Feet and inches to millimetres converter

Redrawing a US drawing set in a metric template means converting feet-and-inch dimension strings, not decimal feet. Enter both parts and you get the exact millimetre value plus the rounded 5 mm figure most European and MENA offices dimension to.

feet to mm converter

Millimetres
3,200.4mm
Rounded to 5 mm
3,200mm
Metres
3.2004m
Decimal feet
10.5ft

Formula

mm = (feet × 304.8) + (inches × 25.4)

One foot is exactly 304.8 mm because an inch is exactly 25.4 mm. Convert the feet and inches separately, then add — never convert a mixed string as a decimal.

Worked examples

InputResult
8'-0" ceiling2438.4 mm (2440 rounded)
3'-6" corridor1066.8 mm (1065 rounded)
1'-0" module304.8 mm

Questions

Why do converted dimensions look untidy in metric?

Imperial construction modules do not land on metric ones. 8'-0" is 2438.4 mm, which most offices dimension as 2440. Agree the rounding rule with the design team before redrawing, and record it in the BIM execution plan.

Is 1 foot 300 mm?

No — that is a 1.6% shortcut that accumulates fast. A 100 ft façade converted at 300 mm/ft is 480 mm short, which will not close against a coordinated grid.

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