Looking for office space in Houston? Knowing these things will help narrow down your search!
If you’re looking for office space in Houston, Texas, you’ll have a lot of ground to cover. But the good news is that this area has some of the best options in the country and the rates to rent or buy are on par with other large cities in the United States. Because there are so many options, here are some things you’ll want to know ahead of time before you start hitting the pavement.
Office Space Classifications
Houston office space is divided into three classifications: Class A, Class B, and Class C, depending on your needs and budget.
• Class A: it is considered the highest quality space. Buildings labeled Class A are usually in a great location with easy access to city services. They house affluent tenants in many office suites and are extremely well managed. These buildings are built with high-quality materials, command higher rents, and house businesses such as law firms, oil companies, and financial firms.
Examples of Class A buildings in Houston include the Galleria and Greenway Plaza. If you rent space in one of these buildings, you say you have achieved financial success.
• Class B – The second highest quality of office rental space, these buildings have a lot to offer. Class B buildings are rented by the suite like Class A and offer good locations, construction and management, as well as high tenant standards.
Although generally smaller and somewhat older, Class B buildings show very little deterioration and are located fairly close to Class A structures.
• Class C: Despite being between 15 and 25 years old, Class C buildings have a stable business. In reality, these are not so much stand-alone buildings as walk-up office spaces above other businesses.
Houston’s many options
There are a number of great options for office space in Houston. In the heart of the city you can choose between:
• Downtown Houston with one of the largest skylines in the country.
• Medical Center Houston, which has one of the highest densities of patient care facilities.
• Greenway Plaza environmentally controlled bridges, walkways and tunnels.
• Uptown Galleria, which represents 15 percent of Houston’s Class A space.
• West Chase’s 6 million square feet of Class A space and an 84 percent occupancy rate.
• Sugar Land and its great Civil War history.
• West Houston/Katy and great rental rates of $25-$35 per square foot.
• Woodlands, a popular choice with a 94 percent occupancy rate.
This is not a complete list, but it shows that there really is something for everyone.
How to choose
Your budget will most likely influence the Houston office space you choose. However, there are other important factors like location and how much space you need. A good way to determine how much usable square footage you need is to use an office space calculator.
You can type in the number of units you need for your particular office and the calculator will tell you how much space it will take up. It even accounts for variations like floor plate configuration, column spacing, and circulation areas.
Because this is often an important business decision, a good real estate agent can show you the ins and outs of each area and help you find the Houston office space that best suits your particular situation.