The Challenge
Feet and inches constantly need translation in US construction and everyday measurement. A ceiling height of 8 feet needs to be expressed as 96 inches for a door frame order. A person who is 5 feet 11 inches is 71 inches tall — the single number required for most height fields on forms. Fabric patterns give cutting lengths in inches; store rolls are labeled in feet. A 6-foot fence board is 72 inches. The conversion is exact: multiply feet by 12. For mixed feet-and-inches, multiply the feet by 12 then add the remaining inches. 1 foot = 12 inches, 2 feet = 24 inches, 5 feet 7 inches = (5 × 12) + 7 = 67 inches.
Feet to Inches Conversion Chart
| Feet | Inches | Feet and Inches (alternate) |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 ft | 6 in | 0 ft 6 in |
| 1 ft | 12 in | 1 ft 0 in |
| 1.5 ft | 18 in | 1 ft 6 in |
| 2 ft | 24 in | 2 ft 0 in |
| 2.5 ft | 30 in | 2 ft 6 in |
| 3 ft | 36 in | 3 ft 0 in |
| 3.5 ft | 42 in | 3 ft 6 in |
| 4 ft | 48 in | 4 ft 0 in |
| 4.5 ft | 54 in | 4 ft 6 in |
| 5 ft | 60 in | 5 ft 0 in |
| 5.25 ft | 63 in | 5 ft 3 in |
| 5.5 ft | 66 in | 5 ft 6 in |
| 5.75 ft | 69 in | 5 ft 9 in |
| 6 ft | 72 in | 6 ft 0 in |
| 6.5 ft | 78 in | 6 ft 6 in |
| 7 ft | 84 in | 7 ft 0 in |
| 7.5 ft | 90 in | 7 ft 6 in |
| 8 ft | 96 in | 8 ft 0 in |
| 8.5 ft | 102 in | 8 ft 6 in |
| 9 ft | 108 in | 9 ft 0 in |
| 9.5 ft | 114 in | 9 ft 6 in |
| 10 ft | 120 in | 10 ft 0 in |
| 11 ft | 132 in | 11 ft 0 in |
| 12 ft | 144 in | 12 ft 0 in |
| 14 ft | 168 in | 14 ft 0 in |
| 16 ft | 192 in | 16 ft 0 in |
| 20 ft | 240 in | 20 ft 0 in |
Height Reference: Feet and Inches to Total Inches
| Height (ft & in) | Total Inches | Centimeters |
|---|---|---|
| 4 ft 10 in | 58 in | 147.3 cm |
| 4 ft 11 in | 59 in | 149.9 cm |
| 5 ft 0 in | 60 in | 152.4 cm |
| 5 ft 1 in | 61 in | 154.9 cm |
| 5 ft 2 in | 62 in | 157.5 cm |
| 5 ft 3 in | 63 in | 160.0 cm |
| 5 ft 4 in | 64 in | 162.6 cm |
| 5 ft 5 in | 65 in | 165.1 cm |
| 5 ft 6 in | 66 in | 167.6 cm |
| 5 ft 7 in | 67 in | 170.2 cm |
| 5 ft 8 in | 68 in | 172.7 cm |
| 5 ft 9 in | 69 in | 175.3 cm |
| 5 ft 10 in | 70 in | 177.8 cm |
| 5 ft 11 in | 71 in | 180.3 cm |
| 6 ft 0 in | 72 in | 182.9 cm |
| 6 ft 1 in | 73 in | 185.4 cm |
| 6 ft 2 in | 74 in | 188.0 cm |
| 6 ft 3 in | 75 in | 190.5 cm |
| 6 ft 4 in | 76 in | 193.0 cm |
| 6 ft 5 in | 77 in | 195.6 cm |
| 6 ft 6 in | 78 in | 198.1 cm |
Converting Mixed Feet and Inches to Total Inches
- Take the feet value and multiply by 12 — example: 5 feet × 12 = 60 inches
- Add the remaining inches directly — 60 + 11 = 71 inches total
- For decimal feet like 5.75 ft: multiply 0.75 × 12 = 9, so 5.75 ft = 5 ft 9 in = 69 inches
- To verify: divide your total inches by 12 — quotient is feet, remainder is inches
Why 12 Inches in a Foot
The foot divides into 12 inches because 12 is highly composite — it divides evenly by 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. This made practical measurement easier before decimal arithmetic was widespread: a foot-long piece could be split into halves (6 inches), thirds (4 inches), quarters (3 inches), or sixths (2 inches) without fractions. The inch itself was historically defined as three barleycorns laid end to end, standardized over centuries before the 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement fixed 1 foot as exactly 0.3048 meters.
Decimal Feet vs Total Inches: Picking the Right Format
Step-by-Step Workflow
Enter feet — or feet and inches separately if needed
Total inches result appears instantly below
Click swap to reverse and convert inches back to feet
Specifications
- Formula
- inches = feet × 12
- Mixed format
- inches = (feet × 12) + inches
- 1 foot equals
- 12 inches (exact)
- 5 ft 0 in
- 60 inches
- 5 ft 11 in
- 71 inches
- 6 ft 0 in
- 72 inches
- 1 yard (3 ft)
- 36 inches
Best Practices
- Multiply feet by 12, then add any remaining inches for the exact total
- Height quick reference: 5ft=60in, 5ft6in=66in, 5ft10in=70in, 6ft=72in, 6ft2in=74in
- Lumber lengths: 8ft=96in, 10ft=120in, 12ft=144in, 16ft=192in
- Ceiling heights: 8ft=96in, 9ft=108in, 10ft=120in — all standard residential
- 1 yard = 3 feet = 36 inches — useful when working with fabric or fencing
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert feet and inches to total inches?
Multiply the feet by 12, then add the inches. Example: 5 feet 9 inches = (5 × 12) + 9 = 60 + 9 = 69 inches. For whole feet only, just multiply by 12: 6 feet = 72 inches.
How many inches is 5 feet?
5 feet = 5 × 12 = 60 inches exactly. This is also 152.4 centimeters or 1.524 meters.
How many inches is 6 feet?
6 feet = 6 × 12 = 72 inches exactly. In metric, 72 inches × 2.54 = 182.88 centimeters. Note that 180cm — commonly described as '6 feet' — is actually 5 feet 10.9 inches.
How many inches is 5 feet 10 inches?
5 feet 10 inches = (5 × 12) + 10 = 60 + 10 = 70 inches. In centimeters: 70 × 2.54 = 177.8cm. This is the commonly cited average height for adult males in the United States.
How many inches is 5 feet 11 inches?
5 feet 11 inches = (5 × 12) + 11 = 71 inches. In metric: 71 × 2.54 = 180.34cm — just over 180cm, which explains why 180cm is colloquially rounded to 'nearly 6 feet' when it is actually 5 feet 10.9 inches.
How are feet and inches written in construction notation?
US construction drawings use a dash-and-quote format: 8'-0" means 8 feet 0 inches, 6'-8" means 6 feet 8 inches (standard door height = 80 inches). The foot symbol is a single quote (') and the inch symbol is a double quote ("). On dimension lines, fractions appear as 6'-8½" for 6 feet 8.5 inches = 80.5 inches total.
How many feet and inches is 100 inches?
100 inches ÷ 12 = 8 feet remainder 4 inches = 8 feet 4 inches. Check: 8 × 12 = 96, 100 − 96 = 4 inches remaining. In construction notation: 8'-4".