Office Space Calculator — How Much Space Do You Need?
Estimate how much office space your team needs in square metres or square feet from headcount, layout, hybrid desk sharing and growth, plus the monthly and annual rent and cost per employee.
How it works
Desks = ceiling(employees × (1 + growth) × desks per employee) · Office space = desks × space per person for the layout (usable area including circulation, meeting and shared space) · Monthly rent = area × rent per m² or sq ft (÷ 12 if quoted per year)
Office brokers size space with a rule of thumb per person that already includes corridors, meeting rooms, kitchen and storage: very dense benching runs around 7–8 m² (75–80 sq ft) per person, a typical open-plan office 10–12 m² (110–125 sq ft), a mixed layout about 15 m² (150–175 sq ft), and private-office layouts 20 m² (200–250 sq ft) or more. Hybrid teams can plan desks for the busiest day rather than total headcount. Treat the result as usable area: leases are often quoted on rentable area, which adds a share of the building's common areas (the load factor).
Worked example
A 25-person team planning for 20% growth and full-time attendance needs 25 × 1.2 = 30 desks. In an open-plan layout at 11 m² per person that is 330 m² (3,552 sq ft). At $25 per m² per month, rent is $8,250.00 a month, $99,000.00 a year, or $330.00 per current employee per month.
Sources: LoopNet — How to determine your office space requirements · UK HSE — Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations, room dimensions
Frequently asked questions
How much office space do I need per employee?
A common planning range is about 7–21 m² (75–225 sq ft) per person depending on layout. Open-plan offices with meeting rooms usually land around 10–12 m² (110–125 sq ft) per person including shared areas.
How do I calculate office space for a hybrid team?
Plan desks for your busiest day, not total headcount. If at most 65% of staff are in at once, multiply headcount by 0.65 before applying space per person, and keep extra meeting and collaboration space.
What is the difference between usable and rentable area?
Usable area is the space your team occupies. Rentable area adds your share of lobbies, corridors and restrooms; the ratio (load factor) is often 10–20%, so a lease quote may be larger than the usable space you need.
Is there a legal minimum office space per person?
Some countries set minimums — for example UK guidance suggests at least 11 cubic metres of room volume per person — but practical planning standards are well above legal minimums.
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Planning estimate only. Real results depend on your actual costs, prices, taxes and market — check the figures with your accountant or adviser before making business decisions.