Return to office planning used to be a one-time project. Now it is closer to a moving target. A company announces three days a week, then four, then a team-by-team exception list. Facilities managers are left adjusting the same floor plan every few quarters.
The way through is to stop treating furniture as fixed. If you can sell surplus quickly and add stations quickly, you can follow policy changes instead of fighting them. This guide lays out a plan to do both.
Translate the policy into seat counts
Leadership talks in days per week. Your floor plan runs on stations per day. Convert one into the other before anything else.
- List each team and its RTO expectation. Some groups will be on site more than the company-wide rule.
- Estimate peak daily attendance. Anchor days, where everyone is asked in on the same day, drive this number up fast.
- Add a buffer for visitors, new hires and teams that overshoot the policy.
- Compare against current stations by floor or zone. A building can be short on one floor and long on another.
The output is a simple table: current stations, needed stations and the difference for each area. That table drives every step after this one.
Plan for three scenarios, not one
Because policies change, build a plan that can move in either direction.
| Scenario | What it looks like | Your move |
|---|---|---|
| Contraction | Attendance stays low, lease renewal approaching | Liquidate surplus and give back space |
| Rebalance | Right total, wrong locations | Consolidate floors, sell what is left over |
| Expansion | Mandate tightens, stations run short | Add in-stock stations and reopen closed zones |
Write down the trigger for each scenario, such as peak attendance above 90 percent of stations for four straight weeks. When the trigger hits, you already know the next step.
When you need less space: sell the surplus
Unused workstations cost you twice, once in rent for the square footage and again if you pay someone to haul them away. A liquidation can turn that around.
Office Station provides a written net offer for surplus furniture. The math is straightforward: resale value of the furniture minus the cost of removal. If the result is positive, you are paid. Here is the timeline to plan around:
- Walkthrough typically within 48 hours in Greater Phoenix, and 2 to 3 business days in other markets
- Written offer within 5 business days
- Itemized inventory of everything leaving
- Night and weekend crews, with COIs, freight elevator and dock coordination
- E-waste handling with certificates of data destruction
- Photo-documented broom-clean handback and a diversion summary for your records
If an entire suite or floor is going back to the landlord, office decommissioning covers the full clear-out. Liquidation service is available in Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Las Vegas, Reno, San Diego, Orange County, Northern California, Denver, Salt Lake City and Albuquerque.
When you need more stations: add them fast
Expansion is where RTO plans usually break. New furniture typically takes 4 to 6 weeks, and a mandate can take effect sooner than that. In-stock pre-owned inventory closes the gap.
| Tier (6 by 6 foot station, furniture only) | Price | Lead time |
|---|---|---|
| Liquidation-grade | $615 | As little as 72 hours in stock |
| Remanufactured | $1,245 | Usually 7 to 14 days |
| New | $1,920 | 4 to 6 weeks |
Average market rate Prices subject to availability and project pricing.
Prices exclude electrical, delivery and professional installation. Installation is $95 per workstation with a $495 minimum. Greater Phoenix delivery is $195 central or $295 metro, and freight elsewhere nationwide is quoted per project. Volume pricing is 5 percent at 20 or more stations, 8 percent at 50 or more and 12 percent at 100 or more.
A practical approach is a two-step order. Bring in liquidation-grade stations to cover the immediate shortfall, then decide on longer-term furniture once attendance settles. Browse used cubicles for current workstation options.
Do not forget the slowest part
Furniture is often not the bottleneck. Power and data are. When stations move or multiply, your electrician needs to connect them, and building rules may limit when that work can happen. Book the electrician at the same time you order furniture, and share the space plan with them early.
Return to office planning checklist
- Seat count by team and floor, with peak and buffer
- Written triggers for contraction, rebalance and expansion
- Lease dates and notice windows
- List of furniture to keep, sell or add
- Liquidation walkthrough scheduled for surplus areas
- Workstation quote for expansion areas, with tier and lead time noted
- Electrician and building access booked
- IT asset list for any e-waste leaving the building
- Communication plan so employees know which zones open or close and when
If the plan also involves moving to a new building, see corporate relocation. For anything else, reach Office Station at hello@officestation.com.
Frequently asked questions
What is the first step in return to office planning?
Pin down the policy in numbers. Translate the mandate into expected people on site per day, then compare that with the stations you have today. The gap tells you whether you are adding stations, shedding them, or both in different areas.
How quickly can I add workstations if attendance jumps?
Liquidation-grade workstations can be available in as little as 72 hours when they are in stock. Remanufactured stations usually take 7 to 14 days, and new furniture typically takes 4 to 6 weeks. Electrical work is separate and can set the real pace.
What happens to the furniture if we shrink our footprint instead?
Office Station can walk the space and provide a written net offer within 5 business days. The offer equals the resale value of the furniture minus removal cost. A positive number means you are paid, and the removal comes with an itemized inventory and a photo-documented broom-clean handback.
How do we handle computers and electronics left behind?
E-waste can be handled as part of the project, with certificates of data destruction for the equipment that requires them. Keep an internal record of asset tags so IT can reconcile what left the building.
Can the work happen without disrupting employees who are back in the office?
Yes. Crews can work nights and weekends, and Office Station coordinates certificates of insurance, freight elevator time and dock access with your building so daytime operations continue.
