Convert m² to ft² square metres ↔ square feet Free Online Secure
Type a value in square metres and read it in square feet 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 m² to ft² (square metres ↔ square feet)
| m² | ft² |
|---|---|
| 1 | 10.7639104167 |
| 2 | 21.5278208334 |
| 3 | 32.2917312501 |
| 5 | 53.8195520835 |
| 10 | 107.639104167 |
| 20 | 215.278208334 |
| 50 | 538.195520835 |
| 100 | 1076.39104167 |
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 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.
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.
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.
Moving abroad with a metric head: square metres into square feet
If you grew up with metric housing, a move to New York, Dubai, Hong Kong or Mumbai means learning a new vocabulary of space. Listings talk about 600 square feet, 1,200 square feet, 2,500 square feet, and the numbers mean little until you turn them into square metres, or the other way round. To convert m² to ft² you multiply by 10.764, which is a small step but one that changes the feel of every number: a flat of 55 m² becomes 592 ft². This page multiplies as you type, and the text below shows what the figures look like in cities that use square feet, from Hong Kong to Mumbai.
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 people make most often. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing you type leaves your device.
How to convert m² to ft²: multiply by 10.764
The rule
One square metre equals 10.7639 square feet. To convert m² to ft², multiply the square metres by 10.764. So 10 m² is 107.6 ft², 50 m² is 538.2 ft², 100 m² is 1,076 ft² and 250 m² is 2,691 ft². To go back, one square foot is 0.0929 m², so multiply square feet by 0.0929.
Worked examples
A student room of 12 m² is 129 ft². A one bedroom flat of 45 m² is 484 ft². A family house of 140 m² is 1,507 ft². An office floor of 800 m² is 8,611 ft². For a quick estimate, multiply by 10 and add 8 per cent: 100 m² gives 1,000 plus 80, which is 1,080, against 1,076 exactly.
Why not multiply by 3.28
A metre is 3.28 feet, but an area is a length times a length, so the factor is 3.28 squared, which is 10.76. If you use 3.28 for an area, the answer comes out about three times too small. Many people forget this when they convert in a hurry.
A quick check
The square foot is the small unit, so the number must grow by more than ten times. If your “convert m² to ft²” calculation gave you only three times as much, you used the length factor.
The square metre
One metre by one metre
The square metre is the SI unit of area, 10.76 square feet, 10,000 cm². It is used for floor area, rooms, plots and building footprints in most countries of the world. A studio flat is 25 to 35 m², a family home 100 to 200.
Where it appears
European, Latin American, African and most Asian property markets, floor plans, energy certificates and building regulations.
The square foot
Twelve inches on a side
The square foot is 144 square inches, 0.0929 m². It is the main measure of floor area in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom's property trade, India, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Gulf states. Prices, rents and mortgages are quoted per square foot.
Where it appears
Property listings, leases, construction costs, flooring, paint, air conditioning capacity and architects' schedules.
Square metre and square foot compared
A square metre is a little over ten and three quarter square feet. The numbers in feet therefore look more than ten times bigger, and this is the first thing a newcomer notices: a flat of 700 square feet sounds roomy, but it is 65 m², a normal two room flat.
The factor is not round, so mental estimates need an adjustment. Multiply by ten and add eight per cent, and you will be within half a per cent. For rents, prices and contracts, use the exact figure.
Where the conversion appears
Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai
Hong Kong flats are sold by square foot of saleable area: a typical new flat is 450 ft², 42 m². In Singapore, a three room flat is about 650 ft², 60 m². In Dubai, a one bedroom apartment is 750 ft², 70 m². Prices in these cities are quoted per square foot, and a visitor who thinks in metres needs a “convert m² to ft²” calculation for every ad.
India: carpet area and built up area
In India, a flat is sold by carpet area, built up area or super built up area, all in square feet. A 2BHK might have a carpet area of 800 ft², 74 m², a built up area of 920 ft², 85 m², and a super built up area of 1,100 ft², 102 m². The difference between these can be 25 per cent, so it is important to know which area is quoted.
The United Kingdom's habit
Estate agents in Britain still quote houses in square feet, even though the law calls for square metres. A typical new three bedroom house is 900 ft², 84 m², and a Victorian terrace 1,300 ft², 121 m². Both numbers appear in listings, and a conversion tells you which is meant.
