Moving an office is different from moving a home. Every hour the business is closed costs money, and a missing monitor or cable can stop work on Monday morning. The best office moves are planned weeks ahead and happen after hours or over a weekend. Here is a simple timeline for small and mid-sized Rochester businesses.
8 to 12 weeks before
- Pick a move date, ideally a Friday evening or weekend
- Name one person to manage the move and talk to the movers
- Get the floor plan of the new space and plan where each desk goes
- Call movers for an estimate and book your date
6 to 8 weeks before
- Arrange internet, phone and utilities at the new location
- Talk to your IT team or provider about disconnecting and reconnecting computers and network equipment
- Check building rules at both locations: loading docks, elevators and certificates of insurance
- Decide what furniture and equipment to keep, sell or recycle
4 weeks before
- Order boxes and labels
- Create a numbering system: each desk and room gets a number that matches the floor plan
- Update your address with customers, suppliers, banks and online listings, including your Google Business Profile
1 to 2 weeks before
- Ask each employee to pack their own desk and label every box with their desk number
- Back up all computers and important files
- Pack shared areas such as the kitchen, supply room and files
- Confirm the schedule and building access with your movers
Move day
- Have the move manager on site at both locations
- Walk the crew through the floor plan at the new space
- Check that each desk, monitor and box is in the right place
- Let IT reconnect equipment and test the network before staff arrive
Tips for a smooth office move
Label cables and tape them to the device they belong to. Keep keys, access cards and important documents with the move manager. Move the server or network equipment last out and first in, so IT can start testing early.
Choosing office movers
Look for movers who will work evenings and weekends, use a labeling system and place furniture by your floor plan. Our office moving service covers offices, shops and practices across Monroe County. Need to know how moves are priced? See our moving cost guide.
Planning a business move? Call Moving Company Rochester at (585) 555-0183, or book online and we will call you back.