Feet to meters converter
Convert international feet to meters with the exact factor 1 ft = 0.3048 m.
Input
Result
Nearby conversions
| Feet | Meters | Centimeters |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 3.048 | 304.8 |
| 11 | 3.3528 | 335.28 |
| 12 | 3.6576 | 365.76 |
| 13 | 3.9624 | 396.24 |
| 14 | 4.2672 | 426.72 |
The table uses the same exact conversion factor as the main result and updates around the current whole-foot value.
How to use the feet to meters converter
What this calculator does. This tool converts a length expressed in international feet into meters, centimeters, and millimeters. It applies the exact identity 1 foot = 0.3048 meter, so the mathematical conversion itself is exact; only the displayed decimal formatting may be rounded for readability. It does not estimate measurement error, construction tolerances, map scale, or the uncertainty of the original measurement.
When to use it. Use the converter when translating room dimensions, a person's height, product specifications, engineering notes, or travel and sports measurements from feet into SI units. It is also useful when checking a manual conversion before entering a value into a metric-only form or technical document.
How to calculate. The calculator opens with a ready-to-use demonstration value of 12 ft and an immediately available Excel workbook. To use your own value:
- Replace Length in feet with the non-negative length you need to convert. Use digits and an optional decimal point, such as 5, 5.5, or 125.25.
- Read the live Result in meters. The centimeters and millimeters cards show the same physical length in smaller SI units.
- Review Nearby conversions for whole-foot values around your entry. This is useful for quick comparisons and reasonableness checks.
- Select Download Excel to save the current input, formula, outputs, and nearby table as a validated .xlsx workbook.
- Select Reset to clear the demonstration and all calculated content. Excel export remains unavailable until a complete valid value is entered again.
Input guide. Length in feet is required. It accepts a finite non-negative decimal in international feet, using a period for decimals and no unit letters inside the field. A realistic entry is 18.5. Increasing the value increases every output proportionally; halving the feet value halves the meter result. Negative values, scientific notation, comma decimals such as 1,5, mixed text such as 12 ft, and extremely large values that overflow the calculation are rejected rather than silently changed.
Output guide. Result is the equivalent length in meters. Centimeters equals meters multiplied by 100, while Millimeters equals meters multiplied by 1,000. The formula line shows the exact multiplication used. Nearby conversions lists five whole-foot reference values centered on the rounded current input; its columns are Feet, Meters, and Centimeters. A zero input correctly produces zero in every unit. High values remain valid as long as all derived values stay finite.
Worked example. The startup value is 12 ft. Multiply 12 by the exact factor 0.3048: 12 × 0.3048 = 3.6576 m. Converting that result into smaller SI units gives 365.76 cm and 3,657.6 mm. These are the same values shown on first open and written to the startup workbook.
Learn more. NIST's official SI conversion-factor appendix explains that the international foot equals exactly 0.3048 meter. For guidance on the structure of metric length units, see the NIST overview of SI length units.
Formula, precision, and common mistakes
The conversion formula is meters = feet × 0.3048. The reverse operation is feet = meters ÷ 0.3048, or approximately meters × 3.28084. Because the international foot is defined from the meter, the factor 0.3048 is exact. The practical precision of a converted result still depends on the precision of the original measurement. A tape-measure reading of 12 ft to the nearest inch does not become more accurate merely because the converted number contains four decimal places.
A common mistake is to use 0.3 as though it were exact. That shortcut is acceptable for mental estimation but understates the true value by 0.0048 meter per foot. Another mistake is confusing international feet with the former U.S. survey foot. NIST explains the modern uniform treatment in its revised survey-foot conversion guidance. For ordinary building, product, height, and general length conversions, the international foot used here is the appropriate standard.
For broader guidance on choosing conversion factors and rounding final answers, consult NIST's unit-conversion guidance. Keep enough digits during calculation, then round only the final displayed result to the precision appropriate for your measurement or document.