Finding the right sized office space can be difficult. You want the right space for your team to be productive and to give clients the right impression, but you don’t want to waste money on unused space.
Real estate agents while helpful, aren’t necessarily the best person to decide on what your business needs. A good agent can help narrow down your search by getting some info on the number of employees you have etc., but know the standard office size for similar businesses can save you a lot of wasted spend.
Average Office Space Requirements
Office space needs vary based on your needs, number of staff, industry and even by where you are located.
A marketing agency may need more space than a call center. Space for 15 employees requires an extra 33% of space compared to 10.
What about meeting or conference rooms? Space in downtown Los Angeles vs suburban Dallas is very different.
Are you wanting open concept or private offices?
The list of questions goes on and on. While it’s hard to get it perfect, with a little bit of planning and looking at some common office sizes you can make an informed decision.
Standard Office Size by Job Title:
These are square footage estimates based on common sizes as found in commercial office spaces on LoopNet.
C-Suite and Managers
- CXO/Presidents (350 square feet)
- Directors/Vice presidents (250 square feet)
- Mid Level Managers (125 square feet)
Cubicle Sizes by Job Title:
- Engineers (175 square feet)
- Accountants (120 square feet)
- Secretaries (100 square feet)
- Customer support (100 square feet)
- Software Devs (100 square feet)
- Graphic Designers (100 square feet)
Employees in an Open Area:
- Data entry (100 square feet)
- Clerks (100 square feet)
- Miscellaneous (100 square feet)
Permanent Rooms and Spaces:
- Print room (200 square feet)
- Storage room or library (200 square feet)
- Mailroom (125 square feet)
- Workroom (125 square feet)
- Reception area (100 square feet plus 10 square feet per person waiting)
- Lunch or break room (100 square feet plus 25 square feet per person seated)
- Conference room (75 square feet plus 16 square feet per person seated)
Make sure to account for any other special needs or spaces unique to your business. Run an ecommerce business? Having a photo room might be handy.
Office Space Cost Determinations
Price per square foot will be greatly determined about your office location. Not only your city and state, but your location in the local area. Downtown, suburban, art district etc. Choose a location that is central for your customers and employees and fits the feel of your business.
If you don’t have clients or customers coming to your office space finding something tucked away in an industrial area may help you save big. If you do have clients coming to your office make sure its easy for them to find and fits your product offering. You don’t want to be the “luxury” architecture firm with high networth clients in some dumpy office next to the manure plant.
Most commercial lease agreements lock you into this space for at least two years. Accommodate for growth and know what it would take to terminate your lease in case you outgrow the space or decide it’s not right for whatever reason. Moving office spaces can also be a headache, not to mention very costly.