This surprises people, but RERA did not ban it.
What RERA banned was hiding the carpet area. A builder may advertise 1,200 sq ft and price against 1,200 sq ft, provided the agreement for sale states the carpet area. The information asymmetry is gone; the pricing convention is not.
Maharashtra has gone further than most. MahaRERA pushes builders to quote carpet area in advertising, and many Mumbai projects now do. Elsewhere, super built-up remains the norm.
If a project requires RERA registration and the agreement for sale does not disclose the carpet area, the builder is in breach.
That is not a negotiating point. That is a reason to walk away.
How to compare two projects properly
- Get the RERA carpet area for each. From the state RERA portal, not the sales office.
- Divide the total price by the carpet area. That is your real rate per usable square foot.
- Compare those two numbers. Not the brochure rates. Never the brochure rates.
- Then decide whether the loading is worth it. A 45% loading might buy you a genuinely excellent clubhouse and a double-height lobby. That's a legitimate choice. As long as you're making it knowingly.
A high loading factor is not a scam. It's a trade: less flat, more building. The problem was never the trade. It was that buyers were making it without being told.
Frequently asked questions
Why is super built-up area larger than carpet area?
Because it adds two things. First the walls and balcony of your flat, which gives built-up area. Then a proportionate share of the building's common areas. Lobbies, lifts, staircases, clubhouse. Together these typically add 25% to 40% on top of carpet area.
Can builders still sell on super built-up area?
Yes. RERA did not ban pricing or advertising on super built-up area. It only made disclosure of the carpet area in the agreement mandatory. So the brochure rate and the real rate remain two different numbers. But now you can find out what the real one is.
What is a normal loading factor?
Between 25% and 40% in most Indian projects. Below 30% is efficient. Above 40% usually means large lobbies, extensive amenities or a low-density tower. Neither is objectively better. What matters is that you know the figure and compare like with like.
Is super built-up area the same as saleable area?
In practice, almost always yes. Saleable area is the figure the builder prices against, and for most Indian projects that is the super built-up area. But 'saleable area' has no statutory definition, so confirm what a specific builder means by it.
How do I find the real price per square foot?
Divide the total price by the RERA carpet area, not by the super built-up area. A Rs 96 lakh flat with 840 sq ft of carpet costs Rs 11,428 per usable square foot. Not the Rs 8,000 on the brochure.