Can you change the units from Metric to Imperial mid-project in Revit?
Short Answer
Yes — in Autodesk Revit, you can change a project from metric to imperial mid-project using project units. The most common professional method is to update units from the Manage tab so dimensions, schedules, and displayed values show imperial formatting. Limitation: this changes display units, not the actual size of modeled geometry.
What You Need to Know Before
Warning: Changing project units mid-project does not convert or rescale the model. A common failure is assuming walls, levels, families, or imported CAD files will automatically resize, which can create major coordination and documentation errors.
How to Change Units from Metric to Imperial in Revit
Command: Project Units
Shortcut: UN
Quick Steps:
- Go to the Manage tab on the Ribbon, then click Project Units in the Settings panel.
- In the Project Units dialog, change key formats such as Length, Area, and Volume from metric to imperial.
- Set the desired Unit symbol, Rounding, and options like Suppress trailing 0’s, then click OK.
Variables & Settings
Key Setting: Format > Unit type settings in the Project Units dialog
Expert Setting: Revit lets you control each measurement type separately, so Length can display in feet and inches while Area shows square feet. If needed, you can also override unit formatting inside specific schedule fields or dimension types.
Why it Fails
- Cause 1 (Geometry): Users expect the building model to scale from millimeters to feet, but Revit only changes displayed unit formatting.
- Cause 2 (layers/Locks): Imported or linked CAD files may still use their original insertion units, causing apparent size mismatches after the unit display change.
- Cause 3 (Command/Logic): Some families, tags, dimensions, or schedules may use type-based or field-based format overrides, so not every annotation updates the same way.
Quick Fix & Best Practice
- Quick Fix: Use Project Units first, then audit dimension types, schedule field formatting, and CAD link/import unit settings for consistency.
- Manager’s Verdict: Safe to use mid-project for documentation standards, but avoid treating it like a true unit conversion. For active production models, verify all annotations, families, and linked files before issuing sheets.
FAQ
Does Revit actually convert the model size when changing units?
No, it only changes how values are displayed.
Will dimensions automatically show feet and inches after the change?
Usually yes, unless the dimension type has its own unit format override.
Do linked DWG files update correctly after changing project units?
Not always; check the cad file’s import or link unit settings manually.
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