What does 1:500 scale mean?

At 1:500, one unit on the drawing is 500 of the same unit in real life. 1 mm on paper is 500 mm (0.5 m) in reality, and 1 cm on paper is 5 m.

How do I convert 1:500 to real size?

Multiply the measurement on paper by 500. A 25 mm line on a 1:500 drawing is 12,500 mm, or 12.5 m.

How do I check a drawing is really at 1:500?

Measure a printed dimension on the sheet and divide the real length by the paper length. If you don't get 500, the sheet was printed or exported at a different size and the scale note no longer applies. Set the scale from the dimension instead.

Drawing scales

1:500 scale

1:500 is a 1:500 scale. A metric scale used for site and location plans. Conversion tables both ways.

Updated October 12, 2026 · FloorFigures

Short answer

1:500 means every millimeter on the drawing is 500 mm in real life. 1 cm on paper is 5 m. A metric scale used for site and location plans.

1:500 conversion: paper to real size

On paper	Real size
1 mm	0.5 m
5 mm	2.5 m
10 mm	5 m
20 mm	10 m
50 mm	25 m
100 mm	50 m
200 mm	100 m

Real size to paper at 1:500

Real size	On paper
0.9 m	1.8 mm
1 m	2 mm
3 m	6 mm
5 m	10 mm
10 m	20 mm
20 m	40 mm
50 m	100 mm

How much fits on a sheet

The largest area a full sheet can show at 1:500, before margins and title block:

Sheet	Paper size	Real area shown
A1	841 × 594 mm	420.5 × 297 m
A3	420 × 297 mm	210 × 148.5 m
A4	297 × 210 mm	148.5 × 105 m

Is your plan really at 1:500?

A scale note is only true at the paper size the drawing was made for. Print a 24" × 36" plan on letter paper with "fit to page", or export a PDF at a different page size, and every measurement shrinks by the same factor while the note still says 1:500. Always check one printed dimension before you trust the scale.

FloorFigures does this for you on PDFs: it reads the printed dimensions, works out the real scale, and warns you when the note disagrees. It's free and runs in your browser.

Other metric scales

Scale	Ratio	Typical use
1:20	1:20	A metric scale used for details and enlarged plans.
1:50	1:50	A metric scale used for detailed floor plans and room layouts.
1:100	1:100	The standard metric scale for house floor plans, sections and elevations.
1:200	1:200	A metric scale used for plans of large buildings and small site plans.

Questions

What does 1:500 scale mean?: At 1:500, one unit on the drawing is 500 of the same unit in real life. 1 mm on paper is 500 mm (0.5 m) in reality, and 1 cm on paper is 5 m.
How do I convert 1:500 to real size?: Multiply the measurement on paper by 500. A 25 mm line on a 1:500 drawing is 12,500 mm, or 12.5 m.
What is 1:500 used for?: A metric scale used for site and location plans.
How do I check a drawing is really at 1:500?: Measure a printed dimension on the sheet and divide the real length by the paper length. If you don't get 500, the sheet was printed or exported at a different size and the scale note no longer applies. Set the scale from the dimension instead.