Planning a New Office

Tenants' Rules of Thumb

The general rule of thumb is to allow 175 to 250 usable square feet per person depending upon the type and style of the business. This figure can vary based upon special needs such as extra-large conference rooms or storage requirements, but will include normal amenities within a general use office. For an accurate determination of space requirements, an office space planner should be consulted.


The following standards can be used to help estimate the amount of usable space required for your business.

  • Typical President' s office or Chairman of the Board - 250 to 400 sq. ft.

  • Typical Vice-President' s Office - 150 to 250 sq. ft.

  • Typical Executive' s Office - 100 to 150 sq. ft.

  • Partitioned Open Space - Clerical Supervisor or Manager 80 to 110 sq. ft.

  • Open Space - Secretary 60 to 110 sq. ft.

  • Conference Rooms - 15 sq. ft. per person: theater style or 25 to 30 sq. ft. per person: conference seating

  • Mail Room - 8 to 9 ft. wide with 30" counters on either side. Length depends upon amount of usage

  • Reception Area - 125 to 200 sq. ft. for Receptionist and 2 - 4 people waiting or 200 to 300 sq. ft. for Receptionist and 6 - 8 people waiting

  • File Room - 7 sq. ft. per file with a 3' to 4' aisle width

  • Library- 175 to 450 sq. ft. with seating for 4 - 6 (Allow 12" for bookshelf width)

  • Lunch Rooms - 15 sq. ft. per person, not including kitchen. Kitchen should be 1/3 to 1/2 of seating area

  • Clerical Pool Areas - 80 to 100 sq. ft. per person


© Copyright 2008 Omni Centre, LLC, All rights reserved.