Feet/Inches Converter
Take a decimal-foot, meter, yard, or inch measurement and split it into whole feet plus remaining inches. Use it when a plan or GPS point is decimal and the crew is working off a tape.
Enter your values, then press Calculate.
How to calculate
Enter the length and pick the unit it was measured in. The result is whole feet, leftover inches, and the same length as decimal feet for checking.
Formula
Total feet = length converted to feet. Whole feet = floor(total feet). Remaining inches = (total feet − whole feet) × 12.
Common use cases
- Decimal-foot grade to a tape
- Metric plans to US field units
- Checking a layout point
- Converting total inches back to feet-inches
Assumptions
- Input is a single length (decimal feet, meters, or inches) to split into whole feet plus remaining inches.
- Remaining inches = (total feet − whole feet) × 12.
- The identity is the inverse of the decimal-feet converter: inches ÷ 12.
- Zero length is allowed and returns 0 ft 0 in.
Limitations
- Does not keep architectural fractional inches (½, ¼) unless they fall out of the decimal remainder.
- Does not add two tape readings. Convert each, then add decimal feet, then convert back if needed.
- Does not apply a scale factor from a drawing.
- Does not station a point.
Worked examples
10.5 decimal feet
10.5 ft splits to 10 ft and 6 in. That is the reverse of typing 10 ft 6 in on the decimal-feet page.
1. Whole feet
floor(10.5) = 10 ft
2. Remaining inches
(10.5 − 10) × 12 = 6 in
18 inches
1. Whole feet
floor(1.5) = 1 ft
2. Remaining inches
(1.5 − 1) × 12 = 6 in
Feet and inches to decimal feet
This converter splits a decimal-foot length into a tape reading. If you already have feet and inches and need decimal feet or tenths of a foot, use the decimal feet converter instead. Both pages use inches ÷ 12; they just start from opposite sides of the same conversion.
Rounding remaining inches
Remaining inches are decimal, not a reduced fraction. 10.5 ft → 10 ft 6 in exactly. 12.3333 ft → 12 ft + 0.3333 × 12 = 4.000 in. Grade-rod tenths are not inches: 0.1 ft is 1.2 in, so 10.1 ft is 10 ft 1.2 in, not 10 ft 1 in. Round remaining inches to the tape you actually have (eighths, sixteenths, or tenths of an inch) after the conversion, not before.
Inverse of the decimal-feet converter
Decimal feet = whole feet + inches ÷ 12. This page starts from a single length (decimal feet, meters, yards, or total inches) and reports whole feet, leftover inches, the same length as decimal feet, and total inches. The decimal-feet converter starts from separate feet and inches fields. Run a value through both when you need to confirm a layout point; they should round-trip except for display rounding.
When the tape is in inches and the cut sheet is in feet
Eighteen inches is 1.5 ft, which this page reports as 1 ft 6 in. A meter is 3.2808 ft, or 3 ft 3.37 in. If you are toggling back and forth with the decimal-feet tool, use the same rounding: this page is the split; that page is the combined decimal. Do not mix a tenth-of-a-foot rod with a 16ths tape without converting.
Related calculators
- Decimal Feet ConverterConvert feet and inches to decimal feet used on grade sheets.
- Elevation Difference CalculatorFind the cut or fill between two elevations, in feet and inches.
- Percent Grade CalculatorConvert rise and run into percent grade, slope ratio, and feet per 100 feet.
- Station Difference CalculatorFind the distance between two stations in the 100-foot stationing system.
FAQ
What about fractional inches like 6 1/2?
Remaining inches are decimal. 6.5 in is 6 1/2 in. Multiply the fraction (1/2 = 0.5) if you are reading an architect’s tape.
Which way does this convert?
Enter a length in decimal feet, meters, yards, or inches. The outputs are whole feet plus remaining inches.
How do I convert feet and inches to decimal feet instead?
Use the decimal feet converter. That page adds inches ÷ 12 to whole feet. This page is the reverse: it splits a decimal-foot (or meter) length into whole feet and remaining inches.
I already have feet and inches. Which tool?
Use the decimal-feet converter. This page is the other direction: a decimal (or metric) length into feet and leftover inches.
Disclaimer
These calculators are estimating tools for planning and field checks. They are not a substitute for approved plans, specifications, licensed professional engineering, or governing standards. Confirm densities, waste factors, and yields with your supplier and project documents.