Office Move Checklist: A Week-by-Week Plan for Your Office Relocation

An office move touches every person, desk and device in your company. Without a plan, it can mean days of lost work, missing equipment and a new space that does not fit. With a checklist and a clear timeline, most businesses can move over a weekend and open on Monday.

Use this office move checklist as a starting point and adjust it to the size of your office. If you would like help planning or carrying out the move, our commercial moving services cover offices of every size across the DMV.

12 or More Weeks Before the Move

Review Your Lease and Set the Date

Read the move-out terms in your current lease. Note the notice period, any restoration work the landlord requires and the last day you can be in the space. Then set a move date with room to spare on both ends.

Name a Move Lead

Pick one person to own the move. That person makes decisions, keeps the timeline and is the main contact for the landlord, the building and the movers. In larger offices, add one helper from each department.

Take Inventory and Plan the New Layout

List the furniture, equipment and files you have. Decide what moves, what gets sold or recycled and what you need to buy. Get the floor plan for the new space and assign every desk, room and printer a spot on it.

8 to 10 Weeks Before the Move

Book Your Office Movers

Ask movers to walk through your current office before they quote. A walkthrough catches the heavy safes, the server closet and the furniture that has to be taken apart. Book early if you want a weekend date or the end of a month.

Plan the IT Move

Technology is the part of an office move that causes the most downtime. Order internet service for the new space early, since installs can take weeks. Map out where network gear, phones and workstations will go. Our technology services help with moving workstations and equipment.

Get Both Buildings’ Move Rules

Ask the property managers at both buildings for their move rules. Most office buildings set move hours, require a freight elevator booking and ask the moving company for a certificate of insurance. Some also require floor and wall protection in common areas.

4 to 6 Weeks Before the Move

Tell Employees, Clients and Vendors

Share the move date, the new address and what employees need to do. Give each person a packing deadline and clear instructions. Our guide to employee office moving instructions covers what to tell your staff. Update your address with clients, vendors, your bank and your website.

Order New Furniture and Plan the Install

New furniture often takes weeks to arrive. Time deliveries so desks and workstations are set up before employees walk in. Our FF&E services cover furniture, fixture and equipment installs for new workspaces.

Clear Out What You Are Not Taking

Every chair and file box you leave behind is one less thing to pay to move. Schedule pickups for furniture you are selling or donating, and plan secure shredding for old paper files.

1 to 2 Weeks Before the Move

• Hand out boxes, labels and color codes by department or floor.
• Label every box and piece of furniture with its new room and desk number.
• Back up all data and confirm the plan for disconnecting computers.
• Confirm elevator bookings, loading dock times and insurance certificates with both buildings.
• Post the new floor plan so movers and staff can see where everything goes.

Moving Day

Have the move lead on site at both buildings, or one person at each. Walk the old space with the movers before loading and the new space before unloading. Keep keys, access cards and the floor plan handy, and check off each area as it is cleared.

The First Week in the New Office

• Test internet, phones, printers and every workstation before staff arrive.
• Walk the new space and note any damage or missing items right away.
• Hand out new keys and access cards and review emergency exits.
• Return the old space in the condition your lease requires.

For a deeper look at planning, read why an office moving plan is a must. For ongoing support with furniture, storage and workspace changes, see our workplace solutions.