Do You Know Everything About FSI...!

Do You Know Everything About Floor Area Ratio?

As buyers or developers, we’re all just concerned about the constant ripple in the prices of property. 

It would be a boon to know some factors that would tell us not only the price, but also the quality of the property you have your eyes on. 

Floor-Area Ratio (FAR) tells you the density of a certain area, and how much square foot of that area is occupied by the building. But, is that all you need to know?

What is Floor-Area Ratio?

The Floor-to-Area ratio (FAR) or / Floor Space Index (FSI) or FAR, as it’s more conveniently referred to, is an important factor in understanding how dense or scattered the construction within a certain area is. Its calculation is simple; you take the total square feet of the building, and divide it by the total square feet of the space the building is located on. 

It also implies that buildings of different height and stories can have the same FAR, because it takes into consideration the total floor area of a building. The higher the number, the denser the construction is.

What is the Importance of FAR?

In the simplest way possible, let’s look at the city you are planning to construct a building in. The city has a safe limit, a set limit at which construction can take place without hindering the overall density of the city and not causing trouble. FAR is that limit.

The calculation of FAR determines how big, in terms of square feet, must a building be before it starts to hinder any future construction. It is nothing but the ratio of the total floor area of the building compared with the total lot area. The total floor area of the building includes everything that will occupy floor space like the basic structure, walls, and staircase.

How Does This Affect the Buyer?

You as a buyer are clearly interested in knowing what FAR has to do with you. Simply put, if the municipality or the responsible government authority increases the FAR, the market value of property in the said area will undoubtedly increase. 

It further goes to imply that the higher the FAR is, the greater chance of you living in a dense, crowded locality and / or building, with more people sharing the amenities provided, which will clearly put a strain on everyone involved.

You would instead want to be that person that buys property with a lower FAR, which means that when FAR is hiked, you will be able to build more in the same area. Therefore, you will get more money out of the same area for which you paid less.

While high FAR seems like the only possible outcome in the future and the only way to realize the dream of “housing for all”, it has a lot of disadvantages. For example, disaster management teams have a harder time realizing any safe zones or areas in localities with high FAR, since construction is dense, and this makes safety a grave issue.

How Does FAR Affect the Developer?

As a developer, a high FAR would allow you to build more per square, and sell it for reasonable prices. 

However, it’s important to note that even though it reduces the per capita cost of infrastructure, it isn’t the only thing that affects the market price. There are other things to be taken into consideration when developing and selling property.

As a developer, it’s also important to know that the quality of the construction is dependent on the FAR too. The level of FAR is decided upon after taking into consideration a lot of factors such as sewage system, water supply, disposal, land availability, etc. 

Therefore, it is a must that your construction sticks to the decided FAR value. Ignorance can cause great pressure on the land, the surrounding areas and environment.

In cities across India, FAR ranges from 1.5 to 2.5, for safety reasons. Although it may seem like a bright idea to work in an area with a high FAR, it has long-term implications that will eventually hinder growth in cities with crowded living spaces and failing infrastructure.

Floor Space Index in 8 Major Cities

Author Bio..!

Ms. Pravitha Rohit is working as a content strategist at commonfloor.com. She enjoys writing informative blogs, articles, and reviews. 

She likes to think of her writing as an online resource; helping end-users answer questions, while guiding others in the direction they seek.

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