Convert ft² to m² square feet ↔ square metres Free Online Secure
Type a value in square feet and read it in square metres at once. The factor is exact by definition, the arithmetic happens in your browser, and nothing is sent anywhere.
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Common values — Convert ft² to m² (square feet ↔ square metres)
| ft² | m² |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.09290304 |
| 2 | 0.18580608 |
| 3 | 0.27870912 |
| 5 | 0.4645152 |
| 10 | 0.9290304 |
| 20 | 1.8580608 |
| 50 | 4.645152 |
| 100 | 9.290304 |
Where these units come from
Square units need no definition of their own: a square metre is a metre by a metre, and everything follows from the length. The land measures are older and stranger. The acre began as the land a yoke of oxen could plough in a day, which is why it was long and thin rather than square — one chain by one furlong, 4840 square yards. The hectare and the are came out of the French Revolution, when land had to be measured in something decimal; neither belongs to the International System, but both were kept for land because a hectare is a comfortable size to picture and a square metre is not. Since the 1959 agreement on the yard, the acre is exactly 4046.8564224 square metres, so the conversions on this page are exact rather than approximate.
Where you meet them
Square metres price flats, size carpets and decide how much paint a wall needs; square feet do the same work in the United States and in much of the property market worldwide. Hectares belong to farmland, forests and planning permissions; acres to land deeds in the English-speaking world. Square kilometres and square miles are for countries, lakes and fires. Square centimetres and square millimetres live in workshops, on datasheets and anywhere a cross-section matters.
Questions people ask
How do I think about square feet?
A square foot is 0.09290304 square metres exactly, so a square metre is about 10.76 square feet. In the United States and in British property listings, floor space is given in square feet: a 100 square metre flat is a little under 1,100 square feet. Divide by ten and a bit to go from feet to metres.
How big is a square metre in practice?
A square one metre on each side. A standard interior door is about 1.8 square metres, a single bed about 2 and a small bathroom around 4. Floor space, paint coverage and property prices are usually quoted per square metre, so a rough feel for the size helps you judge whether a listed figure is generous or tight.
Is the answer exact?
Where both units are defined in terms of one another by whole numbers, yes — the page says so above the figure, and the only rounding is in how many digits are shown. Where the ratio has no finite decimal, the page shows twelve significant digits and says the relation is approximate rather than pretending otherwise.
Does anything I type leave my device?
No. The arithmetic runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no server to upload it to. Load the page once and it keeps working with the network switched off.
Reading an American floor plan in metric
An American flat is advertised at 750 square feet, a house at 2,300, a shop at 5,000. For anyone raised on metric these numbers mean little, because the feel for a room comes from square metres: 70 for a flat, 214 for a house, 465 for the shop. To convert ft² to m² you multiply by 0.0929, a factor worth remembering as roughly one tenth, with a small correction. This page multiplies as you type, and the text below shows what the figures look like in real buildings, from micro apartments to the White House.
You will find the rule with worked examples, short profiles of both units, a comparison, a long tour of real situations and a list of the mistakes that are made most often. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing you type leaves your device.
How to convert ft² to m²: multiply by 0.0929
The rule
One square foot equals exactly 0.09290304 square metres. To convert ft² to m², multiply the square feet by 0.0929. So 100 ft² is 9.29 m², 500 ft² is 46.45 m², 1,000 ft² is 92.9 m² and 2,500 ft² is 232.3 m². To go the other way, one square metre is 10.7639 square feet, so multiply metres by 10.76.
Worked examples
A flat of 650 ft² is 60.4 m². An office of 1,800 ft² is 167.2 m². A shop of 4,200 ft² is 390.2 m². For a quick estimate, divide by 10 and take off 7 per cent: 1,000 ft² gives 100, minus 7, so 93, which is within a whisker of 92.9.
