Does a Heated Garage Count Toward Square Footage?

A heated garage does not typically count toward square footage in real estate listings or appraisals.

Key reasons:

• Gross Living Area (GLA) standards, used by appraisers and MLS systems, generally include only finished, heated, and livable areas that are accessible from the main part of the house.
• Even if the garage is heated and finished, it's still considered a utility space, not living space, unless it has been permanently converted into a room (like a bedroom or office) and meets the same standards as the rest of the home's interior.

Exceptions:

• If a garage has been legally converted into finished living space with permits, insulation, finished walls, flooring, and HVAC—and it's accessible from the main house—it may count toward square footage.