Japanese rooms and tatami
A tatami mat, a jō, is about 1.62 m², 17.4 ft². A six mat room, 6 jō, is about 9.7 m², 105 ft². Japanese flats are described as 1K, 1LDK or 2DK together with the number of mats and the area in m². An American who wants to understand a floor plan uses a “convert m² to ft²” calculation on the metric figure and divides the result by 17.4 for mats.
Offices and desks
A modern open plan office allots 8 to 10 m² per employee, 86 to 108 ft². American offices often quote 150 to 200 ft² per person, 14 to 19 m². A company of 200 people needs 1,720 to 2,150 m², 18,500 to 23,100 ft², in a European office and more in an American one.
Retail units
A small shop of 80 m² is 861 ft². A supermarket of 2,500 m² is 26,910 ft². A big box store of 10,000 m² is 107,600 ft². Retail leases in Hong Kong and Singapore, and in the United States, are quoted per square foot per month or year, so an investor compares sites in the same unit.
Self storage and garages
A single garage of 15 m² is 161 ft². A double garage of 36 m² is 387 ft². A self storage unit of 10 by 10 feet, 100 ft², is 9.3 m². Units are rented by the square foot in the United States, so a European who wants to compare prices converts the area first.
Gardens and terraces
A balcony of 5 m² is 54 ft². A terrace of 20 m², 215 ft². A garden of 150 m², 1,615 ft². Real estate in sunny places such as Spain, Florida or the Gulf puts the outdoor space in the headline, and the area on a plan is in the unit of the country.
Solar panels on roofs
A roof of 50 m², 538 ft², can carry about 8 kW of panels. A typical panel of 1.7 m², 18.3 ft², produces 400 W. Installers in the United States quote roof area in square feet and system size in kilowatts, so a “convert m² to ft²” calculation helps when your roof is described in square metres.
Rounding
The factor 10.7639 is accurate. For housing, round to the nearest square foot. For larger buildings, round to the nearest ten. Do not substitute 10 in contracts, because on 100 m² the error is 76 ft², nearly 7 per cent.
Spreadsheet use
Write square metres in column A and =A2*10.7639 in column B. For the reverse, use =A2*0.092903. Format with no decimals. A third column dividing the price by the area gives the price per unit.
Teaching the idea
Mark a metre square on the floor with tape, then mark the 3.28 foot sides, and ask for the area in feet: 10.76. Students see that the square of the length factor gives the area factor. Practising with a ruler in inches makes the idea concrete.
A mental picture
A square metre is a single bed laid on its side. Eleven floor tiles of 12 inches almost cover it. A bedroom of 12 m² is therefore 129 tiles. If a figure from a “convert m² to ft²” calculation does not match such a picture, repeat the calculation.
Short term lets and holiday homes
A holiday apartment of 60 m², 646 ft², suits a couple or a small family. A villa of 200 m², 2,153 ft², suits a large group. Guests who book across continents compare listings by the number of bedrooms more than by area, but when the area is given in square metres to American guests, a quick conversion makes the description familiar.
Korea, Taiwan and the pyeong
In Korea and Taiwan, property is measured in pyeong, each 3.306 m², 35.6 ft². A flat of 25 pyeong is 82.6 m², 890 ft². Official listings now give square metres, but the pyeong survives in conversation, and it is handy to translate both ways when looking at Asian property.
Hotels and serviced apartments
A hotel room of 25 m² is 269 ft², and a serviced studio of 35 m² is 377 ft². Hotel chains publish room sizes in the unit of the country, and travel sites show both. In Asia a standard city hotel room may be only 18 m², 194 ft², which surprises guests used to larger American rooms of 325 ft², 30 m².
Gyms, studios and clinics
A yoga studio of 80 m² is 861 ft², with room for 20 mats at 4 m² each. A small gym of 250 m² is 2,691 ft². A physiotherapy clinic of 120 m² is 1,292 ft². Business owners who lease space abroad compare rents per unit area, and must convert square metres to square feet or the reverse to do so.
Schools, kindergartens and nurseries
A nursery with 40 children needs about 7 m² each, 280 m², 3,014 ft². American licensing rules require 35 ft² of indoor space per child, 3.25 m², so the standard is less than half the European norm. Policy researchers compare standards in the same unit, and the factor 10.764 is the bridge.
