How Much Office Space Does a Startup Need?
8 July 2026 · 4 min read
A simple way to size your office: seats, meeting rooms and growth headroom, with realistic sq-ft-per-person numbers.
Start from seats
Plan 70–90 sq ft of super built-up area per seat for an open layout with a normal share of cabins and meeting rooms. Dense operations floors can work at 55–65.
Add meeting and support space
Two meeting rooms and a pantry are the practical minimum above 25 people. Under-providing meeting space is the most common complaint six months into a lease.
Build in headroom, carefully
Size for 12–18 months of hiring, not three years. Paying for empty desks for two years is more expensive than moving once.
