How do I calculate square feet?

Multiply the length by the width in feet. A room 12 feet by 10 feet is 120 square feet.

How many square feet in a square metre?

About 10.76. So 100 square metres is roughly 1,076 square feet, and a 1,200 square foot apartment is about 111 square metres.

Why is Dubai property in square feet but materials in metres?

Property advertising follows one convention and the building trade follows another. The same apartment is 1,200 square feet to buy and 111 square metres to tile.

What is price per square foot used for?

Comparing listings fairly. Divide the price or the annual rent by the area, and two very different properties become comparable on one number.

Does built up area include the balcony?

It varies. Some sellers include it in full, some at a fraction, some not at all. If you are comparing closely, ask what is in the figure.

Should I use the listing area to buy materials?

No. Measure the actual rooms. Built up area includes walls, so it is larger than the floor you are covering.

Square Feet Calculator

What you measured in

Length

Width

Extra area to add

sq ft

A balcony, a second room, anything separate.

Price of the property

AED

Sale price or yearly rent, for the price per square foot.

Your answer

Area

1,200 sq ft

That is 111.5 square metres.

In square metres: 111.5 m2
Main area: 1200 sq ft
Extra added: 0 sq ft
Price per square foot: No price entered
Price per square metre: No price entered

Property listings usually quote built up area. That can include walls and sometimes a balcony, so it is not the same as the floor you can walk on.

Square Feet Calculator for Dubai and the UAE

This tool works out area in square feet, which is how property is measured and priced in the UAE.

It converts to square metres at the same time, because everything you buy for that property is sold in metres.

It also works out price per square foot, which is the number used to compare one listing against another.

Why the UAE uses two units at once

It looks confusing and there is a reason for it.

Property here is advertised, sold and rented in square feet. Every listing, every price per foot comparison and every agent conversation uses it.

Building materials are sold in square metres. Tiles, paint, flooring and contractor quotes all use metric.

So the same apartment is 1,200 square feet when you buy it and 111 square metres when you tile it.

One square metre is about 10.76 square feet. The tool gives both so you never have to hold two numbers in your head.

Price per square foot

This is the number that makes two listings comparable, and it is worth knowing how to read.

Divide the price by the area. A property at a certain price and a smaller one at a lower price can be very different value, and per foot is how you see it.

It works for rent as well. Divide the annual rent by the square feet and you can compare a studio against a two bedroom in a way the headline rent does not allow.

What it cannot see is quality, floor, view, finish, service charge or how the space is laid out. Two properties at the same price per foot can be very different to live in.

So use it to shortlist and then look at the actual property. It is a filter, not a verdict.

Built up area and what it includes

A listing quotes a number of square feet, and it is worth knowing what is inside that number.

Built up area normally includes the internal walls and sometimes the share of a wall you have in common with a neighbour. So it is larger than the floor you can actually walk on.

Balconies are treated differently by different sellers. Sometimes included in full, sometimes at a fraction, sometimes not at all.

For an apartment there may also be a share of common areas included in a total, which is a different number again.

None of this is dishonest, it is just inconsistent. If you are comparing two listings closely, ask each one what is included in the figure.

And if you are buying material for the property, measure the actual rooms rather than working from the listing figure.

Measuring a space yourself

Straightforward, and worth doing rather than trusting a plan.

Length times width
For a rectangular room. Measure at the widest point, because rooms are rarely perfectly square.
Split odd shapes
An L shaped space is two rectangles. Work out each and add them.
Add rooms separately
Do each room on its own and add the totals, rather than trying to treat a whole floor as one rectangle.
Decide about balconies
For your own purposes, keep them separate. Then you can present the number either way.
Note which you measured in
Feet or metres. Mixing them halfway through a set of measurements is the most common mistake there is.

Questions people ask

How do I calculate square feet?: Multiply the length by the width in feet. A room 12 feet by 10 feet is 120 square feet.
How many square feet in a square metre?: About 10.76. So 100 square metres is roughly 1,076 square feet, and a 1,200 square foot apartment is about 111 square metres.
Why is Dubai property in square feet but materials in metres?: Property advertising follows one convention and the building trade follows another. The same apartment is 1,200 square feet to buy and 111 square metres to tile.
What is price per square foot used for?: Comparing listings fairly. Divide the price or the annual rent by the area, and two very different properties become comparable on one number.
Does built up area include the balcony?: It varies. Some sellers include it in full, some at a fraction, some not at all. If you are comparing closely, ask what is in the figure.
Should I use the listing area to buy materials?: No. Measure the actual rooms. Built up area includes walls, so it is larger than the floor you are covering.

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