Why not divide by three
A foot is about 0.3 of a metre, but an area is length times length, so the factor is 0.3 squared, near 0.09. Using 0.3 for an area makes the answer three times too big. This is by far the most frequent mistake with this conversion.
A quick check
A square metre is more than ten square feet, so the number of square metres must be about ten times smaller. If your “convert ft² to m²” calculation gave you only a third of the original number, you used the linear factor.
The square foot
One foot by one foot
The square foot is the area of a square with 12 inch sides, 144 square inches. It is the standard measure of floor area in the United States, in Canada for housing, and in many Asian cities for property such as Hong Kong and Singapore. Prices and rents are quoted per square foot.
Sizes to remember
A parking space is about 160 ft², a bedroom 120 to 200, an average new American home 2,400, a supermarket 40,000.
The square metre
The SI unit
The square metre is the SI unit of area and equals 10.76 square feet. It is the unit of floor area in almost every country that uses the metric system, from Europe to Latin America and Africa. A small bedroom is 9 to 12 m², a living room 20 to 30, a flat of 60 is typical for a young couple.
Where it appears
Plans, permits, estate agents, rent, floor coverings and paint all use square metres, and rent in many countries is stated per square metre per month.
Square foot and square metre compared
The square metre is about 10.76 times as large as the square foot. Seen from the other side, 100 ft² is only 9.3 m², so an American "large" room of 400 ft² is 37 m², a European living room. Figures that sound huge in feet often sound ordinary in metres, and the reverse is true for people used to metres.
The ratio is not a round number, so quick mental conversion needs an approximation: divide by ten and deduct seven per cent. For contracts and prices, use the exact factor 0.0929.
Where the conversion appears
Homes and apartments
The average new American house has about 2,400 ft², 223 m². The average European home is about 100 m², 1,076 ft². A New York micro apartment of 325 ft² is 30.2 m². A house of 4,000 ft² is 372 m². Listings from abroad need a “convert ft² to m²” calculation before you can compare.
Rooms and building codes
The American model code requires a habitable room of at least 70 ft², 6.5 m², with a ceiling of 7 feet. A bedroom must have at least one window with an area of 5.7 ft², 0.53 m², for escape. These minimums are the legal baseline and appear in every plan.
Rent and prices
A price of 300 dollars per square foot is 3,229 dollars per square metre. A rent of 30 dollars per square foot per year is 323 dollars per square metre per year, 26.9 dollars per month. For a European reader, the monthly rent per square metre is the figure that makes sense.
Micro apartments
New York's pilot micro unit project allowed studios of 250 to 370 ft², 23 to 34 m², designed with fold away beds and tall shelves. The idea is to give a city dweller a private space with enough light and storage, and the “convert ft² to m²” calculation lets you compare it with the flat you live in.
Offices and desks
An office worker gets about 150 ft², 14 m², in an American open plan office, while European norms speak of 10 m², 108 ft². A company of 200 people needs 30,000 ft², 2,787 m², in the first case. Real estate brokers quote space in square feet per desk.
Retail: supermarkets and warehouses
A Costco warehouse is about 146,000 ft², 13,565 m². An IKEA store is typically 300,000 ft², 27,900 m². A neighbourhood supermarket may have 40,000 ft², 3,716 m². Chains publish their sizes in the unit of the country of origin, and international comparisons need a “convert ft² to m²” calculation.
The White House and great houses
The White House has about 55,000 ft² of floor space, 5,110 m², across six floors. Buckingham Palace has 828,818 ft², 77,000 m². The Biltmore House has 175,000 ft², 16,260 m². The figures give a sense of scale: the White House is smaller than many shopping centres and just a fraction of Buckingham Palace.
Converting rent
American commercial rents are quoted in dollars per square foot per year, European ones in euros per square metre per month. To compare, multiply the American figure by 10.764 and divide by 12. A rent of 30 dollars per ft² per year becomes 26.9 dollars per m² per month, and with an exchange rate you reach euros.
