Convert ft to m Calculator: Formula and Examples

The ft to m calculator converts a length in feet into metres: enter a value in feet, and it returns the equivalent distance in metres. It uses the exact conversion factor, so you can also use the formula below to check a result or convert measurements by hand.

Formula

Metres = feet × 0.3048

• Feet (ft) is the length you enter.
• Metres (m) is the converted length.
• Centimetres (cm), shown as a helper result, are metres multiplied by 100.

The factor 0.3048 is exact: one international foot is defined as 0.3048 metres. The reverse conversion is feet = metres ÷ 0.3048, or equivalently feet = metres × 3.280839895… .

Worked Example

Using the calculator’s default input of 10 ft:

1. Multiply the length by the conversion factor: 10 × 0.3048 = 3.048 m.
2. Convert that result to centimetres: 3.048 × 100 = 304.8 cm.
3. Rounded to the displayed precision, the results are 3.0480 m and 304.80 cm.

Therefore, 10 feet equals 3.048 metres. The extra displayed zeroes indicate the calculator’s decimal formatting; they do not mean the original measurement was necessarily known to that precision.

How to Convert Feet to Metres

To convert a measurement, multiply the number of feet by 0.3048. For example, 6 ft × 0.3048 = 1.8288 m. If the value includes a fraction of a foot, convert the fraction to a decimal first: 5 ft 6 in is 5.5 ft, because 6 inches is half a foot. Then 5.5 × 0.3048 = 1.6764 m.

You can also convert inches directly. Since 12 inches make one foot, one inch equals 0.0254 m, or 2.54 cm. For a measurement expressed as feet and inches, either convert the inches to a fraction of a foot and use the main formula, or convert each part separately:

• Convert feet to metres by multiplying feet by 0.3048.
• Convert inches to metres by multiplying inches by 0.0254.
• Add the two metre values.

For 5 ft 6 in, this gives (5 × 0.3048) + (6 × 0.0254) = 1.524 + 0.1524 = 1.6764 m.

When This Conversion Is Useful

Feet and metres measure the same physical quantity—length—but are common in different measurement contexts. Feet appear in many everyday measurements in the United States, including room dimensions and a person’s height. Metres are the standard unit of length in the International System of Units and are widely used in science, engineering, mapping, and everyday measurement in many countries.

A conversion is useful when comparing specifications or measurements recorded in different units. It can also help when reading a plan, product description, map, or reference that gives a length in feet while your measuring tool or other records use metres. For larger distances, the same calculation applies: 1,000 ft × 0.3048 = 304.8 m. There is no separate conversion rule for short or long lengths.

Use the calculator for a single value, or apply the same multiplication to each entry in a list. Keep the original value and unit visible when working with several measurements so that feet are not accidentally confused with inches, yards, or metres.

Accuracy, Rounding, and Common Mistakes

The conversion factor is exact, but the converted answer may not be. A measurement such as “about 10 feet” has limited precision even though its mathematical conversion is 3.048 m. For practical reporting, choose a number of decimal places that matches the original measurement and the purpose of the comparison. Rounding a result to 3.05 m may be clearer than showing many digits, but retain unrounded values during intermediate calculations when precision matters.

• Do not divide when converting feet to metres. Multiply by 0.3048. Divide by 0.3048 when converting metres back to feet.
• Do not treat inches as feet. Convert inches using 0.0254 m per inch, or divide inches by 12 before adding them to a feet value.
• Keep units attached to numbers. A bare number such as 12 is ambiguous; 12 ft and 12 m are very different lengths.
• Round at the end. Rounding intermediate values can introduce small differences, especially when converting several measurements or totals.

Another frequent misconception is that a conversion changes the physical size. It does not: 1 ft and 0.3048 m describe the same length in different units. Likewise, the foot-to-metre factor is not an estimate. The uncertainty in a real-world result usually comes from how accurately the original length was measured, not from the conversion factor.

Feet, Metres, and Related Units

A foot is subdivided into 12 inches, while a metre is subdivided into 100 centimetres. Those subdivisions differ, so a number of feet will not generally become the same number of metres or centimetres. For quick reference, 1 ft = 0.3048 m = 30.48 cm, and 1 m is approximately 3.28084 ft. The word “approximately” is appropriate for the reverse figure because its decimal expansion continues; the relationship itself is exact when expressed as 1 ÷ 0.3048.

Be aware that some older sources use historical definitions of the foot, and specialised fields may specify a particular convention. For ordinary contemporary conversions, use the international foot represented by the exact 0.3048 m factor. If a technical document states a different unit definition, follow that document rather than assuming the common conversion applies.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many metres are in one foot?
One international foot is exactly 0.3048 metres, or 30.48 centimetres.

How do I convert feet to metres?
Multiply the number of feet by 0.3048. For example, 8 ft × 0.3048 = 2.4384 m.

How many feet are in one metre?
One metre is approximately 3.28084 feet. To convert metres to feet, divide the metre value by 0.3048.

How do I convert feet and inches to metres?
Convert the inches to metres using 0.0254 m per inch, convert the feet using 0.3048 m per foot, and add the results. For instance, 6 ft 2 in is 1.8796 m.

Why does my answer have more decimal places than my measurement?
The conversion can produce decimal digits even when the original measurement was rounded. Report only as many digits as make sense for the accuracy of that measurement and the task.

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in ft | Length in feet | ft | 10 | 0
out m | Length in metres | m | ft * 0.3048 | 4
out cm | Length in centimetres | cm | m * 100 | 2