Space Planning Tips

The primary factor in determining how much space you will need to house your business is the number of people that will occupy the space. Using the table below, determine the type of space that best suits the organizational role of the person that you are placing or the function that you are trying to facilitate.

The general rule of thumb is to allow 175 to 250 usable square feet per person depending upon the type and style of the business. This figure can vary based upon special needs such as extra-large conference rooms or storage requirements, but will include normal amenities within a general use office. For an accurate determination of space requirements, an office space planner should be consulted. The following standards can be used to help estimate the amount of usable space required for your business.

• Typical President's Office - 250 to 400 sq. ft. (4 to 5 windows in length)
• Typical Vice-President's Office - 150 to 250 sq. ft. (3 to 4 windows in length)
• Typical Executive's Office - 100 to 150 sq. ft. (2 widows in length)
• Partitioned Open Space - Supervisor or Manager 80 to 110 sq. ft.
• Conference Rooms - 15 sq. ft. per person: theater style 25 to 30 sq. ft. per person: conference seating
• Library - Allow 12" for bookshelf width 175 to 450 sq. ft. with seating for 4 - 6.
• Server Room - 80 to 200 sq. ft.
• File Room - 7 sq. ft. per file with a 3' to 4' aisle width
• Bull Pen Areas - 80 to 125 sq. ft. per person
• Mail Room - 8 to 9 ft. wide with 30" counters on either side. Length depends upon amount of usage.
• Reception Area - 125 to 200 sq. ft. Receptionist and 2 - 4 people. 200 to 300 sq. ft. Receptionist and 6 - 8 people.
• Lunch / Break Room - 80-150 sq. ft. 15 sq. ft. per person, not including kitchen. Kitchen should be 1/3 to 1/2 of seating area
• Corridors - 10% to 20% of the total usable area
• Coat Closets - 1 lineal ft. for 4 coats 3 per person
• Water Coolers/Drinking Fountains - 1 unit per 75 employees
• Suggested Column Spacing - 16' to 30' per bay
• Suggested Window Mullion Spacing - 4'6" to 5'.
• Loss Factor - Add 10-25% to total sq. ft.