How Much Space Does Your Health Practice Actually Need?
Why Getting the Size Right Matters
Too small, and your practice feels cramped, your team is frustrated, and patients notice. Too large, and you're paying rent on space you don't use. Getting the size right is one of the most impactful decisions you'll make when setting up or relocating a practice.
A Simple Sizing Framework
Start with the number of practitioners and work outward. Every practice needs three types of space:
- Clinical zones: Consultation rooms, treatment rooms, procedure rooms, and any specialist spaces (dental chairs, imaging, gym areas).
- Support zones: Reception, waiting, staff areas, storage, sterilisation, records, and amenities.
- Circulation: Corridors, lobbies, and transition spaces. Typically 15–25% of the total area.
Quick Reference: Clinical Room Sizes
These are typical minimum sizes for common healthcare room types in Australia:
- GP consultation room: 12–14 sqm
- Treatment / procedure room: 14–16 sqm
- Dental surgery: 12–15 sqm per chair
- Physiotherapy treatment bay: 9–12 sqm
- Allied health consultation: 10–12 sqm
- Waiting area: 1.5–2 sqm per seat
- Reception: 8–15 sqm
- Staff room: 10–20 sqm
Sizing by Practice Type
Solo Practitioner
A solo GP or allied health practitioner typically needs 50–80 sqm. This covers one consultation room, a small reception and waiting area, a compact staff zone, and amenities.
Small Group Practice (2–4 practitioners)
Most small group practices need 120–250 sqm. You'll need multiple consult rooms, a proper reception, waiting for 6–10 patients, staff amenities, and possibly a treatment or procedure room.
Medium Practice (5–8 practitioners)
At this scale, you're typically looking at 250–450 sqm. The layout becomes more complex with dedicated zones for different functions, multiple waiting areas, and enhanced staff facilities.
Large Practice (8+ practitioners)
Large multi-disciplinary practices often need 400–800+ sqm. At this scale, workflow planning becomes critical — reception flow, patient wayfinding, and separation of clinical from administrative zones all need careful design.
Don't Forget Growth
A common mistake is sizing your space for today's needs only. Consider your 3–5 year growth plan. Can you add another practitioner? Is there room for a treatment bay or additional consultation room? Building in 10–15% growth capacity from the start is far cheaper than relocating later.
Use Our Free Space Planner
Our space planning tool lets you select your room types, configure quantities, and see a total area recommendation with zone breakdowns — all tailored to your practice type. It takes about 3 minutes and requires no signup.