Concert halls, theatres and cinemas
A cinema screen room of 150 m², 1,615 ft², seats 100 people. A small theatre of 400 m², 4,306 ft², seats 300. An arena of 10,000 m², 107,600 ft², seats 10,000. Venue guides list capacity and area in the local unit, and promoters planning tours need conversions.
What to remember
Ten square feet make roughly one square metre; one hundred square metres make a little over one thousand square feet. Keep these two thoughts and you can estimate any figure in your head. The exact value is one click away in the converter above, and the converted number should always be written with its unit, so that the next reader knows whether the figure is in the metric or the imperial system.
Canada, condos and square feet
Canadian condominiums are sold in square feet, though the country is metric. A downtown one bedroom is 550 ft², 51 m², a two bedroom 850 ft², 79 m². In Vancouver and Toronto, the price per square foot is a headline figure, often over 1,000 dollars, 10,764 dollars per square metre.
Australian houses and squares
Australia used a unit called the square, 100 square feet, 9.29 m², for building floor area. A house of 20 squares is 2,000 ft², 186 m². Modern Australian listings use square metres, but older builders still talk of squares, and a conversion is useful when reading older plans.
The largest buildings in the world by floor area
The Aalsmeer flower auction in the Netherlands has about 518,000 m², 5.58 million ft². The Boeing factory in Everett, Washington, has 399,000 m², 4.3 million ft². The Pentagon has 604,000 m², 6.5 million ft². Records of this kind are given in both units, and a “convert m² to ft²” calculation puts them side by side.
Furniture and room planning
A double bed takes about 3 m², 32 ft². A sofa 2 m², 21.5 ft². A dining table for six, 1.8 m², 19 ft². A room of 16 m², 172 ft², fits a bed, a wardrobe and a desk with room to move. Home planners from different countries compare layouts, and need to convert the room size first.
Student housing
A student room in a British hall of residence is about 12 m², 129 ft². A single room in a Swedish student building is 18 m², 194 ft². An American dorm room is 12 by 14 feet, 168 ft², 15.6 m², for two people. Universities publish room sizes in the unit of the country, and international students compare.
Air conditioning capacity
The rule of thumb in the United States is 20 BTU per square foot. A room of 20 m², 215 ft², needs about 4,300 BTU, 1.26 kW. European units are rated in kilowatts, and a 2.5 kW unit suits a room of about 35 m², 377 ft². A “convert m² to ft²” calculation lets you choose a unit when specifications come in different systems.
Flooring and paint
A pack of laminate covering 2.2 m² has 23.7 ft². A gallon of paint covers 350 to 400 ft², 33 to 37 m², while a litre of European paint covers 10 to 12 m². Shoppers who cross borders must compare coverage per unit of area, and so must convert at least once per product.
More values for convert m² to ft²
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 m² = 1.07639 ft²
- 0.5 m² = 5.38196 ft²
- 3 m² = 32.2917 ft²
- 4 m² = 43.0556 ft²
- 7 m² = 75.3474 ft²
- 15 m² = 161.459 ft²
- 20 m² = 215.278 ft²
- 75 m² = 807.293 ft²
- 200 m² = 2,152.78 ft²
- 500 m² = 5,381.96 ft²
- 2,000 m² = 21,527.8 ft²
- 10,000 m² = 107,639 ft²
Mistakes when you convert m² to ft²
Using 3.28
That is the length factor. For area, multiply by 10.764.
Dividing instead of multiplying
The square foot is the small unit, so the number grows. If 50 m² became 4.6, you divided.
Mixing monthly and yearly rents
American commercial rents are per year, European ones per month. Convert the time as well as the area.
Quick answers
How many square feet in a square metre?
10.764.
How do I convert m² to ft²?
Multiply by 10.764.
How many square metres in a square foot?
0.0929.
What is 50 m² in square feet?
538 ft².
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 m² to yd², Convert m² to ha, Convert in² to ft², Convert acres to ft², Convert ft² to yd², Convert km to mi, Convert mi to km, Convert °C to °F, Convert °F to °C. The reverse of this page is Convert ft² to m².
In short, to convert m² to ft² multiply by 10.764, remember that the factor is the square of 3.28, and keep the digits your measurement supports. Your number stays on your device: nothing is uploaded and no account is needed.