# Typical floor live load values by occupancy

> Floor live load depends on use, and codes set minimum values by occupancy. Here is a reference table for offices, homes, retail, storage and more, in kPa and psf.

**Category:** Codes & standards  
**Author:** Sam Rivera (Structural engineer · Educator)  
**Published:** 2026-05-30

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Floor live load is set by what the floor is used for, and building codes give minimum design values by occupancy. Typical figures run from about 1.5 kPa for homes to 5 kPa or more for storage, and you use the governing one as the live load input to a load takedown. The table below is a quick reference, but the real value always comes from your code, not a memorised number.

## Live load follows use

A [live load](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_load), called imposed load in Eurocode, is the movable, variable weight a floor carries: people, furniture, stock, equipment. Because it cannot be predicted exactly, codes set conservative minimums by occupancy, the same principle described in guidance on [imposed load](https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Imposed_load). A heavier use gets a higher minimum, so the first step is to classify the space correctly.

## Typical values by occupancy

These are common design minimums. Confirm the exact figure in your governing code.

| Occupancy | Live load (kPa) | Approx (psf) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Residential, homes | 1.5 to 2.0 | 30 to 40 |
| Offices | 2.5 to 3.0 | 50 to 60 |
| Corridors, stairs | 3.0 to 4.0 | 60 to 80 |
| Retail, shops | 4.0 to 5.0 | 80 to 100 |
| Assembly, crowds | 4.0 to 5.0 | 80 to 100 |
| Storage, plant | 5.0 and up | 125 and up |

The numbers roughly double from homes to storage, which is why classifying the space is the part that matters. The values themselves are minimums published in standards such as [ASCE 7](https://www.asce.org/publications-and-news/asce-7) and the Eurocode national annexes. On the European side the same ladder is formalised as use categories A to E: [Malakatas' JRC workshop paper on EN 1991-1-1](https://eurocodes.jrc.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2022-06/EN1991_2_Malakatas.pdf) sets out the recommended characteristic values per category, from residential floors near 2 kN per square metre up through offices and shopping areas to storage at the top, with each country's national annex free to adjust them.

## Do not forget the partition allowance

Offices and similar floors usually add a movable-partition allowance, often around 1.0 kPa, on top of the occupancy live load, because the layout can change. Fixed partitions are counted as dead load instead, by their real weight, a split explained in [dead load vs live load](/blogs/dead-load-vs-live-load-explained). Leaving out the partition allowance is a common way to under-load an office floor.

## How the value is used

The occupancy live load is a pressure you apply across the floor, then carry through a takedown. An office at 3.0 kPa over a 30 square metre interior column tributary area produces 90 kN of live load from that floor, before any factors or reduction. That figure then accumulates down the building and is factored, as set out in [how to do a structural load takedown](/blogs/how-to-do-a-structural-load-takedown). Over a large accumulated area, the live load may also be reduced, as in [ASCE 7 live load reduction](/blogs/asce-7-live-load-reduction).

## A worked example

Take a corridor at 4.0 kPa serving an office. Over a 25 square metre tributary area it produces 100 kN of live load per floor. If the same area were classified as office at 3.0 kPa it would produce 75 kN, a third less. The 33 percent difference comes entirely from the occupancy class, which is why a wrong classification, not a wrong calculation, is the bigger risk.

## Key takeaways: live load by occupancy

Live load is set by occupancy: roughly 1.5 to 2.0 kPa residential, 2.5 to 3.0 kPa office, 4.0 to 5.0 kPa retail and assembly, 5.0 and up for storage, plus a partition allowance where layouts change. These are code minimums to confirm for your project, used as the live load in the takedown. StructLoads takes the value you enter and carries it down; a qualified engineer confirms the governing occupancy load.

## Quick answers

### What are typical floor live load values by occupancy?
Common minimum design live loads are about 1.5 to 2.0 kPa for residential, 2.5 to 3.0 kPa for offices, 4.0 to 5.0 kPa for retail and assembly, and 5.0 kPa or more for storage and plant. In US units that is roughly 40, 50, 100 and 125 psf. These are code minimums; always confirm the governing value for your project and country.

### What live load should I use for an office floor?
Office floors are commonly designed for about 2.5 to 3.0 kPa, or roughly 50 to 60 psf, plus a movable-partition allowance of around 1.0 kPa where the layout can change. The exact value comes from your code, such as ASCE 7 or the Eurocode national annex. Use the governing figure in the takedown, not a rule of thumb.

### Are live load values the same in ASCE 7 and Eurocode?
They are similar in intent but not identical in number, and they use different units and categories. ASCE 7 gives values in psf by occupancy; Eurocode gives imposed loads in kN per square metre by category, set partly in each national annex. Always use the values from the code that governs your project rather than mixing the two.

### When are tabulated live loads not enough?
Standard occupancy values are not enough when the real use is heavier or more specific than the category, such as heavy storage, plant, libraries, vehicle or crane loads, or special equipment. There you use the actual or specified load, which can far exceed the table. Tabulated values are minimums for normal use, confirmed by a qualified engineer.