Self storage units
Storage units come in 5 by 5 feet, 25 ft², 2.3 m²; 10 by 10 feet, 100 ft², 9.3 m²; and 10 by 20 feet, 200 ft², 18.6 m². A unit of 10 by 10 holds the contents of a one bedroom flat. Renters compare prices per square foot per month, and a conversion to square metres helps in other countries.
Trade show stands
A standard trade show booth in the United States is 10 by 10 feet, 100 ft², 9.3 m². An island booth of 20 by 20 feet is 400 ft², 37 m². Exhibition fees are charged per square foot or per square metre depending on the venue, so exhibitors who tour internationally learn to convert ft² to m² early.
Rounding
The factor 0.09290304 is exact. For housing, round to the nearest square metre for areas above 100, and to one decimal below. Do not round the factor to 0.09 in a contract, because on 5,000 ft² the error is 15 m². Use 0.0929 at least.
Spreadsheet use
Put square feet in column A and =A2*0.09290304 in column B. For the reverse, use =A2*10.7639. Format the results with one decimal. A third column dividing by 144 gives square inches, so you can compare small and large parts with one sheet.
Teaching the idea
Mark a square of three feet on the floor and ask students to measure it in metres: 0.91 metre. Then calculate the area both ways, 9 ft² and 0.84 m². They see at once that the area factor is the square of the length factor, 0.3048 squared, which is 0.0929.
Garages and workshops
A two car garage is usually 20 by 20 feet, 400 ft², 37.2 m². A workshop of 24 by 30 feet, 720 ft², is 66.9 m². Home builders offer these sizes as standard options, and a European buyer who wants to convert a garage into a studio should check the permit rules, since many countries set limits in square metres.
Tiny houses
The American building code defines a tiny house as 400 ft² or less, which is 37.2 m². Many are far smaller, 200 ft², 18.6 m², on a trailer. An owner who builds in Europe needs to check the local limit in square metres, because in many countries a structure under 15 or 20 m² needs no building permit.
Bathrooms and kitchens
A full bathroom of 5 by 8 feet is 40 ft², 3.7 m². A kitchen of 10 by 12 feet, 120 ft², is 11.1 m². In an American house the master bathroom may be 100 ft², 9.3 m², bigger than a European living room corner. Remodelling costs are usually quoted per square foot, so the conversion matters for budget comparisons.
Shopping malls and the mall effect
A regional mall of 800,000 ft² has 74,300 m² of lettable space, and a super regional mall of 1.5 million ft², 139,400 m². These centres appear in investor reports with figures in square feet, and a European analyst comparing them with Westfield or similar centres needs a “convert ft² to m²” calculation to place them side by side.
Plot ratio and density
Planners use a floor space index, called floor area ratio in the United States. A building of 20,000 ft² on a plot of 10,000 ft² has an FAR of 2. In metric terms, 1,858 m² on 929 m², also 2. The ratio is dimensionless, so the unit does not matter as long as both numbers use the same one, and mistakes happen only when one is feet and the other metres.
Why the two systems survive
The square foot persists in the United States because of habit, legal tradition and the cost of changing every plan, law and contract. The metre dominates elsewhere because it is decimal and international. A conversion tool bridges them, and the factor 0.0929 is the hinge on which every cross border property comparison turns. Anyone who moves between the two worlds quickly learns the key numbers: 10 ft² is about 1 m², 100 m² is about 1,076 ft², and a “convert ft² to m²” calculation stays handy for the rest.
Ceilings, volumes and heating
A room of 200 ft², 18.6 m², with an 8 foot ceiling has a volume of 1,600 ft³, 45.3 m³. Heating and cooling loads are often estimated per square foot of floor: a rule of thumb of 25 BTU per square foot suggests 5,000 BTU for such a room, which is 1.46 kW. Equipment ratings in the United States use BTU and square feet, while European data sheets give kilowatts per square metre, so the first step is a “convert ft² to m²” calculation, and the second a conversion of the energy unit.
