Maximize your return on investment with the right office furniture.

How much should you budget for office furniture?

Office furniture comes in so many different shapes, sizes, configurations, fabrics and finishes, so it’s nearly impossible to provide an exact price estimate. A general rule of thumb: the more features you add, the more it’s going to cost.

The warranty will also impact the final price. For office furniture, warranties range anywhere from 30 days to 12 years. Generally speaking, the more expensive it is, the better the warranty and build quality, and the more customization options you’ll have.

Overall, you should expect to budget anywhere from $1,500 to $20,000 per employee, depending on the features and finishes you need. A budget with many different features and qualities ranges from $5000 to $9000 a person, including ancillary spaces like break rooms and conference spaces.

Office Seating

Office seating can range anywhere from $100 to $1500 per chair, depending on the build quality, warranty, adjustments, features and finishes.

Durability

Chair warranties range anywhere from 30 days to 12 years. The more expensive it is, the better the warranty, build quality and expected lifespan of your chair:

• Low-budget chairs are made with cheaper materials, fit fewer people and offer limited warranties that only last a few years or no warranty at all
• High-performance seating is built to last, made of high-quality materials, support larger weight limits and have extended warranties that cover almost everything

Features

The more adjustments a chair has, the more expensive it’ll be. There are dozens of adjustments that cost more upfront, but they help you build a chair that fits 99 percent of workers: 

• Basic adjustments like a tilt recline and seat height adjustment are standard, but they can be difficult to adjust
• High-end adjustments like an adjustable seat depth, adjustable arms height-adjustable lumbar support offer smoother adjustment capabilities and more customization options

Finishes

Low-budget office chairs come straight out of a catalog, so there are hardly any customization options. High-performance seating is highly customizable. The four most popular materials for seating include:

• Fabric is the cheapest option and comes in a wide range of colors, styles and patterns, but it’s hard to clean and doesn’t let air flow 
• Mesh is breathable and costs more than fabric, but it’s difficult to clean 
• Leather (faux) is beautiful, comfortable and easy to clean, but lacks breathability and is the most expensive option 
• Vinyl is easy to clean and disinfect but it isn’t breathable or easy to repair

Desks

Desks range from $300 to $12,000 in price, depending on the size and shape, warranty, features and finishes you choose, as well as how much storage you need. 

Features

The more expensive the desk, the more features there will be. Some of the most popular features for desks include:

• Height-adjustable desks cost more than standard desks, but they let workers change postures from sitting to standing throughout the day, which can positively impact their physical health
• Monitor arms let users tilt, swivel, rotate, raise and lower their monitors to increase ergonomic comfort
• Power and cable management offers easy access to power and organizes your cords so your space remains productive and orderly
• Storage like binder bins and caddies help organize your space, important documents and files
• Size and shape also impact the final price

Finishes

The three most popular finish options for desks are: 

• Wood is the most expensive finish and has the most aesthetic appeal, but it’s also the least durable option
• High-pressure laminate (HPL) offers the most durability and has different price points, depending on how wood-like you want it to look
• Low-pressure laminate (LPL) is the cheapest option and requires the least maintenance, but it’s also the least durable, dents easily and doesn’t look anything like wood

Modular Glass Walls

Modular glass walls reduce the cost of moving and adjusting walls without relying on traditional stick-built installation. Modular glass walls are 40% less than traditionally built-in glass walls. 

Features

• Acoustical privacy features like acoustical seals, skins and modular power blocks are more expensive as you buy more 
• Visual privacy features like glass tinting cost more than basic skins but conceal information from the outside while still allowing light to pass through.
• Power and data like hardware power options are more expensive as you add flexibility
• Swing doors cost twice the amount of sliding doors, but sliding doors take up less square footage to open 

Finishes

The three main finish options for modular walls include: 

• Solid skins include painted steel, fabric, veneer, back-painted glass and laminate
• Whiteboard skins turn any wall into a magnetic whiteboard surface and cost more than standard solid skins, but less than glass 
• Glass costs more than solid skins, lets natural light shine through and costs roughly 40 percent less than a built-in glass wall

Panel Systems

Panel systems vary in price, depending on the application, materials, integrated power and type of panels you choose. 

Features

• Two-inch panels are cheaper upfront and come as a whole piece, but they’re not easily reconfigurable
• Three-inch panels are more expensive, but they’re easily reconfigurable, more durable and last longer than two-inch panels 
• Power and data access will increase in price depending on how flexible and accessible you want it to be, and how many circuits you need
• Storage like pedestals, lateral files and bookcases cost more than personal overhead bins and small shelves
• Worksurfaces with straight tops are more expensive than tapered or 90-degree tops 

Finishes

The final price of a panel system will also depend on the number of finishes you want. For example, you can choose to cover a full panel in steel or only the bottom in steel and the top in fabric: 

• Fabric is the cheapest and most sound-absorbing option
• Low-pressure laminate (LPL) is cheap and requires little maintenance, but it dents easily and doesn’t look anything like wood
• Laminate is more durable than fabric, but it costs more than steel and isn’t very sound-absorbing 
• Steel is expensive and beautiful, but it offers little sound absorption
• Wood offers aesthetic appeal, but it’s very expensive and the least durable option
• High-pressure laminate (HPL) is durable and comes in a variety of different price points, depending on how wood-like you want it to look

Storage

The cost of storage will largely depend on the type of storage you choose and what you want to store. In general, you should expect to pay $100 to $3,000 for storage. 

Durability

Like any other furniture product, storage warranties range anywhere from 30 days to 12 years. The most popular storage options include: 

• Lateral files and pedestals 
• Bookcases and cabinets
• Bins and shelves
• Carts 
• Towers and lockers 
• High-density storage 

Features

As we previously mentioned, it’s important to consider what you’re storing. Whether you’re storing paper, a laptop bag, a coat or even shoes, all these factors will determine the additional features you need and the final cost. 

Finishes

Like panel systems, the final price for storage will depend on the number of finishes you choose. Finish options for storage include: 

• Fabric is the cheapest and most sound-absorbing option
• Low-pressure laminate (LPL) is cheap and requires little maintenance, but it dents easily and doesn’t look anything like wood
• Steel is expensive but the most beautiful option
• Laminate is more durable than fabric and LPL, but it costs more than steel
• Wood offers aesthetic appeal, is expensive and offers the least durability
• High-pressure laminate (HPL) is durable and will cost more, depending on how much it resembles wood