When considering how to budget for office furniture, it’s important to know that price doesn’t always equate to value received. To ensure you’re purchasing quality office furniture, without overpaying, you need a good understanding of the basic costs for each type of solution. Options such as fabrics, finishes, and functionality will affect final pricing. We take a close look at some of the major furniture types below.
Task Seating
Ultimately what determines how much you should spend on an office chair is how much you plan on using the chair. Are you looking for a chair that you can keep using for years to come? Do you plan on using the chair every day? Will you be sitting in the chair for the bulk of the workday? If you answered yes to these questions, you should budget between $350 and $800 for a task chair.
So why are some chairs more expensive than others? Here are the three factors that can significantly impact a chair’s final price point:
- Durability has a price. If a chair retails over $350 it is typically supported by extensive warranties, and you should expect a useable life of at least five to ten years.
- More features mean more money. There are dozens of ergonomic features and customizations available these days, but many are accompanied by an upcharge of $20-50 each. Here are a few of the features we feel are most important to include in any new chair:
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- Adjustable Seat Height – Appropriate seat height is crucial for blood circulation and comfort.
- Adjustable Back And Lumbar Support – An adjustable seat back ensures that you receive the right amount of lumbar support at the height that best aligns with your body.
- Adjustable Seat Depth – An adjustable seat depth allows users
- Adjustable Arms – Arms that adjust in width, depth, and/or height accommodate users of all shapes and sizes; ideally, your arms should be at a 90-degree angle while resting on the armrest.
- Finish choice can significantly impact the final cost. The list price is almost always for the standard-grade finish and not for more premium finishes. For example, if you upgrade the base of a task chair from plastic to polished aluminum and the fabric from upholstery to leather, the cost of the chair can be as much as double.
Desks
Today’s standard desk is a 6’x6’ L-shaped configuration case good. You should typically count on spending between $700-$5000 for a 6’x6’ desk. While the range is rather broad, ultimately, it can’t be narrowed until you make three choices:
- How much storage do I want to incorporate into my desk?
- What kind of finish do I want – a laminate or veneer work surface?
- Do I need the desk to move vertically, known as sit-stand functionality?
Storage – The amount of storage capacity incorporated into a desk or workstation is a significant factor in its overall cost. When deciding how much storage you want your desk to have, take the opportunity to think about how much you actually need. As more and more companies try to go paperless, creating unneeded storage can be costly and a waste of money for a desk or workstation.
Finishes – There are two common types of finishes for desks these days, laminate and veneer; your choice can have a significant impact on the final price you pay. A veneer is unmatched in appearance and selection options but is very much priced as a premium option. Laminate is a lower cost and lower maintenance option but does not have quite the same aesthetic impact as a veneer worksurface. With high-grade laminates, you are actually getting a surface and station with equal or greater durability than wood.
Workstations
Like desks, workstations have shrunk in size in recent years and are most commonly seen in 6’x6’ L-shaped dimensions. A safe budget range would be approximately $1200-$4000 per workstation.
Where you land within this range is largely determined by how much storage you desire and what finishes you select.
Storage – As with many things, the more you add, the more it’s going to cost. Before committing to a particular configuration, we suggest you take the opportunity to evaluate just how much storage you (and your team) really need at your workstation.
- Do you need to have a space for storing binders at your desk or can you use a shared bookcase instead? What about paper documents and files?
- Do you need that storage tower for your coat and umbrella, or would it be more efficient for the office to share one centrally located closet?
Finishes – Many new customers may don’t realize that these common upgrades can quickly run up the cost of your workstation(s):
- Upgrading the panels from a single-color fabric to laminate or veneer
- Built-in writeable whiteboard surfaces on the panels
- Adding a glass panel (clear, glazed, or framed) to the top of the workstation
Want More Information on How to Budget For Office Furniture?
We’re happy to further discuss how to get the most out of your furniture budget. Each company has unique needs and challenges and our years of experience can help you save time and money. Our designers can show you the variety of options available and provide suggestions for what direction to take that will benefit you most. Give us a call today at 678-889-2214 or reach us via our contact form.
