How to Determine Your Office Space Requirements

Whether you're renting commercial space for the first time or looking to relocate, determining your office space requirements comes down to answering a few key questions about your business needs.

How Many People Need Office Space?

Start by determining your current and future office occupancy needs:

• Current Headcount: Calculate how many employees need workspace and their expected office attendance frequency
• Future Growth: Plan for 10-20% more space than current needs to accommodate growth over your lease term
• Location Strategy: Decide whether your workforce is better served by a single central office or multiple smaller locations based on anticipated headcount changes

How Much Office Space Do You Need?

Your commercial office space requirements depend on your chosen type of buildout. While U.S. offices average 214 square feet per employee (CoStar, 2020), space needs vary by layout style. An open plan buildout requires less space than private offices.

• Individual Workspace: 125-150 square feet per person for open plans, 400 square feet for private offices
• Common Areas: Additional space for break rooms, conference rooms, kitchens, and reception
• Flexibility Factors: Consider desk sharing arrangements and hybrid work schedules

Remember to understand the difference between rentable and usable square feet when calculating your total space needs.

Explore available office spaces for lease in your area that match your square footage requirements:

What Budget Considerations Should You Keep in Mind?

When evaluating potential office spaces, request that real estate agents break down the cost per square foot for each location. This enables direct cost comparisons between different spaces. While budget is crucial, balance it against other key factors like:

• Location and accessibility to public transportation
• Available parking
• Current condition of the space
• Overall design and functionality for your needs

What Office Buildout Will Work Best for Your Business?

This decision will be significantly informed by the types of tasks carried out by your company, and what its priorities are with regard to considerations like client interaction, privacy, collaboration, productivity and wellness. The three most common types of buildouts are open plan, collaborative and private office. Each of these buildouts offer distinct attributes and challenges, and the layout you ultimately select will have an impact on almost every facet of your buildout costs and occupancy experience.

What Technology Infrastructure Space Should You Plan For?

Beyond workstations and common areas, modern offices require dedicated space for technology infrastructure. Plan for:

• Server room or IT closet: 100-150 square feet minimum, with proper ventilation and cooling
• Charging stations and power hubs: 20-30 square feet per collaborative area
• Network equipment rooms: 80-100 square feet for routers, switches, and telecom equipment
• Printer and copier stations: 50-75 square feet per station

What Accessibility Requirements Should You Consider?

Your office space must comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations. Key spatial requirements include:

• Doorways and hallways: Minimum 36 inches wide for wheelchair access
• Turning radius: 60 inches of clearance in workspaces and common areas
• Restrooms: ADA-compliant stalls requiring 60x56 inches minimum
• Ramps: When needed, minimum width of 36 inches with specific slope requirements
• Elevator access: Required for multi-floor offices unless exempted by building size

What Type of Lease Should You Execute?

There are three primary lease types that most office users will consider: direct leases, subleases and coworking agreements.

• A direct lease is a contract that is established directly (hence its moniker) between your organization (the tenant) and the owner of the property (the landlord). It enables you to customize the office space to your company's specifications.
• A sublease is an arrangement for your company to lease space from another business, which already has an existing, direct lease. In this case, you will be the subtenant and will likely occupy the space as is and have limited flexibility to tailor the space to your needs.
• In a coworking space, you aren't actually signing a lease at all, but creating an agreement or license between your organization and the operator of the space that provides your company with explicit rights to utilize the facilities. A variety of coworking options are available, and these alternatives can be combined in different configurations, including a fully private office, a dedicated desk or seat in an open area or a commitment to provide some available seat in the suite for a prescribed number of days per week.

Browse available coworking spaces in your area that offer flexible workspace solutions:

What Is an Office Space Program? (And Why Should You Consider One?)

An office space program is a strategy that your business can develop in concert with an architect to conceptualize and design an office environment that satisfies your company's requirements, implements industry-specific best practices and accurately reflects your organization's mission, culture and values.

While it may not get you to the moon and back, a space program for your office will take into account your company's technology and space needs, workflow and recruiting objectives, as well as aesthetic and cultural considerations, to develop an office that realizes all of your organization's office ambitions. Part of this process will involve ascertaining the number of common area spaces your company will need, including reception areas, conference rooms, collaboration spaces, kitchens, etc.

How Much Time Should You Allow for the Office Leasing Process?

Start your search 6-24 months before your target move-in date to maintain negotiating leverage and ensure optimal options. Timing depends on two key factors:

• Space Size: Larger spaces require more lead time for planning and negotiations
• Buildout Needs: Complex renovations need 12-24 months, while coworking or sublease spaces can be secured in 6-12 months

What if You Already Have an Office?

If you already have an office, but your lease is expiring or your requirements have shifted, you'll still want to consider most, if not all, of the items detailed in this article thus far. However, there are some additional parameters that you'll have to bear in mind, as well.

• Review renewal and termination options: It is critical that you carefully review all of the salient details of your current lease, including your expiration date, holdover charges and renewal and termination options. Both renewal and termination options typically have to be exercised well in advance of your lease's expiration date, so it's important to be aware of the exact requirements of each clause in order to take maximum advantage of the options that are available to your organization.
• Decide whether to renew or relocate: This is a complex decision that will be based on myriad factors. Nonetheless, even if you are fairly certain you want to remain in your existing premises, it's important to consider alternatives - both as a matter of prudent due diligence and in order to create leverage with your current landlord.

This article was updated on 12/13/2024