In a Fannie Mae appraisal applying ANSI measurement, an otherwise qualifying finished above-grade room has a bay projection with continuous finished floor at room level and full ceiling height. Its footprint:
Correct Answer
B) Adds to GLA, since floor area extends into it
The stated bay extends the qualifying room’s floor area and is included following the exterior finished-wall surface. A window box without floor area is different. Seating is not the test, and the foundation outline or glass line alone is not the measurement rule. Other applicable finished-area and grade criteria remain necessary.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Option B is correct because the bay projection has continuous finished floor at room level and full ceiling height, so it extends the qualifying room's floor area. Under ANSI measurement, such area is included in GLA by measuring the exterior finished surface of the walls around it. A window box without floor area would be treated differently.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: Is excluded from GLA as an exterior ornamental feature
Option A, excluding the bay from GLA as an exterior ornamental feature, is wrong because this bay contains finished floor area at room level with full ceiling height. It is living space, not ornament.
Option C: Is excluded unless it contains built-in seating
Option C, excluding the bay unless it contains built-in seating, is wrong because seating is not the measurement test. Inclusion depends on whether the space has qualifying finished floor area and ceiling height, not on its furniture.
Option D: Is measured at the glass line of the window
Option D, measuring the bay at the glass line of the window, is wrong because the glass line is not the measurement rule. GLA is measured along the exterior finished-wall surface.
Floor in it, count it
If a projection carries the room's finished floor at full ceiling height, it is part of the room's area; if it has no floor, it is not.
How to use: Use this when deciding whether bays, bump-outs or window boxes add to GLA.
Exam Tip
Focus on floor area and ceiling height, not on ornamental appearance, seating or window glass.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- -Excluding a floor-level bay as ornamental
- -Measuring to the window glass instead of the exterior finished wall
- -Treating a window box with no floor area the same as a bay with floor area
Concept Deep Dive
Analysis
This question tests ANSI measurement treatment of a bay projection in a finished above-grade room. The deciding facts are that the bay has a continuous finished floor at room level and full ceiling height, so it extends the room's floor area. The reasoning is to include it in GLA by following the exterior finished-wall surface, as with other qualifying area.
Background Knowledge
ANSI measurement standards for single-family homes, which Fannie Mae requires for GLA, measure finished above-grade area using exterior dimensions. Space counts when it is finished, at or above grade, and meets ceiling height requirements. Projections that extend a room's floor area are included, while features without floor area, such as a window box, are not.
Real-World Application
An appraiser measuring a two-story house finds a living room bay that extends the floor about three feet with the full ceiling height. The appraiser includes the bay footprint in GLA, measuring along the exterior finished wall, but excludes a kitchen garden window that has no floor.
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