# Built-up Area in Real Estate

> Built-up area is the carpet area plus wall thickness and balconies, usually 10% to 15% more. See an example and how area-based work is priced in SuperWise.

Canonical: https://superwise.site/glossary/built-up-area/
Last updated: 2026-11-01

The floor area of a flat measured to the outer face of its walls, so it includes wall thickness and is larger than carpet area.

## What is Built-up Area?

Built-up Area is the total floor area of an apartment unit in Indian real estate, counting the usable floor plus the area taken by the internal partition walls, the external perimeter walls and exclusive balconies. It is generally 10% to 15% larger than the [carpet area](https://superwise.site/glossary/carpet-area/).

## Practical example

A homebuyer is shown a floor plan for an apartment with a carpet area (usable floor space) of 1,000 sq.ft. Once the thickness of the brick walls and the balcony spaces are added, the built-up area works out at 1,150 sq.ft. Builders priced flats on this larger figure until [RERA](https://superwise.site/glossary/real-estate-regulatory-authority/) made carpet area the standard.

## In SuperWise

In SuperWise, area-based work such as [plastering](https://superwise.site/glossary/plastering/) is a [BOQ](https://superwise.site/glossary/bill-of-quantities/) item with a unit of sq.m, a contracted quantity and a rate. A [work order](https://superwise.site/glossary/work-order/) prices those items for the finishing contractor, and the cumulative quantity on an [RA bill](https://superwise.site/glossary/running-account-bill/) cannot pass the quantity on the work order.

[Budget tracking](https://superwise.site/features/estimation-vs-earned-value/)

## Related terms

- [Carpet Area (RERA)](https://superwise.site/glossary/carpet-area/)
- [RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority)](https://superwise.site/glossary/real-estate-regulatory-authority/)
- [Super Built-up Area (Saleable Area)](https://superwise.site/glossary/super-built-up-area/)
- [Floor Space Index (FSI) / FAR](https://superwise.site/glossary/floor-space-index/)

## Related
- [Carpet Area (RERA)](https://superwise.site/glossary/carpet-area/)
- [RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority)](https://superwise.site/glossary/real-estate-regulatory-authority/)
- [Super Built-up Area (Saleable Area)](https://superwise.site/glossary/super-built-up-area/)
- [Floor Space Index (FSI) / FAR](https://superwise.site/glossary/floor-space-index/)
- [Budget tracking](https://superwise.site/features/estimation-vs-earned-value/)