1 square foot = 0.09290304 square metres
Area factors are the squares of their length counterparts, which is why the numbers look unfamiliar: a foot is 0.3048 m, but a square foot is 0.09290304 m². The two units that matter most in property are historical rather than metric — the acre is 43,560 square feet, a survived medieval ploughing measure, and the hectare is a round 10,000 m². Tsubo is included for Japanese real estate listings.
Formula square metres = square feet × 0.09290304
| Square foot | Square metre |
|---|---|
| 1 ft² | 0.092903 m² |
| 2 ft² | 0.185806 m² |
| 3 ft² | 0.278709 m² |
| 5 ft² | 0.464515 m² |
| 10 ft² | 0.92903 m² |
| 25 ft² | 2.322576 m² |
| 50 ft² | 4.645152 m² |
| 100 ft² | 9.290304 m² |
| 250 ft² | 23.22576 m² |
| 500 ft² | 46.45152 m² |
| 1000 ft² | 92.90304 m² |
Area is length multiplied by length, so area factors are the square of the length factors. One metre is 3.28 feet, but one square metre is 3.28 × 3.28 = 10.76 square feet. This is the most common area mistake: using the length factor instead of its square. To convert square feet to square metres, divide by 10.764. To go from square metres to square feet, multiply by 10.764.
For land, the acre is 43,560 square feet, or about 4,047 square metres. The hectare, used in most of the world, is 10,000 square metres, so one hectare is 2.47 acres and one acre is 0.4047 hectares. An American football field with its end zones covers about 1.32 acres, which is a handy picture to carry in your head.
Floor areas for homes are in square feet in the US and square metres almost everywhere else: a 1,000 square foot apartment is 92.9 square metres. Paint and flooring coverage is often quoted per gallon or per square metre, as in how much paint do I need for a room. The reference tables below give common values in both directions.
Related guides: Imperial vs metric: differences and quick conversion tricks