National Real Estate Exam (PSI)Land Use Controls and RegulationsHard
A city's zoning ordinance sets a maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.5 for a commercial lot that is 8,000 square feet. A developer proposes a 4-story building with a footprint of 4,000 square feet on each floor. Does the proposed building comply with the FAR limit, and by how much does it exceed or fall under the maximum?
- ANot compliant; the building exceeds the maximum by 8,000 square feet
- BCompliant; the building is exactly at the 12,000-square-foot maximum
- CNot compliant; the building exceeds the maximum by 4,000 square feet
- DCompliant; the building is 4,000 square feet under the maximum
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Not compliant; the building exceeds the maximum by 4,000 square feet
FAR maximum floor area = lot area × FAR = 8,000 × 1.5 = 12,000 square feet. The proposed building's total floor area = 4,000 sq ft footprint × 4 stories = 16,000 square feet. Since 16,000 − 12,000 = 4,000, the building exceeds the maximum allowed floor area by 4,000 square feet.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. This miscalculates the excess; the correct overage is 4,000 sq ft, not 8,000.
- B. 12,000 is the maximum allowed, but the proposed building totals 16,000 square feet, not exactly at the limit.
- D. This reverses the math; the building actually exceeds, not falls under, the maximum.
Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
A zoning tool comparing total building floor area to lot size (FAR = total floor area ÷ lot area), used to limit building bulk and density.
- Maximum floor area = lot area × FAR
- Total floor area sums all stories' floor space
- Exceeding the FAR maximum requires a variance or redesign
Memory trick: FAR = Floor Area ÷ lot Area—multiply to find your max.