Free planning tool

How many guests will this room hold?

Enter the room size and what else needs floor space. See the capacity for every common layout, and whether your guest list fits.

Room capacity is usable square feet divided by the space each guest needs: about 12 sq ft for round-table dinners, 10 for banquet tables, 8 for a standing cocktail party, 7 for ceremony rows and 18 for classroom tables. Take out space for the dance floor, bar and buffet first, and never exceed the posted occupancy limit.

Start now

No sign-up. Your answers stay in your browser and in the page link.

Room length

Room width

Usable floor

Take off columns, doorways, fireplaces and odd corners.

Space for dance floor, bar, buffet, stage

sq ft

Use the tent size calculator for a breakdown, or 0 for seating only.

Your guest count

Posted occupancy limit (if you know it)

The fire marshal's limit on the venue's sign or contract always wins. 0 = unknown.

2,400

Room square feet

1,640

Usable for guests

After your deductions

Guests this room holds, by layout

Seated dinner at round tables (12 sq ft each)136
14 over for this layout
Seated dinner at long tables (10 sq ft each)164
Fits your 150 guests
Ceremony or theater rows (7 sq ft each)234
Fits your 150 guests
Cocktail party, mostly standing (8 sq ft each)205
Fits your 150 guests
Classroom or meeting tables (18 sq ft each)91
59 over for this layout

Want to see it? Drag tables into this room in the floor plan builder.

Price these rentals

How it works

Using the venue capacity calculator

Step 1Measure the roomLength and width in feet.
Step 2Take off what you can't useColumns, doors and odd corners.
Step 3Reserve spaceDance floor, bar, buffet and stage.
Step 4See every layoutDinner, ceremony, cocktail, classroom.

The method

How we work out the numbers

Usable floor is length times width times your usable percentage, minus the space you reserve. Capacity for each layout is that number divided by the square feet per guest, rounded down: 12 for rounds, 10 for banquet tables, 7 for ceremony rows, 8 for a cocktail party and 18 for classroom tables.

These are planning figures, not a building code. The posted occupancy limit from the fire marshal is the legal maximum. To work out the space for extras, use the tent size calculator, which breaks it down line by line.

Questions

Venue capacity calculator: FAQ

How do I work out how many people fit in a room?

Multiply length by width for the square feet, take off space you can't use and space for the dance floor, bar, buffet or stage. Then divide by the square feet each guest needs for your layout.

How many square feet per person for a seated dinner?

About 10 to 12 sq ft per guest is a common planning figure for dinner at tables, including aisles. This tool uses 12 for round tables and 10 for long banquet tables.

Is this the legal capacity of my venue?

No. The legal limit is the occupancy posted by the fire marshal or listed in your venue contract, and it always wins. Enter it in the tool and results are capped at that number.

What is usable floor?

The part of the room you can actually put tables on. Columns, doorways, fireplaces, built-in bars and odd corners all take floor away. Start around 85% and lower it for awkward rooms.

How do I see the layout?

Use the floor plan builder to drag tables into a room of your size. Or book a free call and we'll sketch it with you.

Keep planning

More free tools

All tools

Free quote · no obligation

Turn your numbers into a real quote

Pick chairs, tables, linens, dinnerware and more, see live prices, and we line up Chicago's best rental houses for your date.

Live pricing as you pick
Delivery & setup included in quote
One contact for every vendor
Reply within one business day

Build your quote Book a free 15-minute call

A heated winter tent is used to host an elegant evening wedding reception with dining guests, set across a scenic grassy field framed by trees and distant mountains