A three-acre site has a maximum floor area ratio of 0.5. Based only on FAR, and using 43,560 square feet per acre, what is the maximum total building floor area?
Correct Answer
A) 65,340 square feet
Convert the whole site: 3 × 43,560 = 130,680 square feet. Multiply by FAR: 130,680 × 0.5 = 65,340 square feet of total floor area. FAR does not by itself set a footprint or guarantee a feasible building; other site constraints may bind first.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Option A is correct because the site contains 3 x 43,560 = 130,680 square feet, and 130,680 x 0.5 = 65,340 square feet of total floor area. FAR limits total floor area, not footprint. Other constraints could limit the building further, but FAR alone allows 65,340 square feet.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option B: 43,560 square feet
Option B, 43,560 square feet, is the area of a single acre and ignores both the three-acre size and the 0.5 FAR. The correct result is 3 x 43,560 x 0.5 = 65,340 square feet.
Option C: 130,680 square feet
Option C, 130,680 square feet, is the total site area, which would correspond to a FAR of 1.0. Applying the 0.5 FAR gives 130,680 x 0.5 = 65,340 square feet.
Option D: 21,780 square feet
Option D, 21,780 square feet, applies the 0.5 FAR to only one acre: 43,560 x 0.5. The site is three acres, so the result is 130,680 x 0.5 = 65,340 square feet.
FAR counts all floors
FAR = total floor area / site area, so total floor area = site area x FAR, no matter how many stories.
How to use: Use this whenever a question gives FAR and asks for maximum building floor area.
Exam Tip
Convert acres to square feet before applying FAR, using 43,560 square feet per acre.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- -Forgetting to convert acres to square feet
- -Applying FAR to only one acre
- -Confusing FAR with lot coverage
Concept Deep Dive
Analysis
This question tests floor area ratio. FAR is total building floor area divided by site area, so maximum floor area equals site area times FAR. The acreage must first be converted to square feet.
Background Knowledge
Floor area ratio is a zoning measure of building intensity, equal to gross building floor area divided by land area. A FAR of 0.5 allows floor area equal to half the site area, whether built as one story or several.
Real-World Application
An appraiser analyzing a three-acre commercial site checks the zoning FAR to estimate the largest building it can legally support. That figure feeds the highest-and-best-use analysis and a price-per-buildable-square-foot comparison.
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