Venue Capacity Calculator

What formula gives the capacity?

This tool uses: usable area = max(0, length × width − unusable area), then capacity = floor(usable area ÷ square feet per guest). For a 60 ft × 40 ft room with 400 sq ft set aside and a banquet layout, that is floor(2,000 ÷ 11) = 181 guests.

What are the square feet per guest for each layout?

The built-in values are banquet 11, classroom 15, theatre 8, cocktail 6 and cabaret 17. The banquet menu label describes a range of 10–12 sq ft, but the calculation uses the single value 11.

How is comfortable capacity worked out?

It is 85% of the maximum, rounded down: floor(capacity × 0.85). For 181 guests that gives 153. The 85% is a fixed factor chosen in this tool, not an industry or legal standard.

Does this give the legal occupancy limit?

No. It is a floor-area estimate and knows nothing about exits, fire regulations, stairs, columns or the room’s certificate. The limit posted at the venue or set by the local authority always overrides these numbers.

What units does it use?

Length and width are in feet and the results are in square feet. To use metres, multiply each by 3.28084 first, or multiply the area in square metres by 10.7639 and enter it as one dimension with the other set to 1.

What if the unusable area is bigger than the room?

The usable area is held at zero, so capacity and comfortable capacity are both 0 guests. A 30 ft × 20 ft room with 900 sq ft excluded is an example. The tool does not warn you; it simply reports zero.

Does it account for tables, chairs and aisles separately?

No. Furniture and circulation space are assumed to be included in the square-feet-per-guest value for the chosen layout. Features such as a stage, bar, dance floor or buffet need to be entered in the unusable area field.

Why is the result rounded down?

A fraction of a guest cannot be seated, so the division uses floor. For 2,000 usable sq ft at 11 sq ft each, the exact quotient of about 181.8 becomes 181.