Office Moving Guide for Los Angeles Businesses
After relocating hundreds of Los Angeles businesses—from 5-person startups to 200-employee corporate offices—Green Moving understands that commercial moves operate under different rules than residential ones. Downtime costs money. Disruption affects clients. Employee productivity suffers when transitions go wrong.
This guide shares the systematic approach we've developed for LA office relocations, designed to minimize business disruption and get your team productive in the new space as quickly as possible.
Why Office Moves Differ from Residential
Residential moves inconvenience a family for a day. Office moves can cost thousands in lost productivity, missed deadlines, and client impact. The stakes require different planning.
Key differences:
- Deadline pressure: Monday morning operations must resume regardless of weekend complications
- IT complexity: Servers, networks, and phone systems require specialized handling
- Coordination scale: Dozens or hundreds of employees need communication and direction
- Regulatory concerns: Client data, confidential files, and compliance requirements
- Furniture volume: Desks, chairs, and cubicles multiply quickly
Our commercial clients report that thorough planning reduces their actual downtime by 60-70% compared to rushed relocations.
Office Moving Timeline
Based on hundreds of successful LA office relocations, this timeline prevents last-minute chaos.
8-12 weeks before: Begin planning. Finalize new lease. Hire moving company with commercial experience. Assign internal project manager. Create budget.
6-8 weeks before: Create detailed floor plan for new space. Inventory all furniture, equipment, and files. Begin IT infrastructure planning with your tech team. Get quotes for any new furniture needed.
4-6 weeks before: Communicate move to all employees. Distribute packing instructions and timelines. Start packing non-essential items, archived files, and seasonal materials. Confirm elevator reservations at both buildings.
2-4 weeks before: Finalize IT transition plan with specific cutover times. Complete packing of storage areas and archives. Prepare employee move packets with new location details. Coordinate with vendors (internet, phone, security).
1 week before: Final walkthrough of new space with moving company. Confirm all logistics in writing. Pack remaining items except daily essentials. Test new location infrastructure if possible.
Moving weekend: Execute move according to plan. Set up critical systems first. Test all technology before Monday. Prepare employee welcome materials for new space.
Pro Tip: Assign one internal person as the single point of contact for the moving company. Multiple decision-makers create confusion. One empowered coordinator keeps everything on track.
Minimizing Business Downtime
Every hour of downtime costs money. Here's how successful LA businesses minimize disruption.
Weekend moves: Most LA offices relocate Friday evening through Sunday to maintain Monday operations. Yes, weekend rates run 10-15% higher, but avoiding a business-day closure typically saves far more than the premium costs.
Phased approach: Large offices can move departments sequentially. Finance moves this weekend. Marketing moves next weekend. Operations continues in the old space until their phase. This maintains partial operations throughout a multi-week transition.
Parallel operations: When budget allows, establish new location infrastructure before moving furniture. Internet, phones, and basic workstations can be operational before the main move. Key staff work from new location while others remain at old location temporarily.
Remote work bridge: Enable remote work capabilities during transition. If server migration takes longer than expected, employees work from home rather than sitting idle. This flexibility prevents productivity disasters.
Pro Tip: Build 25% buffer time into every timeline estimate. Office moves consistently encounter surprises—elevator breakdowns, missing cables, furniture that doesn't fit. Buffer time absorbs these shocks without derailing Monday operations.
IT Relocation: The Critical Path
Technology failures cause more Monday-morning disasters than any other factor. Prioritize IT planning above everything else.
Pre-move IT checklist:
- Inventory all hardware: servers, workstations, monitors, printers, network equipment
- Document current network configurations with diagrams
- Plan new location network infrastructure and test before move
- Coordinate internet service transfer—schedule installation 2+ weeks before move
- Back up all critical data to offsite or cloud storage
- Plan phone system transition (especially if changing providers)
- Identify mission-critical systems that need priority restoration
Server and network priorities:
- Move servers last, install first at new location
- Label every cable before disconnection—photos help
- Keep IT staff present during equipment moving
- Test network connectivity before moving workstations
- Have contingency plan if systems don't come online immediately
Real-World Example
Last quarter, we relocated a 45-person marketing agency from Santa Monica to Culver City. Their requirements: zero client-facing downtime, full operations by Monday 8 AM.
The challenge: 45 workstations, two servers, a video editing bay with specialized equipment, and a CEO who was convinced it couldn't be done in one weekend.
Our approach:
Friday:
- IT team installed new internet and basic network infrastructure (completed 2 weeks prior)
- Movers packed non-essential items and loaded first truck (6 PM - 11 PM)
- Server backup completed and verified
Saturday:
- Main move: furniture, workstations, and equipment (7 AM - 6 PM)
- IT began server migration and network configuration (starting 2 PM)
- Video editing bay relocated with specialized handling
Sunday:
- IT completed network configuration and testing (7 AM - 2 PM)
- Workstation setup and testing: all 45 stations verified (completed 5 PM)
- Final walkthrough with project manager
Monday 7:30 AM: Full staff arrived to operational office. One minor printer configuration issue resolved by 9 AM. Client calls began at 8 AM as scheduled.
Total cost: $18,500 (moving, specialized equipment handling, weekend IT support)
Downtime avoided: Estimated $35,000+ in billable hours and client impact
CEO verdict: "I didn't think it was possible."
