Measuring the size of rooms

How to Measure a Room in Square Meters

Mary Smith
By Mary Smith. Updated: September 1, 2019
How to Measure a Room in Square Meters
Image: reobra.es

When it comes to measuring flat surfaces and areas on the ground we use square meters. If you have moved to a new home or are thinking of redecorating a room, it is important to know how many square meters it is. Then you will be able to pick furniture and other objects that fit the necessary measurements. If you don't know how to measure a room in square meters, then listen up! In this oneHOWTO article we will explain the basic formula to work it out and how you can convert other measurements to suit you.

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Contents

  1. Measuring square feet of a room
  2. Calculate area of room or object with irregular shape
  3. Convert square meters to square feet or square yards

Measuring square feet of a room

First, measure the longer edge (length) of the area or surface you are going to calculate.

Whenever possible, use a tape measure and measure in meters, so it will be easier to calculate the square meters. If you don't have a metric measuring tape to measure in meters, it may be easier to use another unit of measurement. If you can only find a ruler with feet (ft) or inches (in), measure with those instead.

Of course, depending on the size of your room, this may take a while. If you wish, lightly mark your measurements on the wall with a pencil. Once you have your measurements, you can convert them into meters, and then into square meters. We will explain how to convert to meters now:

  • If you have measured in centimeters, divide the number by 100, and you will get the figure in m. For example, if you have got 50 centimeters this will work out as: 50/100 = 0.50 m.
  • If you have measured in inches, multiply the number by 0.0254. In this way, you will get the result in meters, example if you have 50 inches: 50 * 0.0254 = 1.27 m.
  • If your measurement is in feet, multiply the number by 0.3048. For example, 50 feet will be 50 * 0.3048 = 15.24 m.
  • If you normally measure in yards, multiply your measurement by 0.9144 to get the result in meters. For example, 50 yards are: 50 * 0.9144 = 45.72 m.

Once you have measured the width and length and worked them out in meters, multiply these two values. Use a calculator if you need to.

  • 2.45m x 1.09m = 2.6705 square meters (m2).

This result of this multiplication will give you the m2 of the total area of the room that you have measured.

Calculate area of room or object with irregular shape

If you want to calculate the area of rooms that are not square or rectangular-shaped, calculate different parts of the room separately.

If you are measuring a room or other physical object, sketch a diagram of the area first, then draw or cut lines in the shape to divide into simpler shapes. Take measurements of each section figure out their area. Once you have them all, you just have to add them together.

If you are measuring an object that is much smaller than 1 meter, you can round to the nearest centimeter when making your measurements. For instance, if the width is slightly past the 1 meter 8 centimeter mark, just use '"1m 8cm" as your measurement - without using decimals or millimeter measurements.

Remember, whenever you multiply two numbers with the same unit (say, cm), the answer will always be in the form of that unit square. For example: cm2 or square centimeters.

Convert square meters to square feet or square yards

Multiply square feet by 0.093. Measure the length and width in feet and multiply them together to get a result in square feet. Since 1 square foot = 0.093 square meters, multiply your result by 0.093 to get the answer in square meters instead. Square meters are bigger than square feet, so it will take fewer of them to cover the same area.

  • For greater precision, multiply by 0.092903 instead.

Multiply square yards by 0.84.If you have the measurement in square yards, multiply by 0.84 to get the measurement in square meters.

  • For greater precision, multiply by 0.83613 instead.

If you want to measure a piece of furniture and calculate the cost per square meter, just divide the total cost by the number of square meters.

Regarding terminology, it's best to say "five square meters" instead of "five meters squared." These are technically both correct, but the second one is often misinterpreted to mean the area of a square 5m long and 5m wide. This actually has an area of 25 square meters, or 5 x 5.

We know numbers can get confusing sometimes, but we hope our simple explanation of the formula has helped you find what you're looking for.

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Tips
  • Calculate both the length and width of the room in metres and make sure you have converted the measurements correctly. Otherwise you will get the wrong result.

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How to Measure a Room in Square Meters