ExamPassArea and Unit Converter for Real Estate
One square foot is exactly 0.09290304 square metres, one acre is 43,560 square feet (4,046.8564224 square metres), and one hectare is 10,000 square metres, or about 2.4711 acres. A rectangular lot's area is frontage times depth. Price per square foot is the price divided by the area. Use the converter below for any of these, with every step shown.
Convert a unit
Lot area from frontage and depth
Price per unit of area
How does the converter work?
All factors come from the exact definitions in the Weights and Measures Act (Canada): a foot is 0.3048 metres, so a square foot is 0.3048 × 0.3048 = 0.09290304 square metres. An acre is 4,840 square yards, or 43,560 square feet. A chain, still found in old Ontario land descriptions, is 66 feet.
| From | To | Multiply by |
|---|---|---|
| Square feet | Square metres | 0.09290304 |
| Square metres | Square feet | 10.7639 (1 ÷ 0.09290304) |
| Acres | Hectares | 0.40468564224 |
| Hectares | Acres | 2.4711 |
| Acres | Square feet | 43,560 |
| Feet | Metres | 0.3048 |
| Chains | Feet | 66 |
Lot area. Frontage × depth, in feet or metres, gives the area of a rectangular lot. For an irregular lot, the survey or the legal description is the source, not two measurements multiplied together.
Price per unit. Price ÷ area. Make sure both figures measure the same thing: a house price per square foot of living area is a different number from a land price per square foot of lot.
Worked example: a Barrie lot and house
A house in Barrie sits on a lot 50 feet wide and 132 feet deep. The house has 2,150 square feet of living area and is listed at $1,089,000.
| Step | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Lot area | 50 × 132 | 6,600 sq ft |
| In acres | 6,600 ÷ 43,560 | 0.1515 acres |
| In square metres | 6,600 × 0.09290304 | 613.16 m² |
| House in square metres | 2,150 × 0.09290304 | 199.74 m² |
| Price per square foot of house | $1,089,000 ÷ 2,150 | $506.51 |
A 12.5 acre rural parcel is 12.5 × 0.40468564224 = 5.0586 hectares.
Frequently asked questions
How many square feet are in an acre?
43,560. Half an acre is 21,780 square feet, which is a lot about 100 feet by 218 feet.
Why do listings mix feet and metres?
Ontario surveys and many municipal documents use metric, while many buyers, sellers and listings still think in feet. A salesperson must convert accurately and say which unit a figure is in. Our Course 1 guide covers land description, and Course 1 has questions on converting chains and acres.
Does price per square foot use finished space only?
Usually the figure quoted is above-grade finished living area, but practice varies. State what area you used whenever you quote a price per square foot, and compare like with like.