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Auto-Converting Units with CONVERT()

5 min read · Template referenced below

If you're retyping the same feet-to-meters math into a calculator every time you update a takeoff sheet, Excel already has a function built for this: CONVERT(). Set it up once and every dependent cell updates automatically.

1
Enter your base value.
Put your source measurement in a cell — say, A2 for a length in feet.
2
Write the CONVERT formula.
In the target cell: =CONVERT(A2,"ft","m") converts feet to meters instantly.
3
Swap units as needed.
Change "ft" and "m" to any supported unit pair — "in", "yd", "cm", "mm" all work the same way for length. Weight units like "lbm" (pounds) and "kg" work identically.
Need a quick one-off conversion instead of building it into a sheet? BuildQuantify's Unit Converter handles length, area, volume, and weight instantly in the browser.

This scales cleanly across an entire takeoff sheet: drag the formula down a column and every row converts on its own — no separate calculator app needed.

Worked example: a quantity sheet that converts itself

Suppose a drawing set is in feet and your supplier quotes in metric. Keep the original values in column A and let CONVERT do the rest:

Input (A)FormulaResult
120 ft=CONVERT(A2,"ft","m")36.576 m
2,500 sq ft=CONVERT(A3,"ft2","m2")232.258 m²
18 cu yd=CONVERT(A4,"yd3","m3")13.762 m³
50 lb=CONVERT(A5,"lbm","kg")22.680 kg

Area and volume units use a trailing 2 or 3, such as ft2, m2, yd3 and m3. Metric prefixes also work, so "km", "cm" and "mm" are all valid.

Common mistakes and error messages

  • #N/A error. This appears when a unit code is misspelled or the two units are different kinds of measurement, such as converting feet to kilograms. Unit codes are case-sensitive, so "M" is not the same as "m".
  • Mixing text and numbers. If the source cell contains "120 ft" as text, CONVERT cannot read it. Keep the number in its own cell and put the unit in the formula or in a separate column.
  • Typing the unit codes by hand on every row. Put the "from" and "to" units in cells (for example B1 and C1) and write =CONVERT(A2,$B$1,$C$1) so you can change units for the whole sheet in one place.
  • Temperature offsets. Temperature units such as "C" and "F" are supported and handled correctly, but do not use plain multiplication to convert them.

Frequently asked questions

Does CONVERT work in Google Sheets?

Yes. Google Sheets has a CONVERT function with the same syntax, although some unit abbreviations differ slightly, so check the result of your first conversion.

Why not just multiply by a conversion factor?

You can, but CONVERT documents itself, since the formula shows exactly which units are involved, and it avoids typos in long decimal factors such as 0.3048.

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