Why You Are Here
The most common reason someone searches feet to meters is working with a document, plan, or specification that was created in an imperial measurement context but needs to be communicated, submitted, or implemented in a metric context.
This happens most frequently in three specific situations. An architect or contractor has a US building plan in feet that needs to be submitted to a metric-standard authority, converted for a project outside the US, or compared against metric material specifications from an international supplier. A swimmer, coach, or athletics administrator is working with pool lengths, track distances, or competition standards where the international governing body requires distances in meters but the local facility was built to imperial specifications. Or someone is listing, renting, or buying property across borders where room dimensions stated in feet need to be expressed in meters for an international listing or legal document.
The Conversion Factor and Formula
1 foot = 0.3048 meters exactly. This is a defined, precise value. The foot was legally defined as exactly 0.3048 meters in 1959 under the International Yard and Pound Agreement. This makes feet to meters one of the few unit conversions that is mathematically exact with no rounding at all.
Formula — Simple Meters Only
Meters = Feet x 0.3048 Example: Convert 10 feet to meters 10 x 0.3048 = 3.048 meters
Formula — Combined Feet and Inches to Meters
Meters = (Feet x 0.3048) + (Inches x 0.0254) Example: Convert 5 feet 6 inches to meters (5 x 0.3048) + (6 x 0.0254) = 1.524 + 0.1524 = 1.6764 meters
Swimming Pool and Athletics Reference Table — Feet to Meters
| Feets (ft) | Meters (m) | Athletics Context |
|
25 ft |
7.620 m |
Non-standard short pool length |
|
33 ft |
10.058 m |
Ten meter diving platform approximate |
|
82 ft |
24.994 m |
Just under 25-meter short course pool |
|
100 ft |
30.480 m |
One hundred feet, approximate short pool |
|
164 ft |
49.987 m |
Just under 50-meter Olympic pool |
|
300 ft |
91.440 m |
One hundred yards on a running track |
|
660 ft |
201.168 m |
Furlong, 200 meter track equivalent |
|
1,320 ft |
402.336 m |
Quarter mile in feet |
|
5,280 ft |
1,609.344 m |
One mile exactly in feet |
General Feet to Meters Conversion Examples
For construction, architecture, and everyday use:
| Feet (ft) | Meters (m) | Common Context |
|
1 ft |
0.305 m |
One foot, base conversion reference |
|
2 ft |
0.610 m |
Two feet, standard step height |
|
3 ft |
0.914 m |
Three feet, one yard |
|
4 ft |
1.219 m |
Four feet, average door width |
|
5 ft |
1.524 m |
Five feet, typical person's reach height |
|
6 ft |
1.829 m |
Six feet, standard door height |
|
7 ft |
2.134 m |
Seven feet, high ceiling clearance |
|
8 ft |
2.438 m |
Eight feet, standard US ceiling height |
|
9 ft |
2.743 m |
Nine feet, upgraded ceiling height |
|
10 ft |
3.048 m |
Ten feet, large room width reference |
|
12 ft |
3.658 m |
Standard US garage door width |
|
20 ft |
6.096 m |
Large room or shipping container |
|
30 ft |
9.144 m |
Three-story building height |
|
50 ft |
15.240 m |
Five-story building height |
|
100 ft |
30.480 m |
Ten-story building height |
Construction Ceiling and Room Height Reference — Feet to Meters
For architects, developers, and real estate professionals working across metric and imperial markets:
| Celling Height (ft) | Meters (m) | Building Context |
|
7 ft 6 in |
2.286 m |
Low residential ceiling |
|
8 ft |
2.438 m |
Standard US residential ceiling |
|
9 ft |
2.743 m |
Upgraded residential ceiling |
|
10 ft |
3.048 m |
High residential or standard commercial ceiling |
|
11 ft |
3.353 m |
High commercial ceiling |
|
12 ft |
3.658 m |
Loft or warehouse ceiling |
|
14 ft |
4.267 m |
High warehouse or retail ceiling |
|
16 ft |
4.877 m |
Large warehouse ceiling |
|
20 ft |
6.096 m |
Industrial ceiling height |
|
24 ft |
7.315 m |
Very large industrial space |
Feet Compared to Other Length Units
| 1 Foot Equals | Value | System | Common Use |
|
Meters (m) |
0.3048 m |
Metric |
Exact defined conversion |
|
Centimeters (cm) |
30.48 cm |
Metric |
Centimeter equivalent |
|
Millimeters (mm) |
304.8 mm |
Metric |
Millimeter equivalent |
|
Inches (in) |
12 in |
Imperial |
Inch equivalent |
|
Yards (yd) |
0.333 yd |
Imperial |
One third of a yard |
|
Miles (mi) |
0.000189 mi |
Imperial |
Mile equivalent |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A foot equals exactly 30.48 centimeters, not 30. Using 30 centimeters per foot introduces a 1.6 percent error. Over a 20-foot room that difference is 9.6 centimeters, which matters when checking whether furniture will fit, calculating material quantities, or comparing a floor plan against a metric specification. For any professional or precise use always multiply by 0.3048, not 0.30.
Measurements like 5 feet 6 inches are not the same as 5.6 feet. There are 12 inches in a foot, so 6 inches is 0.5 feet, making 5 feet 6 inches equal to 5.5 feet, not 5.6. Converting 5.6 feet to meters gives 1.707 meters while the correct answer for 5 feet 6 inches is 1.6764 meters. A difference of 3 centimeters that matters for height-sensitive applications like doorframe clearance, equipment fit, and medical records.
Linear feet and feet measure the same thing — length in one dimension. Some people encounter the term linear feet on building material orders and assume it is a different unit. It is not. One linear foot is exactly one foot and converts to meters using the same factor of 0.3048. The word linear is simply added to distinguish length from area or volume measurements on material orders.
Quick Reference Values — Construction and Room Heights
| Feet (ft) | Meters (m) |
|
1 ft |
0.305 m |
|
2 ft |
0.610 m |
|
3 ft |
0.914 m |
|
4 ft |
1.219 m |
|
5 ft |
1.524 m |
|
6 ft |
1.829 m |
|
7 ft |
2.134 m |
|
8 ft |
2.438 m |
|
9 ft |
2.743 m |
|
10 ft |
3.048 m |
|
12 ft |
3.658 m |
|
20 ft |
6.096 m |