Does the lower level of a raised ranch count as square footage?
Published August 27, 2026
Usually not as gross living area. A raised ranch (bi-level) has a lower level set partway into the ground, so under ANSI Z765 it is below-grade finished area even when it holds bedrooms, a family room, and full-size windows. Only if the lower level sits fully above ground on every side does it count as GLA.
How appraisers report a raised ranch
Typically as a one-story house with a finished basement: the upper floor is the GLA, and the lower level is finished below-grade area with its own room count. Buyers used to seeing "2,200 sq ft" on the listing are surprised by an appraisal showing 1,100 above grade plus 1,100 below. The value can still come out the same; the split is a reporting rule from ANSI's grade test, not a discount.