How much office space per person or how many square feet of office space do you need per employee? A general rule thumb is 125 to 175 sf per person in open office layouts and 200 to 250 sf per person in offices with many hard-walled rooms. Buildings have parking ratios you must adhere to as well.
If you lease too much or too little office space it can be an expensive mistake. Austin Tenant Advisors created this office space calculator to help you estimate the square footage needed for your office.
Landlords charge Tenants based on the number of Rentable Square Feet (“RSF”) leased. The RSF calculation starts as a total of the Usable Square Footage (“USF”), the dimensions of the actual spaces. To this USF is added a Circulation Factor, typically 25% – 35%, which is essentially the space allowing movement between the individual rooms/spaces. Landlords then add to this number a Common Area Factor (“CAF”), typically about 15% – 20%, to account for those areas shared by all tenants in a multi-tenant building (lobby, restrooms, shared hallways, etc.). These calculations are an estimate and should only be used as a guideline. It’s best to hire a space planner/architect to create a program.
Other Helpful Calculators
- How much is your monthly rent? – Commercial Lease Calculator
- Learn about the different commercial lease rate types
- How much is Austin office space for lease?
- Calculate remaining months on your commercial lease? Calculate Months Between Dates
