What is the guideline for including areas with a 5 ft ceiling height in RMS measurements?

The guideline for including areas with a 5 ft ceiling height in RMS measurements indicates that such areas may be included as long as there is some portion of the space that has a minimum height of 7 feet. This stipulation is in place to ensure that livable space within a residential property is represented accurately since ceiling height is directly related to usability and comfort in a home.

This approach recognizes that while areas with lower ceilings may not provide the same level of utility or livability as those with higher ceilings, they can still contribute to the overall usable square footage of a home if there is a sufficient amount of space meeting the higher ceiling requirement. Consequently, including lower-height areas only when there is an adequate higher-height space reflects a balance between practical usability and comprehensive measurement of a property's space.

Areas that are entirely below the 7 ft threshold would fail to meet the criteria for livable space, hence they would be excluded from the gross measurements in RMS calculations.