Key Takeaways

• The US EIA estimates that there were 5.9 million commercial buildings in the US in 2018 and that those buildings contained a total of 97 billion square feet.
• The US Census Bureau estimates that the number of firms in the US totals 6,102,412. The number of firms with 100 or more employees is estimated to be much less at only 115,825.
• According to research conducted by Zippia, 150 to 175 square feet of office space is required per employee in order for them to work productively and comfortably.
• The number of car parking spaces available per office building is usually governed by local building codes. These may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. We did not find any comprehensive office car space data for US buildings in any of the federal government reports we examined. However, we did find some relevant information in a Utah state document that specified the number of off-street parking spaces required per office building ranged from 2 to 5 car spaces for each 1,000 square feet of gross office floor space, depending on the typo of business.

Introduction

Number and Floor Area of Commercial Buildings in the US

• Data for the number of commercial buildings in the US, and the square footage contained, within those buildings are collected by the US Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) 2018 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS).

• The latest data from that survey relate to 2018. This survey is conducted very infrequently, the next prior survey was conducted in 2012.

• The CBECS estimates that there were 5.9 million U.S. commercial buildings in the US in 2018.

• The CBECS also estimates that those buildings contained a total of 97 billion square feet in the US in 2018.

• These figures imply an average of 97,000,000,000 / 5,900,000 - 1,644.07 square feet per building

Total Number of Firms

• Based on Census Bureau data relating to 2019, published under the titled The Number of Firms and Establishments, Employment, and Annual Payroll by State, Industry, and Enterprise Employment Size: 2019 

• The latest available census data shows that the number of firms in the US totals 6,102,412.

• The total number of firms in the US with 100 or more employees is much less at only 115,825.
• Both these numbers include the Industrial and Retail sectors. We were not able to deduct these sectors in the time available. The Census Bureau data we examined are not presented as sector totals but rather industry-by-industry and, for each industry , by multiple categories according to the number of employees.
• For example, to arrive at the total number of firms excluding the industrial sector we need to deduct tens of industries based on their name including the word "Industrial". Using that criterion, we need to deduct the following industries: Industrial Sand Mining; Industrial Building Construction; Industrial Gas Manufacturing, Industrial Valve Manufacturing; Industrial Machinery Manufacturing; Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing; Industrial & Commercial Fan & Blower & Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing; A/C & Warm Air Heating Equip & Comm & Industrial Refrigeration Equip Manufacturing; Industrial Mold Manufacturing; Speed Changer, Industrial High-Speed Drive, & Gear Manufacturing; Industrial Truck, Tractor, Trailer, & Stacker Machinery Manufacturing; Industrial Process Furnace and Oven Manufacturing; Instruments & Rel Prods Manuftg for Measure, Display, & Controlling Industrial Process Variables; Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing; Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing; Industrial Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers; Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers; Industrial and Personal Service Paper Merchant Wholesalers; Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing; Industrial Machinery Manufacturing; Other Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing; Industrial Design Services; Comm & Industrial Machinery & Equip (except Automotive & Electronic) Repair & Maintenance; and Industrial Launderers.
• Once we deduct those industries we are left with the "Total US excluding Industrial". The process is similar for Retail, but with fewer industries.
• To arrive at the "Total US firms with 100+ employees" is an easy process; all we need do is deduct about 10 size categories from "Total US" to remove firms with less than 100 employees.
• But to arrive at the "Total US firms with 100+ employees, excluding the Industrial and Retail sectors", we first need to remove the firms in those two sectors which have less than 100 employees, otherwise we would end up, quite literally, deducting a figure larger than the Total US, a logical non sequitur.
• In summary, the overall calculation requires identifying and deducting hundreds of figures. We have suggested this task as a new Research Proposal

The Average Size of Office or Square Footage Required Per Employee

• According to research conducted by the career advice firm Zippia, 150 to 175 square feet of office space is required per employee in order for them to work productively and comfortably, as shown by the image below.

 

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• It Zippia also concludes that notes that the amount of required space will vary from industry to industry, most industries provide at least 150 to 300 square feet of space per employee, including both work areas and all common areas or shared spaces.
• These figures are generally consistent with data provided independently by the Space planning & employee experience advisory firm Office + Space IQ and the tenant consultancy firm Austin Tenant Advisors.

Average Number/Square Footage of Parking Spaces per Office Building

• The number of car parking spaces available per office building is usually governing by local building codes. These may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. We did not find any office car space data in federal government reports. However, we did relevant information in a document produced by the Building Services & Code Enforcement office in Salt Lake City, Utah.
• According to that .pdf document, in its jurisdiction, the number of off-street parking spaces required per office building is 2 to 5 car spaces for each 1,000 square feet of gross office floor space, depending on the type of business. For example, a financial establishment required to have 2 car spaces, a general office building 3 car spaces and a medical/dental office building is required to have 5 car spaces per 1,000 feet of gross office floor area.

Average Monthly Price per Parking Stall (leased and/or rented)

• The cost of an office car parking stall varies state-to-state, city to city, and location-to=location. The cost of a downtown stall will be higher than a stall at the city periphery.
•  New World Economics has compiled a table showing the purchase cost of various car parking stations or lots across the US, as shown in the image below. Although the data extends well past the Wonder 2-year limit, the information may nevertheless be useful. For example, the Fort Worth garage, with a big 1,013 spaces, cost $23.336 million, which equates to $23,036 per space, not much more than the estimated $16,250 per space construction cost.

 

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Research Strategy