Homeowners often want to turn a den, office, or attic into an official bedroom. Who doesn't want the extra space for family or guests, even if it's small? Just call it cozy! (Besides, there are tricks for making a small bedroom seem larger.) And being able to call a room a bedroom will also add value down the road when it comes time to put your home up for sale on the real estate market. So it's just as easy as sticking a bed in that room, right? Not so fast, friends!
AdvertisementAll things building-related are codified, and bedrooms are no exception. The International Residential Code (IRC), which is updated every three years, catalogues the requirements for a bedroom. It covers such things as square footage, ceiling height, electrical outlets, lighting and ventilation, closets, and emergency exits. The code is a model meant to be adopted by local governments (and about 90 percent of communities in the United States have done so) but some municipalities amend it, so the rules may vary from state to state. Oh, don't sigh at the bureaucracy of it all. These rules are designed to help keep occupants—who, after all, are likely to be zonked out in bed—safe.
Read on to see the stipulations outlined by the IRC. But bear in mind that realtors, home inspectors, appraisers, lenders, and home buyers may have their own opinions about what constitutes a bedroom—just to complicate things a little further.
AdvertisementA single-occupancy bedroom must have 70 square feet of floor space, with a minimum of 7 feet in one direction. (In other words, an enclosed porch 5 feet wide will never qualify.) Furthermore, at least half of the ceiling must be 7 feet tall, minimum. Add more people using the space to sleep, and you have to accommodate with 50 more square feet for every person over the age of one.