Feet to Metres Converter – Quick & Accurate

Convert ft to m as you type.

Metric Length Converter - cm, m, km & Miles
1 ft = 0.3048 m

Reference for one unit; displayed values may be rounded.

ft

Feet

Use a dot or comma for decimals, without thousands separators.

m

Meters

Display rounding does not improve the accuracy of your original measurement. Very large or very small results use scientific notation.

Method and source

ft to m Conversion Formula

To convert feet to metres, multiply the foot value by 0.3048. Since 1959, one foot has been internationally defined as exactly 0.3048 metres.

1 ft = 0.3048 m

Feet and Meters Explained

Feet (ft)

The foot is a US customary and imperial unit of length equal to 12 inches or exactly 0.3048 meters. It anchors American construction: wall plates sit on 8 ft sheets, studs on 16 ft layouts doubled, and ceilings standardize at 8 ft. Human height in the US and UK is quoted in feet and inches, aviation altitude worldwide is measured in feet, and canyon, bridge, and summit elevations on maps read in feet.

Where it is used: Dominant in US building, real estate, and elevation mapping; the global aviation altitude unit; retained in UK for height and road signs.

Origin: Used since Egyptian and Roman times from the human foot's length; unified internationally at exactly 0.3048 m by the 1959 yard and pound agreement.

Meters (m)

The meter is the SI base unit of length — the distance light travels in 1/299,792,458 of a second — and equals about 3.28 feet. Building codes, ceiling heights, pool lengths, and site plans outside the US are written in meters, and metric tooling, sprint tracks, and science classrooms worldwide run on it. Any American dimension crossing into a metric country — a 40 ft container, a 100 ft field — becomes a meter figure at the border.

Where it is used: Universal in international construction, engineering, science, and sport; the legal reference unit in nearly every nation.

Origin: Conceived in 1791 France from Earth's meridian; its modern definition via the speed of light dates to 1983.

Feet to Metres Conversion Table

Select a value to use it in the calculator.

Feet (ft) Meters (m)
0.3048 m
0.6096 m
0.9144 m
1.2192 m
1.524 m
1.8288 m
2.4384 m
3.048 m
3.6576 m
4.572 m
6.096 m
7.62 m
9.144 m
10.668 m
12.192 m
15.24 m
30.48 m

Meters to Feet Conversion Table

Meters (m) Feet (ft)
0.5 m 1.6404199475 ft
1 m 3.280839895 ft
2 m 6.56167979 ft
3 m 9.842519685 ft
5 m 16.4041994751 ft
10 m 32.8083989501 ft
15 m 49.2125984252 ft
20 m 65.6167979003 ft
30 m 98.4251968504 ft
50 m 164.0419947507 ft
100 m 328.0839895013 ft

Feet to Meters in Everyday Objects

Common real-world examples that make Feet and Meters easy to picture at a glance.

  Feet (ft) Meters (m)
A privacy fence panel 6 ft 1.8288 m
A basketball rim height 10 ft 3.048 m
A pickup truck length 19 ft 5.7912 m
A school bus length 35 ft 10.668 m
A shipping container 40 ft 12.192 m
A garden hose 50 ft 15.24 m

When You Need Feet to Meters Conversions

Building with US Plans Abroad

A Georgia deck plan calls for 12 ft joist spans, but your Portuguese lumber yard stocks 3.65 m boards. Converting 12 ft to 3.6576 m shows one board per span with a 7.6 cm trim — workable, with zero waste.

Converting Boat Berth Quotes

Mediterranean marinas price by the meter, and your yacht is 34 ft on deck. Converting to 10.3612 m places you in the 11 m berth class — knowing this before arrival saves an argument at the office.

Sizing Sports Fields

A US soccer club's 360 ft by 225 ft pitch converts to 109.728 m by 68.58 m — inside FIFA's 105-110 m length band. Groundskeepers verify compliance with exactly this arithmetic.

Interpreting Aviation Charts

Approach plates list decision heights like 200 ft. Converting 200 ft to 60.96 m matches it against the metric minimums printed on the same chart's European counterpart.

How to Use

  1. 1

    Enter the Foot Value

    Type the measurement in feet — for example, enter 10 for a standard Aussie ceiling height.

  2. 2

    See the Metre Equivalent

    The result appears instantly: 10 ft = 3.048 m — the standard ceiling height in new builds.

