How much office space do you need for 20 people?

One hundred square feet per person is a good rule when calculating how much office space you need for your team, as it avoids claustrophobic work environments and keeps teams close enough to communicate efficiently during the day. For more traditional offices, with between 250 and 300 square feet per employee, you'll need fewer common workspaces.

How much office space do you need for 20 people?

One hundred square feet per person is a good rule when calculating how much office space you need for your team, as it avoids claustrophobic work environments and keeps teams close enough to communicate efficiently during the day. For more traditional offices, with between 250 and 300 square feet per employee, you'll need fewer common workspaces. The typical ratio in this case would be one conference room for every 20 employees. With this density, an office of 50 people would only need two or three conference rooms.

During the pandemic, JLL reported that the average amount of space per employee was 196 square feet. Today, workplace design studies concluded that the average office space per employee is 150 to 175 square feet. This includes dedicated desk space and surrounding space, and you should also consider the amount of space in meeting rooms and common areas. How much office space per person or how many square feet of office space do you need per employee? A general rule of thumb is 125 to 175 square feet per person in open office designs and 200 to 250 square feet per person in offices with many rooms with rigid walls.

Buildings have parking fees that you must also meet. This also means that those with larger private offices receive a higher proportion of available space than employees who work in cubicles or workstations. They need flexible office space to work efficiently in both locations, but some may also need spaces in between. Few private offices use most of the space for rows of small desks, such as a call center.

For more detailed recommendations, use an office space calculator for several spaces, such as conference rooms, waiting areas, quiet rooms, executive offices, etc. While there isn't one number that works for every business, most industries offer at least 150 to 300 square feet of space per employee, including work areas and shared spaces. The average office space per employee was up to 325 square feet at the beginning of the 21st century, but has declined to about 160 square feet in recent years. Employees who do a lot of creative work may spend more time collaborating on projects and need more meeting space than a dedicated desk.

In addition to the industry, other factors that influence the amount of office space needed per employee include density, geographical location, employee age, and cost per square foot. Several factors have caused the average office space per employee to decline by 21% over the past decade, although the pandemic is reversing the trend. Denser offices often have large collaborative spaces for employees to work together, exchange ideas and relax. You can then dive deeper into data on office jobs or search for administrative and office jobs.

We help them plan the space they need now and anticipate their space needs for the future based on projected growth. Or, if you're organizing larger company meetings or training sessions and you're worried that your office space isn't big enough to accommodate a growing team, consider renting a conference room at a nearby hotel.

Carol Toefield
Carol Toefield

Subtly charming internet buff. Infuriatingly humble gamer. Freelance tv buff. Total zombie lover. Infuriatingly humble twitter guru. Professional organizer.