Metric to imperial and back, for drawings
Length, area and volume between the units architects and builders use, without the units a drawing never needs.
Metric and imperial on the same project
Projects cross systems all the time: a product sheet in inches, a survey in meters, a client who thinks in square feet. Converting by hand is where the small errors come from, and small errors in area change budgets.
The converter keeps to the measures a drawing needs, length, area and volume, in the units architects and builders actually use, so there is nothing to scroll past.
When converting areas, be clear whether a figure is net or gross; the definition changes by country and by purpose, and the conversion does not fix that. Convert the figure, then label it the way the reader expects.
For lengths taken from a scaled drawing, convert the drawing length first and apply the scale after, with the scale converter.
Other free tools
- Scale ConverterConvert lengths between a scaled drawing and real size at 1:50, 1:100, 1:200 and more, in metric or imperial. Free, no sign up.
- Stair and Ramp CalculatorWork out risers, riser height, tread depth and total run for a stair, or the length and landings for an accessible ramp, from the total rise.
- Project Cost EstimatorEstimate a construction budget from floor area, building type and level of finish, with design fees and contingency on top. Free, for early conversations.
- Project Timeline EstimatorEstimate a building project timeline phase by phase, from brief and concept to construction and handover, by floor area and complexity.
- Material Quantity EstimatorEstimate concrete volume, brick and block counts, paint litres and tile counts from dimensions, with a waste allowance. Free, no sign up.
- Roof Pitch CalculatorWork out a roof pitch in degrees, as a ratio and as a gradient from rise and run, with the rafter length. Free, no sign up.
- Floor Area Ratio CalculatorCalculate the allowed floor area, footprint and stories from site area, floor area ratio and site coverage. Free, for early feasibility.
- Window to Wall Ratio CalculatorCalculate the window to wall ratio of a facade and check daylight with a glazing to floor area rule of thumb. Free, no sign up.
- Parking CalculatorCalculate parking spaces and parking area for housing, offices, retail and hotels at common ratios, with accessible spaces. Free, no sign up.
- Occupancy CalculatorCalculate occupant load from floor area and use, with the number of exits and total exit width it needs. Free, for a first check of a plan.
- Sun Angle CalculatorCalculate sun altitude and azimuth for a latitude, date and hour, with shadow length, for shading studies and renders with correct light.
- Print Size CheckerCheck whether an image has enough pixels to print at a given size: resolution in dpi, a quality reading, and the largest print at 300 dpi.
- Aspect Ratio PlannerPlan a crop to a target aspect ratio from an image size: the exact pixel dimensions that fit and the pixels lost on each side. Free, no sign up.
- File Size EstimatorEstimate image file size from pixel dimensions and format, JPEG, WebP, PNG or TIFF, and check whether it fits an email. Free, no sign up.
The numbers are done. Now the image.
Turn the sketch, plan or model into a render the client can react to.