Land, Property & Construction: Area Units Made Simple
Area conversions often trip people up because the conversion factor is squared. Since 1 meter = 3.28084 feet, 1 m² = (3.28084)² ≈ 10.7639 ft². That multiplier is why international floor-plan comparisons can feel “off” at a glance.
Quick conversions (high intent)
- 1 m² ≈ 10.7639 ft²
- 1 ft² = 0.09290304 m² (exact)
- 1 hectare (ha) = 10,000 m² (exact) ≈ 2.47105 acres
- 1 acre = 4,046.8564224 m² (exact)
- 1 are (a) = 100 m² (exact)
- 1 roofing square = 100 ft² = 9.290304 m² (exact)
Worked examples (real-world)
These examples show the safest workflow: compute area in one unit system, then convert once.
- Room size (imperial → metric): a 12 ft × 10 ft room is 120 ft². Convert to m²: 120 × 0.09290304 = 11.148 m² (rounded).
- Land listing (metric → imperial): 800 m² of land in a listing is about 800 × 10.7639104167 = 8,611 ft² (rounded).
- Roofing estimate: 2,400 ft² of roof area is 24 roofing squares (because 1 square = 100 ft²).
Supported units in this converter
- Metric: mm², cm², m², are (a), hectare (ha), km²
- Imperial / US customary: in², ft², yd², mi²
- Land & construction: acre (ac), roofing square (100 ft²)
Reference definitions (why the numbers are trustworthy)
Modern unit conversions are anchored to agreed definitions (not estimates). In particular, the international foot is defined as exactly 0.3048 meters. From that, area units follow exactly: 1 ft² = 0.09290304 m², and 1 acre = 4,046.8564224 m². This converter uses those standard definitions (reviewed 2026).
Real Estate Standards
- Europe & Asia: Apartments are measured in Sq Meters (m²). A 50m² apartment is a standard 1-bedroom.
- USA & UK: Homes are listed in Sq Feet (ft²). That same 50m² apartment is roughly 538 ft².
Agricultural Units
Farmers and land surveyors use larger units:
- Acre (ac): ≈ 4,047 m². Originally the amount of land one man could plow in a day with an ox.
- Hectare (ha): Exactly 10,000 m². The standard metric unit for forestry and agriculture.
Tip: avoid “double rounding”
If you’re converting areas derived from dimensions (e.g., room length × width), keep dimensions in one unit system first (all meters or all feet), calculate area, and only then convert. This prevents compounding rounding error.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many acres in a hectare?
- 1 hectare (ha) equals 10,000 m² and is approximately 2.47105 acres.
- How many square feet are in one square meter?
- 1 m² equals approximately 10.7639 ft² (exactly 10.7639104167 ft²).
- How big is an acre visually?
- An acre is slightly smaller than an American football field (without the end zones).
- What is a 'square' in roofing?
- In US contracting, a 'square' refers to 100 square feet of roofing material.
- Is ft² to m² conversion exact?
- Yes. Because 1 foot is defined as exactly 0.3048 meters, 1 ft² is exactly 0.09290304 m².