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Source verifiedIBC 2024 Table 1004.5

Occupant Load
Calculator

Select the function of the space—not only an occupancy group. This bounded calculator implements three verified gross-area rows.

Who it's for: architects who need a quick Table 1004.5 occupant-load figure for a business area, mercantile, or warehouse space, before running the full egress analysis, at schematic design or permit review.

Scope boundary
Business area, mercantile, and warehouse are supported. Fixed seating, mixed functions, standing assembly, local amendments, and every unlisted function return “cannot determine.”

How to use this calculator

1
Pick the function of the space
Choose business area, mercantile, or warehouse. Other functions of space return "cannot determine" — this calculator does not guess at an unlisted row.
2
Enter the gross floor area
Enter the gross floor area in square feet for that space.
3
Read the calculated occupant load
The result is the number of people that area's use is treated as accommodating under Table 1004.5. Use it next as the input to the required-exits and egress-capacity calculators for the same space.

The formula

Gross floor area is divided by the applicable Table 1004.5 occupant-load factor and rounded up to the nearest whole occupant: 150 sq ft per occupant for business areas, 60 sq ft per occupant for mercantile, and 500 sq ft per occupant for warehouses (IBC 2024 Table 1004.5; generic storage areas use a different row this calculator does not implement, unamended model code).

Worked example

Example
A 5,000 sq ft business area: 5,000 sq ft ÷ 150 sq ft per occupant (Table 1004.5) = 33.3, rounded up to 34 occupants.

When this estimate will be off

  • Only business area, mercantile, and warehouse are supported — fixed seating, mixed functions, standing assembly, local amendments, and every other function of space return "cannot determine."
  • Model-code result only; the locally adopted edition and any amendments are not determined.
  • This is not a complete occupant-load or code-compliance determination.

Frequently asked questions

A common mistake: Only business area, mercantile, and warehouse are supported — fixed seating, mixed functions, standing assembly, local amendments, and every other function of space return "cannot determine."

This calculator implements only the business-area, mercantile, and warehouse rows of Table 1004.5. Fixed seating, mixed functions, standing assembly, and every other function require a different table row this calculator does not apply.

Table 1004.5 assigns the occupant-load factor by the function of the space (business area, mercantile, warehouse, etc.), which is a finer grain than the occupancy group alone.

Yes — the calculated occupant load is gross floor area divided by the table factor, rounded up to the nearest whole occupant.

No. Use this occupant load as the input to the required-exits and egress-capacity calculators — this page only reports the load itself.

Sources and review record

Sources and method basis

Limitations

  • Supports three model-code functions only; fixed seating, mixed functions, other rows, local adoption, and amendments return cannot determine.

This free IBC 2024 Occupant Load Calculator is built and maintained by DataDrivenAEC, using the relevant codes and standards. It does not substitute for professional judgment.