Hotel rooms
A typical American hotel room is about 325 ft², 30 m². A luxury suite of 800 ft² is 74 m². A European budget room of 15 m² is 161 ft², half of the American standard. When you compare hotels from two continents, the unit decides which room looks big.
Hospital rooms
A single patient room in a modern American hospital is at least 120 ft², 11.1 m² clear floor area, and many are 250 ft², 23 m². Intensive care rooms are 200 to 300 ft², 18.6 to 27.9 m². Design guidelines are in square feet, while European hospitals plan in square metres.
Classrooms and lecture halls
A typical American classroom is 900 ft², 83.6 m², for 25 pupils, which is 36 ft² or 3.3 m² per student. In Europe, 2 m² per pupil is a common norm. A lecture hall for 200 students at 12 ft², 1.1 m², per seat needs 2,400 ft², 223 m².
Prison cells and small rooms
A standard single cell in many American prisons is 6 by 9 feet, 54 ft², 5 m². International standards recommend 5.4 m² for a single cell, 58 ft². Courts compare cell sizes in square feet and metres when they judge conditions, and a conversion is part of every report.
Parking spaces
A parking space of 9 by 18 feet is 162 ft², 15 m². European bays are often 2.5 by 5 m, 12.5 m², 135 ft², a bit smaller. An underground garage of 100 spaces, with aisles, has about 3,000 m², 32,300 ft².
Swimming pools
A backyard pool of 16 by 32 feet has 512 ft², 47.6 m². A 20 by 40 foot pool has 800 ft², 74.3 m². A competition pool of 25 by 50 metres is 1,250 m², 13,455 ft². Pool builders in the United States quote in feet, and the cover and chemicals follow in square feet.
Floor coverings and prices
Carpet at 3 dollars per square foot costs 32.3 dollars per square metre. Tiles at 8 dollars per square foot cost 86 dollars per square metre. The same material priced in two systems can look cheap or dear if you do not convert. Always compare per square metre or per square foot, never one against the other.
More values for convert ft² to m²
A longer list of conversions
If the value you need is not in the first list, these further conversions may be close enough to read off directly:
- 0.1 ft² = 0.009290304 m²
- 0.5 ft² = 0.04645152 m²
- 3 ft² = 0.27870912 m²
- 4 ft² = 0.37161216 m²
- 7 ft² = 0.65032128 m²
- 15 ft² = 1.3935456 m²
- 20 ft² = 1.8580608 m²
- 75 ft² = 6.967728 m²
- 200 ft² = 18.580608 m²
- 500 ft² = 46.45152 m²
- 2,000 ft² = 185.80608 m²
- 10,000 ft² = 929.0304 m²
Mistakes when you convert ft² to m²
Using 0.3048
That is the linear factor. For area, use 0.0929.
Dividing instead of multiplying
The square metre is the larger unit, so the number shrinks. If 500 ft² became 5,382, you used the wrong direction.
Confusing per month and per year
Rents are quoted per year in the US and per month in Europe. Convert the time as well as the area.
Quick answers
How many square metres in a square foot?
0.0929.
How do I convert ft² to m²?
Multiply by 0.0929.
What is 1,000 ft² in m²?
92.9 m².
How many square feet in a square metre?
10.764.
Does my number leave my device?
No. The calculation runs in your browser.
Related pages and a last word
If you work with areas, these conversions are close at hand: Convert ft² to yd², Convert ft² to in², Convert acres to m², Convert ha to m², Convert m² to acres, Convert km to mi, Convert mi to km, Convert °C to °F, Convert °F to °C. The reverse of this page is Convert m² to ft².
In short, to convert ft² to m² multiply by 0.0929, remember that the area factor is the square of the length factor, and keep the digits your measurement supports. Your number stays on your device: nothing is uploaded and no account is needed.