What Is Carpet Area vs Built-Up Area? A Guide for Pune Homebuyers

If you’re planning to buy a home in Pune—whether it’s in Baner, Kharadi, Wakad, or Hinjewadi—you’ll often come across terms like carpet area, built-up area, and super built-up area. These terms significantly affect the space you’ll actually live in and the price you’ll pay.

Understanding the difference is essential before making any real estate investment.

What Is Carpet Area?

The carpet area is the actual usable area within the walls of your apartment—the space where you can lay carpet.

What It Includes:

• Bedrooms, living room, kitchen, and toilets
• Internal partition walls (as per RERA)
• Enclosed balconies (if any)

What It Excludes:

• External walls
• Common areas (e.g., staircase, lobby, lift)
• Ducts or utility shafts

Why it matters: Under the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), builders must quote prices based on carpet area instead of super built-up area, ensuring pricing is more transparent and fair for buyers.

What Is a Built-Up Area?

Built-up area includes the carpet area plus the thickness of internal and external walls and certain utility spaces.

Typically Includes:

• Carpet area
• Wall thickness
• Balcony
• Dry balconies or flower beds

The built-up area is usually 10% to 25% more than the carpet area. While this area offers a better picture of the apartment’s total structure, not all of it is usable.

What Is Super Built-Up Area?

Super built-up area is the built-up area plus a proportionate share of common amenities in the building or complex.

Common Areas Included:

• Lobby and corridors
• Lift and staircase
• Clubhouse, gym, and swimming pool
• Society office and other shared facilities

This is often called the “saleable area” and was the standard before RERA.

Important to note: A flat listed as 1,200 sq. ft. super built-up may offer only around 800–850 sq. ft. of usable carpet area.

Sample Comparison: 2 BHK in Pune

Pro Tips for Homebuyers in Pune

• Always ask for the carpet area breakdown. Builders are legally required to provide this.
• Be cautious when comparing properties based on super built-up area alone.
• Evaluate the cost per square foot of carpet area across multiple projects for accurate comparison.

Final Word

Whether you’re considering a flat in Koregaon Park or a new project in Ravet, understanding carpet, built-up, and super built-up area helps you:

• Make a well-informed decision
• Ensure you get value for your investment
• Know exactly what you’re paying for

Knowledge gives you an edge in a competitive real estate market like Pune, where every square foot counts.

Ready to Buy Smart in Pune?

Let Bhatnagar’s Real Estate guide you to properties that match your needs and budget, with complete clarity and zero guesswork.

👉 Visit bhatnagars.co.in or call +91 8055894455 to begin your home buying journey today.