  3. 3

    Copy or Reverse

    Copy the result to your clipboard or click Swap to convert metres back to feet.

  4. 4

    Use the Conversion Table

    Browse the table for common values like 6 ft = 1.829 m (door height) or 25 ft = 7.62 m.

Why Use Be Converter?

Instant Length Conversion

Get precise foot to metre results in real-time as you type — perfect for quick calculations on the tools or at the office.

Engineering-Grade Precision

Uses the exact international standard of 0.3048 m per foot for results suitable for architectural plans and council approvals.

Construction Reference Table

Common measurements at a glance — from 1 ft to 100 ft — handy for home reno projects and estimating materials.

Swap Directions

Toggle between feet and metres with one click — essential when dealing with imported plans or US schematics.

Free & No Signup

No registration needed. Convert unlimited measurements for any project — always free.

Completely Private

All calculations run locally in your browser. No measurement data is ever transmitted anywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many metres are in 1 foot?
1 foot equals exactly 0.3048 metres. This has been the precise international definition since 1959. For a quick estimate on site, think of 1 foot as about 30 centimetres (0.3 metres).
How do I convert feet to metres for a room dimension?
Multiply each dimension by 0.3048. For a 12 ft × 15 ft room: 12 × 0.3048 = 3.658 m and 15 × 0.3048 = 4.572 m. So the room is 3.658 m × 4.572 m — a common size for a master bedroom in Melbourne.
What is 6 feet in metres (human height)?
6 feet equals 1.8288 metres. This is often rounded to 1.83 m. A person described as "183 cm tall" in Australia is essentially 6 feet tall.
How do I convert feet and inches to metres?
First convert to decimal feet (divide inches by 12 and add to feet), then multiply by 0.3048. For example, 5 ft 10 in = 5 + 10/12 = 5.833 ft × 0.3048 = 1.778 m.
Why is 0.3048 the conversion factor for feet to metres?
In 1959, the international yard and pound agreement redefined the yard as exactly 0.9144 metres. Since 1 yard = 3 feet, dividing 0.9144 by 3 gives exactly 0.3048 metres per foot.
How many meters is 35,000 feet (cruising altitude)?
35,000 feet equals 10,668 meters — the typical jet cruise altitude. Controllers in metric-airspace countries quote the same level as 10,670 m, and the famous 39,000 ft ceiling converts to 11,887.2 m.
What is 16 feet in meters (a ladder or boat)?
16 feet equals 4.8768 meters. That is the working length of a common extension ladder and the length of many trailerable sailboats — European marinas bill these as "about 5 m" berths, so 16 ft boats pay the 5 m rate.
How many meters is an NBA basketball court?
An NBA court is 94 ft by 50 ft, which converts to 28.6512 m by 15.24 m. FIBA international courts run 28 m by 15 m — about 2 ft shorter — which is why three-point arcs sit at different distances in the two rulebooks.

About Feet to Metres Converter

Our free online feet to metres converter provides instant, accurate length conversions for construction, real estate, and everyday measurements. Whether you are a tradie in Sydney working off imported house plans, renovating a Queenslander in Brisbane, checking materials for a project in Perth, or simply buying furniture online from overseas, this tool helps you switch between imperial and metric systems instantly.

Expert Tips for ft to m Conversion

1

The exact conversion is 1 foot = 0.3048 metres. This standard was set by the 1959 international agreement defining the yard as exactly 0.9144 metres (0.9144 ÷ 3 = 0.3048).

2

For a quick mental calc on the job site, divide feet by 3 and subtract 1%. For 30 ft ÷ 3 = 10, minus 1% = 9.9 m (actual: 9.144 m). Or simply multiply by 0.3 for a rough figure.

3

Common reno references: 8 ft ceilings (common in older Oz homes) = 2.438 m, 9 ft ceilings = 2.743 m, and a standard 20ft shipping container = 6.096 m.

4

For Aussie real estate, 1 square foot = 0.0929 square metres. A 2,000 sq ft US home listing is about 185.8 sq m. Multiply sq ft by 0.0929 for area.

5

For feet-and-inches to metres, multiply total inches by 0.0254. For 5 ft 11 in = 71 inches × 0.0254 = 1.8034 m. This works because 1 inch = 0.0254 m exactly.

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