The Complete Office Move Checklist for Canadian Operations Managers

An office relocation is one of the most operationally complex projects a company undertakes. It touches every department — IT, HR, finance, facilities, operations — and affects every employee. Done well, it is a minor disruption. Done poorly, it creates weeks of lost productivity, damaged equipment, and frustrated staff.

This checklist is organized as a 90-day timeline. Adjust the timeline proportionally for larger moves (add 30–60 days for moves involving 200+ employees or multiple floors) or smaller ones.

Phase 1: Planning (Day 1–30)

Week 1: Core Decisions

Establish the move team. Designate a move coordinator — this should be a single person with authority to make decisions, not a committee. Support the coordinator with representatives from IT, HR, facilities, and any department with specialized equipment or requirements.

Define the scope:

• How many employees and workstations?
• How much specialized equipment (server rooms, labs, medical equipment, manufacturing)?
• Is furniture moving or being replaced?
• What is the new space layout? Is it finalized or still being designed?
• What is the budget?

Set the move date. In most cases, office moves should happen over a weekend to minimize business disruption. For larger moves, a long weekend (Friday evening through Monday) or a 2-weekend phased approach may be necessary.

Week 2: Vendor Selection

Moving company. For a commercial office move in Canada, you need a company with:

• Commercial moving experience (residential movers are not equipped for office moves)
• Proper insurance — cargo insurance covering the full replacement value of your contents, minimum $2 million commercial general liability
• Experience with your specific challenges (high-rise access, IT equipment, modular furniture, after-hours building access)
• References from moves of similar size

Get three quotes. Commercial moving in Canada is priced by time and materials (hourly crew rate plus truck charges) or fixed-price based on an in-person survey. Fixed-price is preferred because it eliminates surprises, but it requires the mover to conduct an on-site assessment.

Typical costs for a full-service commercial move in major Canadian markets (2026):

• 20-person office: $8,000–$15,000
• 50-person office: $18,000–$35,000
• 100-person office: $35,000–$65,000
• 200+ person office: $65,000–$150,000+

These ranges assume standard office contents (desks, chairs, filing cabinets, electronics) with some modular furniture. Specialized equipment, extended hours, or high-rise moves add 20–40%.

Week 3–4: Logistics Planning

Building coordination (both locations):

• Reserve freight elevators for move dates
• Confirm loading dock availability and dimensions at both buildings
• Obtain building access permissions for movers (security clearances, after-hours access)
• Confirm floor protection requirements (carpet protection, elevator pads, door protection)
• Verify the new space — is construction/renovation complete? Is the space occupancy-ready? Are certificates of occupancy issued?

Employee communication. Send the first move announcement:

• Confirmed move date
• New office address and building information
• High-level timeline ("packing materials will be distributed on [date], your role in the move is...")
• FAQ addressing the most common questions (parking, transit routes, new desk assignments, what happens to personal items)

Phase 2: Preparation (Day 30–75)

IT Infrastructure (Start Early — This Is the Critical Path)

IT is almost always the bottleneck in an office move. New-space IT infrastructure must be operational before furniture arrives.

Network and data:

• Internet service installation at new location (order 6–8 weeks in advance — ISP installations frequently run late)
• Network cabling and switch installation
• Wi-Fi access point installation and coverage testing
• Server room preparation (if applicable): power, cooling, rack installation, UPS
• VoIP/phone system configuration for new location
• Printer/copier setup at new location

Cutover planning:

• What is the maximum acceptable downtime for email, file servers, VoIP, and internet?
• Can systems run in parallel at both locations during transition?
• What is the rollback plan if the new-location IT is not ready?
• Who is responsible for disconnecting and reconnecting each system?

Test everything before the move. Internet connectivity, phone systems, VPN access, printer discovery, Wi-Fi coverage — all tested and confirmed working at least one week before the physical move.

Employee Preparation (Day 45–75)

Distribute packing materials. Provide each employee with:

• Labeled moving crates or boxes (typically 2–3 per workstation)
• Packing labels with the employee's name, department, and destination location in the new office
• Packing instructions (what to pack, what not to pack, when it needs to be ready)
• Personal item policy (what the company will move, what employees should take home themselves)

Purge before packing. Encourage departments to purge files, supplies, and equipment before the move — not after. Everything you move costs money. A 50-person office that reduces its contents by 20% before the move saves approximately $4,000–$7,000 in moving costs.

Desk assignment communication. Provide each employee with their new desk location, floor plan, and any relevant changes (proximity to restrooms, meeting rooms, kitchen). Uncertainty about the new space is the biggest source of employee anxiety during a move.

Furniture and Equipment

Modular furniture (systems furniture/cubicles): If your modular furniture is being disassembled and reassembled at the new location, this requires specialized labor — often from the furniture manufacturer's authorized installer, not the moving company. Schedule this 4–6 weeks in advance. Disassembly of modular workstations typically takes 15–30 minutes per station. Reassembly takes 30–60 minutes per station.

New furniture: If you are purchasing new furniture for the new space, confirm delivery and installation dates align with the move timeline. Furniture should be installed and complete before personal contents arrive.

Specialized equipment: Identify every piece of equipment that requires specialized handling:

• Servers and network equipment (IT team manages)
• Lab equipment, medical equipment, manufacturing equipment
• Safes and security equipment
• Artwork and high-value items
• Plants (commercial plant care companies offer relocation services)

Phase 3: The Move (Day 75–80)

Pre-Move Week (Day 75–79)

• Final walk-through of new space with move coordinator and building management
• Confirm all vendor schedules (moving company, IT, furniture installer, cleaning)
• Employee reminder — packing deadline, move-day instructions, first day at new office logistics
• Label everything — floor plans posted at new space showing where each department and workstation goes
• IT cutover begins — servers migrated, phone system transitioned, internet verified

Move Day(s)

Crew management:

• Move coordinator (or designee) present at both the old and new locations throughout the move
• Clear signage at the new location directing movers to each department area
• IT representative at new location to reconnect and test workstations as they arrive
• Building management contact available at both locations for access issues

Sequence:

1. Server room and IT equipment (first — allows testing while furniture is being moved)
2. Common area furniture (meeting rooms, kitchen/break room, reception)
3. Executive offices (typically prioritized for Monday readiness)
4. Department workstations (by floor or zone, systematically)
5. Filing, supplies, and miscellaneous (last)

Quality control during the move:

• Spot-check boxes arriving at the new location — are they going to the correct areas?
• Monitor for damage — report immediately, take photographs
• Track inventory — is everything that left the old space arriving at the new space?

Phase 4: Post-Move (Day 80–90)

First Business Day

• IT team available for workstation connectivity issues (budget for 20–30% of employees needing IT support)
• Move coordinator available for furniture and logistics issues
• Building orientation for employees (parking, security, kitchen, fire exits, washrooms)
• Report any damage or missing items to the moving company immediately (most contracts require claims within 48 hours)

First Week

• Complete IT troubleshooting and optimization
• Adjust furniture as needed (monitor arms, chair adjustments, ergonomic assessments)
• Address building issues (HVAC comfort, lighting, noise)
• Update business listings (Google Business, directory services, website, business cards)
• Cancel services at old location (internet, utilities, cleaning, security)

Old Space Handback

• Walk-through with landlord
• Return keys and access cards
• Confirm lease obligations are met (cleaning, repairs, restoration)
• File move documentation (inventory lists, damage reports, vendor invoices) for insurance and tax purposes

The difference between a smooth move and a chaotic one is the planning. The actual moving day is the shortest phase of the project — everything that determines its success happened in the 75 days before the truck arrived.