A linear meter (also called a running meter, lin m or lm) is one meter of length measured along a roll, strip or plank, regardless of its width. If a carpet is 4 m wide, one linear meter of that carpet covers 4 m². Linear meters are how rolled materials — carpet, linoleum, wallpaper, fabric — are sold and priced.
Divide the area in square meters by the width of the roll in meters: L = S ÷ W. Example: a 15 m² carpet on a 1.5 m wide roll = 15 ÷ 1.5 = 10 linear meters. Always round up to whole rolls or to the supplier's cut length when ordering.
Multiply the linear meters by the roll width in meters: S = L × W. Example: 10 lin m of a 1.5 m wide roll = 10 × 1.5 = 15 m². Switch to the «lin m → m²» tab above to do this directly.
Wallpaper rolls are usually 0.53 m (Euro standard) or 1.06 m for non-woven; linoleum and sheet vinyl come in 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 and 4 m widths; carpet rolls are typically 3, 4 or 5 m wide (12 ft = 3.66 m in the US); upholstery fabric is most often 1.40–1.60 m. Tap any preset above to load the value.
Yes — suppliers cut to whole or half meters and you cannot stitch together fractional pieces from a roll. Add 5–10% for waste (pattern matching, trim, cuts) and round the final figure up to the nearest 0.5 m or whole meter.
First compute linear meters with the formula above, then multiply by 3.2808 to get linear feet. The calculator shows linear feet automatically in the conversions row below the result. You can also enter the area in ft² and width in feet directly — the calculator handles all unit conversions.
Results are approximate. Round up the final figure and add a waste margin before ordering material.
How to convert square meters to linear meters
Divide the area in square meters by the width of the roll in meters: L = S ÷ W. Example: a 15 m² carpet on a 1.5 m wide roll = 15 ÷ 1.5 = 10 linear meters. The calculator above handles unit conversions (m, cm, mm, ft, in for width; m², ft², yd², cm² for area) and a reverse mode for linear meters → m².
Width presets for common materials
The calculator includes width presets grouped by material: wallpaper rolls (0.53 / 0.70 / 1.06 m), linoleum and sheet vinyl (1.5 / 2 / 2.5 / 3 / 4 m), carpet (3 / 4 / 5 m and 12 ft), and upholstery fabric (1.10–2.80 m). Tap a preset to load it instantly.
Cost estimator
Enter price per linear meter, per m² or per linear foot to get the total cost in your chosen currency.