In a covered Fannie Mae assignment, a 600 SF sunroom expressly meets all applicable finished above-grade requirements. A finished attic also meets access/grade requirements: of 200 SF floor area, 120 SF is at least 7 ft high, 40 SF is 5 ft to under 7 ft, and 40 SF is under 5 ft. What combined qualifying area do these spaces contribute?
Correct Answer
D) 760 SF, excluding the 40 SF under 5 ft
Under the ANSI Z765 rules Fannie Mae adopts, a room with a sloping ceiling qualifies when at least half of its finished area has a ceiling height of at least 7 ft, and any area with a ceiling height under 5 ft is not counted as finished area. Here 120 of the attic's 200 SF (60%) is at least 7 ft, so the room qualifies; only the 160 SF at 5 ft or more counts. Adding the separate qualifying 600 SF sunroom gives 600 + 160 = 760 SF.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Option D is correct because 120 of the attic's 200 SF (60%) has a ceiling height of at least 7 feet, so the room meets the 50% test. Area with a ceiling height under 5 feet does not count, so the attic contributes 120 + 40 = 160 SF. Adding the 600 SF sunroom gives 600 + 160 = 760 SF.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: 600 SF, excluding all sloping ceilings
Option A, 600 SF, counts only the sunroom and excludes the whole attic because of its sloping ceiling. The attic qualifies because 60% of it is at least 7 feet high, so its 160 SF at 5 feet or more is added: 600 + 160 = 760 SF.
Option B: 800 SF, counting the full attic
Option B, 800 SF, adds the full 200 SF attic to the 600 SF sunroom. The 40 SF with a ceiling under 5 feet is not counted, so the correct total is 600 + 160 = 760 SF.
Option C: 720 SF, excluding attic space under 7 ft
Option C, 720 SF, adds only the 120 SF at 7 feet or more to the 600 SF sunroom. Once the room qualifies, the 40 SF between 5 and 7 feet also counts, giving 600 + 160 = 760 SF.
Half at seven, none under five
A sloped room qualifies if half its area is at least 7 feet; then count the area 5 feet and up, but not the area under 5 feet.
How to use: Use this for any attic or sloped-ceiling area calculation.
Exam Tip
Do the 50% qualification test first, then subtract only the area under 5 feet. Watch for distractors that exclude the 5-to-7-foot band or include the area under 5 feet.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- -Counting only the area at 7 feet or more after the room qualifies
- -Including floor area with a ceiling under 5 feet
- -Excluding a sloped room entirely without applying the 50% test
Concept Deep Dive
Analysis
This question tests the Fannie Mae and ANSI Z765 sloped-ceiling rules. First check whether the attic room qualifies (at least 50% of its finished area at 7 feet or more), then exclude any portion under 5 feet, and add the qualifying sunroom.
Background Knowledge
ANSI Z765, as adopted by Fannie Mae, sets a 7-foot ceiling height requirement with special treatment for sloping ceilings. In a room with a sloping ceiling, at least half of the finished area must have a ceiling of at least 7 feet, and area under 5 feet is not counted as finished area. A room that fails the 50% test is reported separately as nonstandard finished area.
Real-World Application
An appraiser measures a finished Cape Cod upper level with knee walls. After confirming more than half the floor area has at least 7 feet of headroom, the appraiser counts the area with at least 5 feet of headroom and leaves out the low space along the eaves.
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