What is Floor Area Ratio (FAR)?
Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is a zoning regulation that limits the amount of floor space built on a given piece of land. FAR determines the maximum floor area that can be developed on a property relative to its lot size. It is typically expressed as a ratio of the total floor area of all buildings on a lot to the entire area of the lot.
To determine the Floor Area Ratio, you calculate the whole floor area of all buildings on a lot and divide that by the lot size. The total floor area includes all building levels, basements, mezzanine levels, and attic spaces. The total area of the lot consists of all land within the property lines, including any setbacks, easements, or other restrictions.
For example, if a lot is 5,000 square feet in area and the total floor area of all buildings on the lot is 10,000 square feet, the FAR would be 2.0 (10,000 sq. ft. / 5,000 sq. ft. = 2.0). This means that the total floor area of all buildings on the lot cannot exceed twice the size of the lot.
Local governments use FAR to regulate the density of development in a given area, which can vary depending on the zoning district. For example, the FAR may be as low as 0.25 in a low-density residential zoning district. In contrast, it may be as high as 10.0 or more in a high-density commercial district.
