Office Furniture Checklist for a 5, 10 or 20 Person Team

Key takeaways

• Buy one desk and one task chair per person, then add spare chairs for visitors and meetings. A 10-person team usually needs 12 to 14 chairs in total.
• Plan shared spaces early. A team of 10 or more works better with at least one small meeting area and a few quiet spots, not just rows of desks.
• Cable planning is part of the furniture order. Specify grommets, cable trays and enough power points before you buy, not after installation.
• Work from a written checklist with quantities, dimensions and lead times. It keeps a bulk order accurate and makes a formal quotation faster.

Furnishing a new office comes down to simple maths and a good list. This office furniture checklist gives you quantity-based lists for desks, chairs and storage, so a team of 5, 10 or 20 people gets the right number of each without guesswork or last-minute reorders.

We have supplied offices across South Africa since 2007, from single home offices to full institutional fit-outs. The method below is the one we use with procurement teams every week. Start with the headcount, build the core list, then plan the shared spaces and cabling that most people forget until installation day.

Why Start With an Office Furniture Checklist?

A checklist keeps a bulk order accurate. When you buy by headcount and write down quantities, dimensions and lead times, you avoid the two most common mistakes: ordering too few chairs, or ordering desks that do not fit the floor.

Browsing a catalogue first tends to anchor you to products before you know how many you need. Flip the order. Count people, count rooms, then choose products to match. This matters more as teams grow. A missing chair in a five-person office is a quick fix. Twenty wrong desks is a delivery you have to send back.

A written list also makes the money conversation clearer. Each line shows an item, a quantity and a budget, so you can see where the spend goes and where to trim. When you send that list to us, we can price it accurately and flag anything with a longer lead time before you commit.

How Many Desks and Chairs Does Each Team Size Need?

Start with one desk and one task chair per person, then add spare chairs for meetings and visitors. A five-person team needs five desks and about seven chairs. A 10-person team needs 10 desks and 12 to 14 chairs. A 20-person team needs 20 desks and roughly 24 to 28 chairs.

The extra chairs are the part people miss. You need seats for guests, interviews and quick desk-side chats. A simple rule is two to four spare chairs for every 10 staff, scaled to how often you host people.

Here is a core quantity table to work from:

Item	5-person team	10-person team	20-person team
Desks or workstations	5	10	20
Task chairs	5	10	20
Spare or visitor chairs	2	3 to 4	4 to 8
Pedestals or drawers	5	10	20
Steel storage units	1 to 2	2 to 4	4 to 8
Meeting or stacker chairs	4 to 6	8 to 10	12 to 16

Treat these as a starting point, not a fixed rule. A sales team on the phone all day needs different seating from a design studio. Adjust the spare-chair count up if you interview often, and down if clients rarely visit.

Which Chairs Should You Choose for Daily Use?

Match the chair to how long people sit. For staff at a desk all day, choose an adjustable task chair with seat height, backrest and armrest adjustment. For short meetings, a simpler stacker or visitor chair is enough and costs far less per seat.

Seating comfort is not a luxury line item. In Great Britain, around 511,000 workers reported a work-related musculoskeletal disorder in 2024/25 (Health and Safety Executive, 2025). Back and upper-limb strain make up a large share of those cases, which is why a chair that supports a long working day is worth the spend for full-time staff.

A quick way to split your chair budget:

• Full-time desk staff: adjustable task chairs or mesh office chairs, one per person.
• Executives and managers: executive office chairs where the role and budget justify it.
• Meeting and visitor seats: stacker chairs or simple visitor chairs that store neatly.
• Specialist stations: draughtsman chairs for high counters or technical benches.

Fit matters as much as the model. Getting the seat height and depth right for each person reduces discomfort more than the price tag alone. Our guide on office chair seat height and depth walks through how to set a chair up correctly once it arrives.

If you want to compare frames and backrest styles, shortlist two or three models before you commit to a bulk quantity, rather than ordering one type for everyone.

How Do You Plan Desks to Fit the Floor?

Measure the room first, mark the walkways, then place desks into what is left. A workstation needs room for the desk, a chair that can push back, and a clear path behind it. Planning walkways before desks stops chairs clashing back to back in the middle of the floor.

Average office space use has slipped as hybrid patterns spread. Workspace utilisation sat at about 78% on average, down from 86% in 2010 (IFMA, 2024). In plain terms, many desks sit empty part of the week, so you may not need one fixed desk for every name on the payroll if your team splits time between home and office.

A few practical layout checks:

• Leave a clear walkway wide enough for someone to pass behind a seated colleague.
• Face desks so screens avoid direct window glare where you can.
• Group teams that talk often, and keep quiet roles away from busy walkways.
• Allow space for a storage unit near each cluster, not in a far corner.

Desk choice also affects comfort. Some staff prefer to stand for part of the day, and a height-adjustable option can suit roles that mix screen work with movement. Our comparison of a standing desk versus a sitting desk covers who benefits and who does not, so you can decide before adding them to the list.

