How many cubic feet are in 1 cubic meter?

1 m³ ≈ 35.3147 ft³ (exact factor 35.314666721…).

What is 1 CBM in cubic feet?

CBM (cubic meter) is the same as m³, so 1 CBM = 35.3147 ft³. The two units are interchangeable in shipping.

How many cubic feet in 10 m³?

10 × 35.3147 = 353.147 ft³, or roughly 13 cubic yards.

How many cubic feet does a 20-foot shipping container hold?

A standard 20-ft container is about 33.2 m³ internally, which converts to 33.2 × 35.3147 ≈ 1,172 ft³. A 40-ft container holds approximately 67.7 m³ ≈ 2,390 ft³.

Cubic Meters to Cubic Feet Calculator (Free)

How to convert cubic meters to cubic feet

One meter equals 3.28084 feet. Cube the linear factor: 3.28084³ ≈ 35.3147. So 1 cubic meter equals about 35.31 cubic feet — the standard conversion for international shipping and freight quoting.

ft³ = m³ × 35.3147

Worked examples

Example 1: 33 CBM (a typical 20 ft container)

33 × 35.3147 ≈ 1,165 ft³.

Example 2: 67 CBM (a typical 40 ft container)

67 × 35.3147 ≈ 2,366 ft³.

Example 3: 5 m³ of household goods

5 × 35.3147 ≈ 176.57 ft³.

Cubic meters → cubic feet	Conversion factor	Worked example
0.1 m³	× 35.3147	3.531 ft³
1 m³	× 35.3147	35.31 ft³
10 m³	× 35.3147	353.15 ft³
50 m³	× 35.3147	1,765.7 ft³
100 m³	× 35.3147	3,531.5 ft³

Common uses

Reading international shipping quotes (CBM → ft³)
European spec sheets for appliances and furniture
Architectural plans drawn in metric units
Freight forwarder rate cards that mix m³ and ft³

Where this conversion comes up

US suppliers, freight quotes, and storage-unit listings use cubic feet. Going the other way from a metric specification helps when you need a US-friendly number.

Translating European appliance capacity to US standards for refrigerators, freezers, and ovens.
Quoting shipping or storage in US units based on a metric measurement.
Verifying SI-unit volume formulas against US expectations.

Common mistakes to avoid

Cubing the conversion factor incorrectly. 1 m = 3.28084 ft, but 1 m³ = 35.3147 ft³ (which is 3.28084³). Using 3.28 as the volume factor is the most common error.
Mixing meters with centimeters. 1 m³ = 1,000,000 cm³. Convert all inputs to the same unit first.
Using SI factors on US customary volumes. SI factors are precise for m³ ↔ ft³, but if your source data is in liters or gallons, use the corresponding converter directly.

Expert tips

Multiply cubic meters by 35.3147 to get cubic feet. This is the precise factor. Quick mental math: cubic meters × 35 gets you within 1% of the right answer.
For ocean freight, your supplier already speaks both. Container capacity is published in both m³ and ft³. The conversion is mostly useful for translating a metric supplier's spec to a US carrier's rate.
For European appliances, the spec is usually liters, not m³. A 200-liter fridge ≈ 7.06 ft³. Use the cubic feet to litersconverter for a direct match.
Round to two decimal places for practical use. A 1.5 m³ box is 52.97 ft³ — call it 53 ft³ for ordering, 52.97 for engineering specs.

Frequently asked questions

Related calculators

ft³ → m³

Convert cubic feet to cubic meters. Multiply by 0.0283168.

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ft³ → CBM

Convert cubic feet to CBM (cubic meters) for shipping. 1 ft³ ≈ 0.0283 CBM.

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Calculate shipping cubic feet for freight, pallets, and parcels. Includes CBM conversion.

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From Meters

Calculate cubic feet from meter dimensions. 1 m³ ≈ 35.3147 ft³.

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