March 8, 2026 · Mobilix Team

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 to 60 days for moves involving 200+ employees or multiple floors) or smaller ones.

Phase 1: Planning (Day 1 to 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 to $15,000
50-person office: $18,000 to $35,000
100-person office: $35,000 to $65,000
200+ person office: $65,000 to $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 typically add 20 to 40%.

Weeks 3 and 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 to 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 to 8 weeks in advance, since 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 to 75)

Distribute packing materials. Provide each employee with:

Labeled moving crates or boxes (typically 2 to 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 trims its contents significantly before the move can save thousands of dollars 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 to 6 weeks in advance. Disassembly of modular workstations typically takes 15 to 30 minutes per station. Reassembly takes 30 to 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 to 80)

Pre-Move Week (Day 75 to 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:

Server room and IT equipment (first, which allows testing while furniture is being moved)
Common area furniture (meeting rooms, kitchen/break room, reception)
Executive offices (typically prioritized for Monday readiness)
Department workstations (by floor or zone, systematically)
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 to 90)

First Business Day

IT team available for workstation connectivity issues (budget for 20 to 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.

Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should you start planning an office move in Canada?

Plan on about 90 days for a typical office move, and add 30 to 60 days for moves involving 200 or more employees or multiple floors. That window covers vendor selection, building coordination, IT setup at the new location, employee preparation and post-move stabilization.

What is the most common bottleneck in an office move?

IT infrastructure is almost always the critical path. Internet service at the new location should be ordered six to eight weeks ahead, and network cabling, Wi-Fi, phones and printers should all be tested at least a week before the physical move so employees can work on their first day.

Is fixed-price or hourly better for a commercial move?

Fixed-price quotes are generally preferred because they remove surprises, but they require the mover to do an on-site survey first. Hourly time-and-materials pricing can work for small, simple moves, though costs are harder to predict. Getting three quotes helps you compare scope as well as price.

How soon do you need to report damage after an office move?

Report damage or missing items to the moving company right away. Many moving contracts require claims to be filed within 48 hours, so inspect furniture and equipment on the first business day, take photographs and keep the inventory list and damage reports with your move documentation.

For specific guidance on the items that go wrong most often, read our posts on modular furniture relocation and protecting IT equipment during moves. When you are ready to start planning, contact our team and we will conduct an on-site survey and build a move plan around your specific timeline and requirements. View our full moving services.

Have a Move Coming Up? Let's Plan It.

Get a Free Quote