What Storage Does Each Team Size Need?

Plan two layers of storage: personal storage at each desk, and shared storage for the team. Give every person a pedestal or set of drawers for daily items. Then add steel cupboards, lockers or shelving for files, stock and supplies that the whole team shares.

Paper has shrunk for many offices, but storage has not disappeared. Teams still need somewhere for contracts, stationery, spare equipment and personal lockers. Steel cupboards and lockers suit busy or shared spaces because they take knocks and lock securely. For a warehouse or stockroom, steel shelving carries far more weight than timber units.

A storage starting point by team size:

• 5 people: one or two steel cupboards, five pedestals, a small shelving bay if you hold stock.
• 10 people: two to four cupboards or a bank of lockers, 10 pedestals, one or two shelving bays.
• 20 people: four or more cupboards, a locker bank, 20 pedestals, dedicated shelving for supplies.

Buy storage with a little room to grow. A cupboard that is full on day one has nowhere to put next quarter's files. If your team handles bulk stock or equipment, tell us the weight and size of what you store so we match the right steel unit rather than a light-duty one.

How Many Meeting Spaces Should You Plan?

Match meeting spaces to team size and habits, not to a fixed ratio. A team of five can usually share one table for meetings. From about 10 people, add at least one dedicated meeting area. At 20 people, plan a mix: one larger room plus smaller spots for two to four people.

Flexible layouts have become the norm rather than the exception. In 2024, 53% of organisations reported running flexible workspace strategies, up from 38% in 2020 (IFMA, 2024 Space Planning Benchmark Report). That shift rewards smaller, bookable spaces over one giant boardroom that sits empty most of the week.

Think about the kinds of meetings your team actually holds:

• Quick huddles: a small table and four stacker chairs in a corner.
• Team meetings: a boardroom table sized for your usual group, plus a few spare chairs.
• Client meetings: a tidy reception area with comfortable seating near the entrance.
• Focus time: a quiet desk or small room away from foot traffic.

A boardroom table is a long-term buy, so size it for the meeting you hold most often, then keep stacker chairs nearby for the occasional bigger group. If clients visit, reception furniture shapes their first impression, so it earns a line on the checklist even for a small team.

What Does Cable and Power Planning Involve?

Cable planning is part of the furniture order, not an afterthought. Decide where power and data need to reach, then specify desks with cable management, grommets or trays so cords run tidily instead of across the floor. Confirm you have enough power points for every workstation before installation.

Each desk usually needs power for a computer or laptop, a monitor and a charger, plus a network point or reliable wireless. Multiply that by your headcount and you quickly see why a 20-person office needs its power layout planned, not improvised on moving day.

A short cable checklist to run through:

• Count power points needed per desk, then total them across the office.
• Choose desks with grommets or a cable tray where cords can be routed out of sight.
• Plan where floor boxes or wall sockets sit relative to desk clusters.
• Keep walkways clear of trailing cables, which are a trip hazard.
• Leave a little spare capacity for extra screens or devices later.

Loose cables are more than untidy. They are a safety issue and they make cleaning harder. Specifying cable management when you order desks costs little and saves a scramble once the furniture is in place. If you are unsure which desks include cable routing, ask us and we will point you to models with it built in.

What Supplies and Equipment Belong on the List?

Furniture is only half the order. A working office also needs presentation boards, office supplies and equipment, so add these to the checklist before you place it. Missing items like a whiteboard or a shredder tend to surface in the first week and trigger a second, slower order.

Common items by category:

• Presentation: whiteboards and presentation boards for meeting areas and team walls.
• Equipment: shredders for confidential documents, plus any printers or guillotines you need.
• Supplies: stationery, filing products, and cleaning supplies to keep the space tidy.
• Reception: a desk, seating and signage if visitors arrive at a front desk.

If you are setting up from scratch, it helps to work from a fuller list so nothing slips through. A separate office supplies checklist covers the day-one items that are easy to forget when the focus is on desks and chairs.

Group supplies and equipment on the same order as the furniture where you can. One combined quotation is easier to approve and manage than several small ones, and it keeps delivery to a single coordinated drop where stock allows.

How Do You Plan for a Team That Is Still Growing?

Buy for the team you have now, plus a sensible margin, and choose ranges you can repeat later. Growing teams waste money when they over-order on day one or when they buy a desk range that is discontinued before the next hire arrives. The fix is to plan in phases and stick to stocked, repeatable products.

A practical approach for a team that expects to grow:

• Order desks and chairs for current staff, plus one or two spare of each if hires are near.
• Pick a desk and chair range likely to stay available, so later orders match.
• Leave floor space mapped out for the next cluster, even if it sits empty for now.
• Size shared storage and meeting space for where the team is heading, not only today.

