Introduction
This Feet to Meters Calculator changes a length in feet into meters. Type a number, and you get the answer right away. It works both ways too, so you can turn meters back into feet with one click of the Swap button, or use the dedicated Meters to Feet Calculator if that is your main direction.
You can enter feet as a decimal, like 5.5 ft. Or pick "Feet + Inches" and enter 5 ft 6 in. That mode is great for heights, door sizes, and room measurements on a job site.
The math uses the exact rule: 1 foot = 0.3048 meters. The tool shows each step, so you can check the work. It also splits the answer into whole meters plus centimeters, and gives the same length in inches, millimeters, yards, kilometers, and miles.
Pick how many decimal places you want, from 2 up to 8. Use the quick buttons for common lengths like 10 ft, 20 ft, or 100 ft. The chart shows how feet and meters grow together in a straight line, with your value marked on it.
Builders, students, and DIY workers can use this feet to meters converter for plans, lumber, concrete, and land sizes. Just enter your number and read the result.
How to use our Feet to Meters Calculator
Type a length in feet and the calculator shows the same length in meters. It also gives you feet and inches, meters and centimeters, a step-by-step solution, and a chart.
Input Mode: Pick "Feet Only" to type one decimal number, like 5.5. Pick "Feet + Inches" if you have a measurement like 5 ft 6 in.
Result Precision: Choose how many decimal places you want in the answer. Pick 2 for quick jobs or 6 to 8 for exact work.
Feet (ft): Type the number of feet. In "Feet Only" mode you can use decimals. In "Feet + Inches" mode, type whole feet here.
Inches (in): This box shows up in "Feet + Inches" mode. Type the leftover inches, from 0 to 11.99. If you type 12 or more, the extra inches roll into feet for you.
Meters (m): Type a number here to go the other way and turn meters into feet. The feet box updates on its own.
Swap: Click this to flip the direction between feet to meters and meters to feet.
Frequently Used Values: Click a preset like 10 ft or 100 ft to fill the feet box fast.
Convert and Clear: Click Convert to see the result, or Clear to empty all boxes and start over.
Feet to Meters: What It Means
A foot is a length unit used in the United States, and a meter is the length unit used in most of the world. One foot equals exactly 0.3048 meters. That number is not rounded. It was set by law in 1959, so every foot-to-meter answer starts from it.
The Formula
meters = feet × 0.3048
feet = meters ÷ 0.3048
Example: a 10 ft ceiling is 10 × 0.3048 = 3.048 meters. A 2 meter door is 2 ÷ 0.3048 = 6.5617 feet.
Feet and Inches
Twelve inches make one foot. To change feet and inches into meters, first turn the inches into decimal feet by dividing by 12. So 5 ft 6 in is 5 + (6 ÷ 12) = 5.5 ft, which is 1.6764 meters. One inch alone is 0.0254 meters, or 2.54 centimeters. If your measurement is written as a fraction like 5 ft 6 3/8 in, the Fraction to Decimal Calculator turns it into a decimal first.
Common Conversions
| Feet | Meters |
|---|---|
| 1 ft | 0.3048 m |
| 5 ft | 1.524 m |
| 8 ft | 2.4384 m |
| 10 ft | 3.048 m |
| 20 ft | 6.096 m |
| 100 ft | 30.48 m |
Why It Matters in Construction
Building plans, steel, pipe, lumber, and machine parts are often sold in metric sizes even in feet-based countries. Crews must switch between the two units to order material, read drawings, and check site layout. A small rounding mistake grows fast over a long run. If you round 0.3048 to 0.3, a 100 ft wall comes out 4.8 meters short, enough to ruin a job.
Tips for Accurate Work
- Keep at least 4 decimal places while you work, and round only at the end.
- Write the unit next to every number so feet and meters do not get mixed up.
- For fine work, read meters as meters plus centimeters (2.4384 m = 2 m 43.84 cm).
- Watch out for the old "US survey foot," used in some land maps. It is slightly longer than the standard foot and was retired in 2023.
- Check tape measures on site: many have both feet and meter markings on opposite edges.