Office Space Planning That Works

Most office space planning starts with a drawing and ends with a surprise. The layout looks great until the quote arrives, or until you learn the furniture will not ship until three weeks after your lease starts. Good planning works the other way around. It starts with your headcount, your budget and your move-in date, then finds the layout that honors all three.

That is how we approach office space planning at Office Station. The planning is free, and every option we show you comes with a station count, a realistic lead time for the furniture it uses, and a written quote when you are ready.

What office space planning should cover

A useful plan answers more than "how many desks fit." Before you look at any drawing, make sure it addresses these questions:

• Headcount today and in 18 months. Planning only for current staff often forces a second purchase within a year.
• Work styles by role. Heads-down analysts, phone-heavy sales teams and managers who meet all day need different setups.
• Circulation and egress. Aisles, exits and clearances around doors come first. Workstations fill the space that remains.
• Power and data access. Where floor cores, walls and poke-throughs are located shapes where stations can land.
• Storage. Filing, lockers and supply storage take real square footage and are easy to forget.
• Shared space. Meeting rooms, huddle areas and break space compete with workstations for the same floor.

Why cost belongs inside the plan

Your layout choices drive cost more than almost anything else. Station count, station size, panel height, how many stations share panels, powered panels and which furniture tier you choose can swing the budget significantly, even on a modest floor. When the quote is tied to the plan from the start, you can make those tradeoffs on purpose.

Tier is the biggest lever. Liquidation-grade costs the least, new costs the most, and remanufactured sits in between. Tier also sets how soon the furniture can be in place:

Furniture, delivery and professional installation each appear as their own line on your written quote, and larger orders are quoted together so your quantity is reflected. Installation depends on the number of stations, building access and the complexity of the layout. Delivery depends on your address, building access and the size of the order, with freight quoted per project anywhere in the country. Electrical is handled separately by your electrician or building.

Every project is quoted individually. Request a free quote and free space plan.

How our planning process works

1. Send what you have. A floor plan, measurements or even a clear sketch, plus headcount, roles, budget and move-in date. Email hello@officestation.com or use our contact page.
2. We map the constraints. Exits, aisles, columns, windows, power locations and any furniture you plan to keep.
3. You get options, not one answer. Typically a tighter layout, a roomier one and a mixed-tier version, each with station count and lead time, quoted when you are ready.
4. You adjust. Swap a row to a different tier, resize stations or add a meeting area and see the effect on scope and timing.
5. We lock the order. Once you approve, we confirm inventory, schedule delivery and installation, and share the final plan for your electrician or building.

Request a Workstation Quote

Layout tradeoffs worth comparing

Station size

A 6' x 6' station is a practical default for most desk-based roles. Going smaller fits more people but can crowd dual monitors and storage. Going larger adds comfort and privacy but lowers density. Run both through the plan before deciding.

Panel height

Lower panels keep sightlines open and let daylight travel deeper into the floor. Taller panels help phone-heavy teams and roles that handle sensitive information. Many offices use both, grouping taller stations away from main walkways.

Mixed tiers

You do not have to buy one tier for the whole office. Liquidation-grade stations can furnish open work areas quickly, while remanufactured product fills a client-facing zone where finish consistency matters more. The plan keeps track of which stations are which.

Phased moves

If part of your team moves first, plan the full floor but order in phases. Early phases can use in-stock inventory, and later phases can use longer lead-time product without holding up day one.

Pre-planning checklist

Gather these before your first planning conversation and you will get useful options faster:

• Floor plan with dimensions, or a measured sketch with door and window locations
• Current headcount and a realistic 12 to 18 month forecast
• List of roles that need privacy, extra storage or height-adjustable surfaces
• Location of power, data and any floor cores
• Furniture you are keeping, with photos and dimensions
• Building rules for deliveries, freight elevators and working hours
• Target move-in date and your firm budget ceiling

If you are also leaving an old space

Planning a new office often means clearing an old one. Furniture you are not taking may have resale value. Every office is different, so we walk it for free and recommend the best route: resale, a buy, a quote to clear, donation or recycling, or a mix.

What to watch for in any plan

• Quotes with no scope. Confirm whether a quote includes delivery, installation and electrical. Ours show furniture, delivery and installation as separate lines, and electrical is handled by your electrician.
• Lead times stated as "typical." Ask what is in stock now versus what has to be built or sourced.
• Condition on pre-owned product. Ask for a grade. We grade pre-owned furniture A like new, B very good and C good.
• Warranty expectations. We are an independent reseller, not an authorized dealer, and manufacturer warranties generally do not transfer to pre-owned furniture.

Once the plan is right, the order, delivery and installation become straightforward. Send us your floor plan and move-in date, and we will show you what fits, quote it in writing and tell you when it can be in place.

Request Free Space Planning

Frequently asked questions