The empty-desk problem is real. Because average workspace use has fallen, a growing hybrid team may share desks rather than giving everyone a fixed one. If three staff split two desks across the week, you buy two workstations, not three, and spend the difference on better seating or a quiet room. Decide your sharing policy before you set the desk quantity.

Repeatability matters most for colour and finish. A second order that arrives in a slightly different shade looks like a mistake, even when the furniture is sound. Note the exact finish on your checklist so a top-up order months later still matches the first batch.

What Should You Confirm About Delivery and Installation?

Confirm delivery timing, site access and installation before you place a bulk order. Furniture that cannot fit through a doorway, or that lands before the office is ready, turns a smooth fit-out into a storage problem. The details that trip people up are access, timing and who assembles the units.

Run through these access checks before you order:

• Doorways and lifts: measure the narrowest point on the route to the room.
• Floor level: note if the office is upstairs and whether a lift can take bulky items.
• Delivery window: agree a date that follows any painting, flooring or cabling work.
• Assembly: confirm which items arrive flat-packed and who builds them.

Lead times vary by product, so ask about each line rather than assuming one date for the whole order. A stocked task chair may ship quickly, while a specific boardroom table or a large steel order can take longer. Share your deadline early and we will flag anything that needs ordering sooner.

Plan the sequence on site, too. Deliver and build storage and desks first, then bring in chairs and finish with supplies and boards. Doing it in that order keeps walkways clear while the heavier units go in, and it means staff can start using workstations as soon as each cluster is complete.

How Do You Handle a Bulk or Tender Order?

For a bulk or institutional order, work from a single detailed list and confirm quantities, finishes and lead times before you commit. Procurement and tender orders have less room for error than a small purchase, so accuracy on the list saves time and rework later.

The habit of reusing and refurbishing has grown sharply in the sector. By 2024, 49% of furniture purchased was used or refurbished, up from 16% in 2002 (IFMA, 2024 Space Planning Benchmark Report). For a tight institutional budget, that points to a sensible mix: invest in quality seating that lasts, and be practical about the rest.

When you send us a bulk list or project brief, include:

• Quantities per item, matched to your headcount and rooms.
• Key dimensions and any colour or finish preferences.
• Your delivery address and site access notes for installation.
• Your deadline, so we can flag any item with a longer lead time.

We handle bulk and tender-ready orders with project support from planning to installation, and we deliver countrywide. Our offices are in Centurion, and we do not have a showroom, so the written brief and online range are how we help you choose and price accurately. Institutional buyers furnishing classrooms should plan durability and quantities the same way, scaled to the number of learners per room.

Your Editable Procurement Checklist

Copy this into a spreadsheet and fill in the quantities for your team size. It turns the sections above into one working document you can send straight to us for a quotation.

Category	Item	Quantity	Dimensions or finish	Budget	Lead time	Notes
Workstations	Desks					Cable routing needed
Seating	Task chairs					One per desk
Seating	Visitor or stacker chairs					Meetings and guests
Seating	Executive chairs					Managers only
Storage	Pedestals or drawers					One per desk
Storage	Steel cupboards or lockers					Shared files and stock
Storage	Shelving					Stockroom or supplies
Meeting	Boardroom table					Size to usual group
Meeting	Whiteboards or boards					Per meeting area
Reception	Reception furniture					If visitors arrive
Equipment	Shredder					Confidential waste
Supplies	Stationery and filing					Day-one items
Power	Power points per desk					Confirm before install

Fill in the quantity column first using the team-size tables earlier in this guide. Then add dimensions and lead times once you have shortlisted products. The notes column is where site details go, such as a narrow doorway or a first-floor office without a lift.

A checklist like this is also a record. Keep it after the fit-out, and your next order, whether a few extra chairs or a second floor, starts from a document you already trust.

Ready to Furnish Your Team?

Fill in the checklist above with your headcount, then compare products online or send us the completed list as a project brief. Our team will help with selection, a formal quotation and dependable countrywide delivery. To start browsing by product, see our office furniture range and build your shortlist from there.

Frequently asked questions

How many office chairs should I buy for a 10 person team?

Order 10 task chairs for the desks, then add two to four extra chairs for meetings and visitors. Most 10-person offices settle on 12 to 14 chairs in total, depending on how often they host guests.

How much space does each desk need in an office?

A standard workstation needs enough room for the desk plus a chair that can push back and a clear walkway behind it. Measure your floor, mark walkways first, then place desks so chairs do not clash back to back.

Do I need a meeting room for a small team?

A team of five can often share one table for meetings. From about 10 people, a separate meeting area or a few quiet spots helps. Smaller huddle spaces for two to four people tend to get used more than large boardrooms.

What should an office furniture procurement checklist include?

List item names, quantities, key dimensions, finishes or colours, budget per line, and expected lead time. Add a column for delivery and installation notes. This keeps a bulk order accurate and speeds up a formal quotation.