Assessing How Much Office Space You Need
Determining how much office space your company needs doesn’t require that you come up with exact measurements. However, it is a good idea to have an overall square footage number and an idea of how you will be using the space. Industry, location, and style are factors that contribute to how much space you will need. There are also at least two considerations when it comes to determining space: layout and cost.
Layout
The office layout refers to the style you need or prefer. Depending on the industry, you may consider an open space, hard-wall space or a mix of both.
- Open Space – trendy companies are gravitating more to open space offices. This allows employees to easily collaborate and communicate.
- Closed Space – companies that need to ensure confidentiality and privacy tend to prefer closed office space. The hard-walls of this style gives managers and employees the necessary space to conduct private matters.
- Combination – many companies incorporate a combination of both open and closed offices. A common office style is hard-wall offices along the perimeter of the building with cubicles in the center. This allows management or those in confidential positions (e.g., Human Resources) to have privacy while still promoting communication and teamwork among employees.
Cost
Once you’ve determined the layout you prefer for your business, it’s important to know a few figures. A real estate agent who is helping you find the right office will want to know the approximate square footage. This helps eliminate any offices that aren’t the right fit. By understanding a few basic numbers, you can determine what you need.
- Management/Human Resources – any employee requiring a private office should be given at least 150 square feet of space.
- Cubicles – employees needing cubicles should be given a space that is at least 36 square feet.
- Permanent Rooms – the lunchroom, file room, reception area, and any other needs particular to your industry are included in this category.
Once you’ve determined how many offices, rooms, and cubicles you need, you can determine the approximate total square footage. This figure is helpful for your real estate agent who can then find properties that will work for your business. The agent can then give you a price per square foot.
Calculating how much office space you need doesn’t need to be rocket science. Choosing a layout and determining the cost of that layout will help you find a property that your company can enjoy for years to come.