Employee Communication Strategy
Poor communication creates anxiety, resistance, and productivity loss. Clear, early, frequent updates maintain morale and cooperation.
Announce early: Give employees 6-8 weeks minimum notice. Address concerns proactively. Hold Q&A sessions for questions about commute, parking, workspace assignments.
Information to communicate:
- New address with map and directions
- Parking arrangements and costs (if changing)
- Move timeline and key dates
- What employees need to pack themselves (personal items, desk contents)
- What the company handles (furniture, equipment, files)
- First-day logistics at new location
- Any changes to workspace assignments or seating
Packing instructions for employees:
- Provide labeled boxes for personal desk items
- Set deadline for personal packing (typically Thursday before move weekend)
- Clear policy on what stays, what goes, what gets discarded
- Instructions for computer equipment (leave connected, IT handles, or employee disconnects)
Pro Tip: Create a simple one-page "Move FAQ" answering the 10 most common employee questions. Distribute physically and digitally. Update as new questions arise. This reduces individual inquiries and ensures consistent information.
Office Moving Cost Factors
Commercial moves price differently than residential. Understanding the structure helps budget accurately.
Cost ranges by office size:
- Small office (under 2,000 sq ft, 5-15 employees): $2,500-$6,000
- Medium office (2,000-5,000 sq ft, 15-40 employees): $6,000-$15,000
- Large office (5,000-10,000 sq ft, 40-80 employees): $15,000-$30,000
- Enterprise (10,000+ sq ft, 80+ employees): Custom quote required, typically $30,000-$75,000+
Factors affecting cost:
- Distance between locations
- Floor levels and elevator availability at both buildings
- Amount of furniture versus boxes
- IT equipment complexity
- Specialized items (safes, heavy equipment, artwork)
- Weekend versus weekday execution
- Packing services needed
- Building requirements (COI, reserved elevators, security)
Hidden costs to budget:
- Building move-in/move-out fees: $500-$2,000
- Certificate of insurance: $50-$150
- IT consultant overtime: $500-$2,000
- New furniture assembly: varies
- Disposal of old furniture: $200-$1,000
- Signage and branding at new location: varies
Common Office Moving Mistakes
Based on commercial moves that encountered problems, here's what to avoid.
Underestimating IT complexity: "We'll figure out the network on Monday" leads to disaster. Every IT element needs a specific plan and backup plan.
Skipping the internal project manager: Without one empowered decision-maker, movers receive conflicting instructions. Progress stalls while waiting for approvals.
Insufficient employee communication: Surprised employees resist change and create obstacles. Over-communicate rather than under-communicate.
Ignoring building requirements: Both old and new buildings have rules—elevator reservations, loading dock hours, COI requirements, move-in fees. Discover these weeks ahead, not the morning of the move.
Trying to do too much in-house: Having employees move their own computers or furniture seems cost-effective but creates liability issues, injuries, and equipment damage. Professional handling costs less than the problems it prevents.
Choosing movers without commercial experience: Residential movers may offer lower quotes but lack systems for IT handling, phased moves, and business-critical timelines. Commercial experience matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance should we book an office move?
For small offices (under 20 employees), 4-6 weeks is typically sufficient. Medium offices need 6-8 weeks. Large offices should begin planning 8-12 weeks ahead. Weekend dates during busy seasons (summer, month-end) book quickly—secure your date early.
Can we move during business hours to avoid weekend rates?
Technically yes, but consider the full cost. A weekday move means employees can't work productively during the move. For a 30-person office at average LA salaries, one day of lost productivity costs $8,000-$12,000—far exceeding the weekend rate premium of $1,000-$2,000. Weekend moves almost always make financial sense.
What should employees pack versus professional movers?
Employees should pack personal desk items, photos, plants, and anything they want to transport themselves (valuables, medications). Professional movers handle furniture, shared equipment, files, and IT equipment. Create a clear list so nothing falls between the cracks.
How do we handle confidential files and client data during the move?
Secure chain of custody is essential. Options include: dedicated locked containers that you control, employee transport of most sensitive materials, shredding outdated confidential documents before the move, or hiring bonded document transport services for highly sensitive materials. Discuss specific needs with your moving company.
What if something goes wrong and we can't open Monday?
Build contingency plans. Enable remote work capability for all employees. Identify critical functions that must operate (client service, order processing) and have backup plans for each. Keep old location accessible for an additional week if lease allows. Most importantly, build buffer time into your timeline so minor setbacks don't cascade into disasters.
Key Takeaways
- Start planning 8-12 weeks before your move date for medium and large offices
- Assign one internal project manager as single point of contact
- Weekend moves cost slightly more but save significantly in avoided downtime
- IT planning is the critical path—prioritize technology above everything
- Communicate early and often with employees to maintain morale
- Build 25% buffer time into every timeline estimate
- Choose movers with specific commercial moving experience
Planning an office relocation in Los Angeles? Green Moving has relocated hundreds of LA businesses with minimal downtime and maximum efficiency.
Green Moving — Licensed (CAL-T 201327) & Insured. 1% of every move supports California environmental causes. Call (213) 829-4795 for your free commercial moving quote.
