What defines a split foyer?

General Inspection Topics General Inspection Discussion
1

I’m having some tax issues on my home - I am curious how you guys would classify it and if there is anything in writing to back this up.

Home Description:
Front door goes to a foyer with half a staircase up and half down. Upstairs is finished with hard wood floors and a higher quality than downstairs. Downstairs is pergo laminate, smaller windows, cheap lighting fixtures and is ~3.5’ below grade working towards being ground level for the garage exit. The garage is part of the lower floor and has bedrooms above it.

Is this a split level, split foyer, or a 1 story with basement?

I appreciate any input! Ive been lurking this forum for years while working on projects and havent joined - and I realize this question is particularly suited for an assessor rather than an inspector but I am not finding the info I need to prepare myself.

2

Names can be very regional. In the Pacific NW, that would be a split-level.

3

Here, in my area we call them “raised ranches”. But it definitely a split level home.

4

In my area split foyer refers to the foyer footprint outside the house rectangle and split entry refers to the foyer being inside the house rectangle.

There are other configs as well including multilevel etc.

5

Sounds like what we refer to as a a raised bungalow around here

6

A split level will have three different levels. The entry will be on ground level and single story. From that level, there will be two 1/2 story flights of stairs one up and one down to the two story section of the house. The Brady bunch house was a split level.

A split foyer will have two stories, one over the other and neither at ground level. Only the entrance and foyer will be at ground level (front of house). The upper and lower levels will be accessed by 1/2 story flight of stairs up or down. There will be no living space at the foyer level. Basically, the front entry foyer doubles as a mid-stair landing.

7

Around here they’re called Bi-Level & Tri-Level

8

That’s what we call our Home See picture .

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9

Ok. There are localized terms, but the op asked for the definition if two specific terms, not every regional colliquial term.

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11

Dan
contact or seach the local county, parish or borough tax assessor
your property code/type is usually determined the day the initial building permit was issued
many can be found online
if you’re still having difficulty send me the address & i’ll see what i can find

12

Gee, that was easy.