Knowing the average length and width of a home can help you determine how much land you’ll need, what size house you can build, or how you can set up the rooms in the home.
However, houses, even houses of the same style, can be in a range of shapes and sizes, so every house will have a different length and width.
For this reason, it can be difficult to find exact average measurements, but you can often estimate to get a feel for different house sizes.
Overall Average Home Sizes
House sizes are usually given not by their length or width but in square footage. This measurement offers a clear idea of exactly how much living space you will have, whatever shape the house is, and whether the house has one story or multiple stories.
The average size of a home is 2,500 square feet, but this can vary depending on how many people the house is designed to home, what style the house is, and where the house is located.
A square foot measurement doesn’t often give a good idea of how long or wide the house will be, but this is because a home of this size can be nearly any shape.
Some, such as ranch-style houses, are narrow but long. Others have a small footprint but might be two or three stories tall.
Still, others are built-in L-shapes or have curved shapes. To get an idea of the length and width of any home, it’s best to look at the home style and get estimates based on those style averages.
Tiny Homes
Tiny homes are designed to offer compact living spaces with fold-away amenities. These homes are popular because they require little upkeep, are inexpensive, and provide flexible living options.
Most tiny homes are about 8 feet or 2.4 meters wide and 18 feet or about 5.5 meters long. Most tiny homes have a loft area upstairs for the bedroom.
Bungalows
Bungalows are cottage-type homes that are generally small or medium in size. They are usually one story, but they might have a loft or an area where there’s a smaller second floor.
Bungalow homes are usually between 1,500 and 1,600 square feet, although some can be as much as double this size. Bungalows are usually between 24 and 26 feet or about 7.3 to 7.9 meters wide.
Bungalows are almost square in shape, so many bungalows are about 30 feet or just over 9 meters long.
Two-Story Homes
Two-story homes can be any size, shape, or style. These homes are often a great way to increase living space without increasing the footprint of the home.
Most two-story homes are 20 feet or 6 meters tall and have a length of 42 feet or 12.8 meters and a width of 35 feet or 10.67 meters.
Cape-style houses are some of the most common two-story houses available. These homes generally have a living room, kitchen, and dining area downstairs and bedrooms upstairs.
The master bedroom might be downstairs at the back of the house. Most cape homes are about 26 feet or 7.9 meters wide and 36 feet or 10.97 meters long.
Ranch Homes
Most ranch homes are about 22 feet or 6.71 meters wide and 48 feet or 14.63 meters long. This does not include the garage or carport area, which is often attached to one side of the house.
In general, ranch homes are one story, but some have two stories or may have sections with taller ceilings.
Trailers – Mobile homes
Trailers are often an excellent home option because they’re affordable, can be moved almost anywhere, and offer a range of layout choices. Most trailers are relatively narrow, but many are quite long, offering plenty of space for several people to live together.
Trailers are usually sold in single, double, or triple-wide styles. Single-wide trailers are usually 15 feet or 4.6 meters wide and 72 feet or 21.95 meters long.
Double-wide trailers are generally 26 feet or 7.9 meters wide and 56 feet or 17.1 meters long, and triple-wide trailers are often around 38 feet or 11.6 meters wide and 73 feet or 22.3 meters long.
Large Homes and Mansions
Larger homes are often the hardest to offer average dimensions for because they can be any shape. These homes are often custom-designed, so homeowners or builders can create a layout that works for their lifestyle and the land they’re planning to build on.
Large homes are generally considered to be any home over 2,500 square feet, while mansions are considered to be any home over 5,000 square feet, but the definitions can blur, and there are no strict rules about length, width, or overall size of the home as far as terms go.
Many people only considered houses larger than 8,000 square feet to be mansions.
If the average large home or mansion is about 6,500 square feet, you can estimate that the width would be around 40 feet or 12.2 meters, and the length would be about 120 feet or 36.6 meters.
However, this is only a rough estimate, since, as mentioned above, mansions can be any shape or configuration.
Land Requirements
How much land you need for any particular home is also quite variable. The answer to this question depends on how much land you personally want, what the regulations are in the area, and how big your home will be.
On average, most people choose a piece of land that is at least half an acre in size, and many opt for a full acre. If you want to build a large home, though, or you want a large yard or plan to install a pool, garden, or other outdoor recreation areas, you may want to choose a larger piece of land.
Many construction companies or architects use a ratio to determine how much land you’ll most likely need for a given home.
Most buildings have land to building ratios of between 2.5 and 3.5 to 1. When considering a ratio, remember to include the size of the garage and any outbuildings, such as barns or sheds, into the building ratio.
