Foot Candle Calculator — Convert FC to Lux and Find Your Target
Choose a mode
30 fc equals 323 lx, since 1 foot-candle equals 10.764 lux by definition — one lumen spread over a square foot versus a square meter.
Switch between converting a single foot-candle reading to lux, or working out total lumens needed for a room at a target foot-candle level.
One foot-candle equals 10.764 lux. A foot-candle is one lumen of light landing on one square foot of surface — American fixture packaging and IESNA design standards use foot-candles, while European spec sheets and metric building codes use lux.
Reference table
Target Foot-Candle Levels by Room
| Room | Target Foot-Candles | Target Lux |
|---|---|---|
| Hallway | 8 fc | 86 lx |
| Bedroom / Living Room | 15 fc | 161 lx |
| Kitchen (ambient) | 35 fc | 377 lx |
| Kitchen (task) | 85 fc | 915 lx |
| Bathroom | 40 fc | 431 lx |
| Office / Study | 40 fc | 431 lx |
| Garage | 25 fc | 269 lx |
| Storage | 15 fc | 161 lx |
Measurement and lighting design
How Foot-Candles Are Measured — and Why They Matter for Recessed Lighting
Work-plane, not floor level
A light meter measures foot-candles at the surface that matters — desk height for an office, counter height for a kitchen — not the floor. This is the same distinction the lighting layout tool and every room-specific calculator on this site build in: the target level is always a work-plane measurement.
For recessed lighting specifically, foot-candles are the bridge between a target brightness and a fixture count: multiply the target by the room's floor area for total lumens needed, then divide by a fixture's rated output and round up.
Frequently asked questions
Foot-Candle FAQ
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What is a foot-candle?
A foot-candle is one lumen of light falling on one square foot of surface. It is the common unit of illuminance in the United States — the amount of light actually landing on a surface, not the total output of a bulb.
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How do I convert foot-candles to lux?
Multiply foot-candles by 10.764 to get lux. One foot-candle equals 10.764 lux because a square meter is 10.764 times larger than a square foot, so the same light counted over the metric area gives a proportionally larger number.
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What foot-candle level do I need for my room?
It depends on the room: 5–10 fc for a hallway, 10–20 fc for a bedroom or living room, 30–50 fc for a kitchen or office, and 70–100 fc for kitchen task areas. See the table above for the full range.
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Is foot-candle the same as lumens?
No. Lumens measure the total light output of a fixture in every direction; foot-candles measure how much of that light actually reaches a surface. The same fixture delivers fewer foot-candles the farther it is mounted from the floor.
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How are foot-candles measured?
With a light meter (or light-meter phone app) held at the surface being measured — usually the work plane, such as desk or counter height, rather than the floor — pointed straight up toward the ceiling fixtures.
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How do foot-candles relate to recessed lighting layout?
The target foot-candle level for a room, multiplied by its floor area, gives the total lumens needed — divide that by a fixture's rated lumen output and round up for a fixture count. This is the core of the lumen method used throughout this site's calculators.