The crystal structures of the cadmium(II) and lead(II) complexes of phenoxyacetic acid (PAH) have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. The cadmium complex, [Cd(PA) 2(H 2O) 2] (1), space group C2, with Z = 2 in a cell of dimensions, a = 11.801(2), b = 5.484(1), c = 13.431(3) Å, β = 100.87(2)°, possesses a distorted trapezoidal bipyramidal coordination around the metal atom, involving two water oxygens [2.210(5) Å] and four carboxyl oxygens from two symmetrical bidentate phenoxyacetate ligands [2.363(4), 2.365(4) Å] with Cd lying on the crystallographic two- fold axis. The lead complex, [Pb 2(PA) 4(H 2O)] n (2) is triclinic, space group P 1 , Z = 2, with a cell of dimensions, a = 10.135(4), b = 10.675(3), c = 19.285(9) Å, α = 114.66(3), β = 91.94(3) and γ = 114.99(3)°. (2) is a two-dimensional polymer with a repeating dimer sub-unit. The first lead [Pb(1)] has an irregular MO 8 coordination [2.34−2.96(2) Å: mean, 2.63(2) Å] involving the water molecule, two oxygens from an asymmetric bidentate carboxylate group, two from a bidentate chelate [O(ether), O(carboxylate)] group and three from bridging oxygens, one of which also provides a polymer link to another symmetry generated lead. The second lead [Pb(2)] is irregular seven-coordinate [PbO, 2.48−2.73(2) Å: mean, 2.61(2) Å] with three bonds from the bridging groups, two from an unsymmetrical bidentate carboxylate ( O, O′) group and one from a second carboxyl group which also bridges two Pb(2) centres in the polymer.