How Large Are Bungalows, Typically? Terms & Square Footage
"Bungalow" describes a shape, not a size — and the square footage on a listing doesn't always mean what buyers assume. Here's how bungalow sizes actually work, and how the number is counted.
There is no standard bungalow size
A bungalow is defined by its form — one main storey of living space — not by a floor-area range. In Ontario that covers a lot of ground: compact post-war bungalows built for returning veterans and young families, generous mid-century builds on wide suburban lots, and modern bungalows in new subdivisions that carry the footprint of a two-storey house spread across one level. Many older Ontario bungalows land somewhere around 900 to 1,400 square feet on the main floor; newer ones frequently run larger. Treat any single "typical size" with suspicion — the era and the lot explain more than the label does.
The number on the listing is usually above-grade only
Here's the part that trips up comparisons. The square footage in most Ontario listings is the above-grade living area — the main floor. A finished basement, even a beautiful one with bedrooms and a bathroom, is generally not folded into the headline number; it's described separately in the listing text. Two bungalows can both show the same square footage while one has nearly double the usable space below grade. When you compare bungalows, always read the headline figure and the basement description as a pair.
It also matters where the number came from. Listing square footage may be sourced from the municipal assessment record (MPAC), from the builder's plans, or from a measurement — and those sources don't always agree. If the exact size matters to your decision, the listing's room dimensions are the ground truth: add up the principal rooms and you'll know what you're actually buying.
Terms you'll see, translated
- Bungalow: one main storey, basement below. The default meaning in Ontario listings.
- Raised bungalow: the basement is lifted half out of the ground, giving the lower level large windows and real daylight. The above-grade figure still counts the main floor.
- Bungaloft: a bungalow with a small loft level — usually a bedroom or retreat above part of the main floor. That loft area may or may not be included in the stated square footage, so check.
- Backsplit / sidesplit: cousins, not bungalows — split-level layouts with staggered half-storeys. They get cross-shopped with bungalows constantly, but the living is different: short stair runs between several levels instead of one flat floor.
- Detached / semi / link: structure, not size — but a detached bungalow's footprint and a semi's will rarely match, even at the same listed area.
What never counts, whatever the style
Some spaces are excluded from living-area square footage wherever you buy: the garage, open porches and decks, unfinished areas, and any space where the ceiling drops below standard height. This is why a listing's number can look modest next to the home's actual footprint — the bungalow's wide garage and covered porch add plenty of building, just not counted building. It also means the lot coverage you see from the street overstates the "size" you'll be quoted. When a number seems off in either direction, ask which measurement standard and which source produced it; a straight answer is a good sign about the listing.
New-build bungalows deserve one extra check: builders' marketing materials sometimes quote a total that blends the main floor with a finished lower level or a loft. The MLS listing for the same model may state a smaller, above-grade-only figure. Both can be honest — they're just counting different things — so make sure the number you're comparing across homes was produced the same way.
Why the basement changes the size story
Because the headline number excludes the lower level, bungalow shopping rewards reading past it. A raised bungalow with a finished, sunlit lower level can live like a much larger home than its stated square footage suggests — family room, guest bedroom, office, all below the main floor. A traditional bungalow of the same stated size, with an unfinished basement, lives exactly at that size until someone invests in finishing it. Neither is better in the abstract; but the price-per-square-foot math that works for two-storey homes misleads here, because the denominator quietly ignores half the house.
A quick way to compare two bungalows
- Line up the above-grade figures first — that's the apples-to-apples number.
- Then score the lower level separately: finished or not, ceiling height, window size, bathroom rough-in or installed.
- Check the lot — bungalows sit wide, and the lot often carries as much of the value as the floor area.
- Use room dimensions, not the summary figure, for the rooms you'll live in most.
Next step
Size reads differently in person than it does in a listing — browse current bungalows for sale in Scarborough and compare the stated square footage against the room dimensions to see the gap for yourself. Layout matters as much as area — see raised bungalows vs. traditional bungalows for how the two floor plans live differently.