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How many people a space holds

Pick the use and type the floor area. Get the occupant load, the exits that number needs and a first exit width.

Use
m²
Occupants
40
Area per person
10 m²
Exits needed
1
Total exit width, about
850 mm

Occupant load factors and exit rules are set by the building code that applies; these are the common values, for a first check of a plan.

Occupant load and the way out

Every code sizes exits from the number of people a space is designed for, and that number comes from the floor area divided by an occupant load factor for the use. A standing assembly packs far tighter than an office.

The factors and the exit rules differ between codes, and the calculator uses common values for a first check: when two exits are needed, how wide they add up to, and how that changes as the load grows.

Travel distance, dead ends, door swing and corridor width are the rest of the picture. Use the load here to lay out the plan, then check it against the code that applies.

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