The 4-week commercial move timeline
Week 4 (today): Confirm destination building move-in requirements (COI, elevator windows, floor protection, parking for trucks). Book the moving company. Notify IT vendor. Alert staff to move date.
Week 3: Moving company files COIs with both buildings. IT vendor confirms disconnect/reconnect schedule. Order packing supplies. Decide: move company-owned furniture or buy new at destination? (Buying new for <10 desks is often faster and cheaper than moving.)
Week 2: Staff packs personal items (one box per desk, labeled). IT disconnects non-critical peripherals. Server room plan confirmed. Carpet protection and elevator padding ordered.
Week 1: Final walkthrough with moving company and building manager. Confirm after-hours elevator access code. Arrange security access for move crew. Order coffee for the night crew.
Moving in or around LA? 2 movers + truck are $88/hr, all-inclusive, with nothing due until after the move. See your price in about a minute.
The correct order of operations
Movers clear workstations → movers move IT-tagged equipment → IT vendor installs and tests → furniture arranged → staff unpacks personal items. The most common expensive error: furniture moved before IT has a tested floor plan, then moved again.
After-hours moves: the LA advantage
LA office buildings charge peak elevator rates and parking premiums during business hours. After-hours moves (starting 6–8pm, finishing by 6am) cost the same per hour but use freight elevators without wait times, park trucks without meters, and don't interrupt a single business hour. For DTLA towers and Century City high-rises, this is the only practical option anyway — security and building management require it.
For a commercial office move quote in LA, call (213) 679-6844. We quote commercial moves with a site visit, not a phone estimate.
Office relocation checklist
The 8-week countdown
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| 8 weeks | Walkthroughs at both sites; binding quote; floor plan for the new space (desks numbered) |
| 6 weeks | Both buildings notified; COIs, elevators, dock windows booked; ISP install ordered for new site |
| 4 weeks | IT cutover plan written (what moves vs what's replaced); purge old files/furniture (donation pickup booked) |
| 2 weeks | Crates delivered; employees get the one-crate rule and label format (name + desk number) |
| Final week | Thursday: desks packed. Friday 6 PM: load-out begins. Monday 9 AM: open as usual |
The IT cutover, demystified
IT is where office moves fail, so it gets its own track: photograph every workstation's cabling before disconnect, move the server rack last and place it first, have your IT person (or vendor) on-site Saturday for re-rack and Sunday for testing. Internet at the new space must be live before move weekend — ISP installs in LA towers can take 3–4 weeks to schedule.
Both buildings have rules
Commercial buildings double the paperwork: COIs with specific wording, freight elevators that must be reserved, docks with time windows, and some DTLA towers that only allow moves after 6 PM weekdays or on weekends. We collect both buildings' requirements at the quote stage — it's half the value of hiring a crew that does this weekly.
What it costs
Hourly at $128–$168/hr for typical small offices; project pricing with a binding quote for full floors. Add crates (rented, delivered, collected), and nothing else — fuel, equipment, wrap and the weekend itself are included. Walkthroughs are free: (213) 679-6844.
Related questions
How far ahead should I plan a commercial office move in LA?
For moves under 20 workstations, 4 weeks minimum. For 20–100 workstations, 8 weeks. For larger offices or multi-floor moves, 12+ weeks — COIs, elevator scheduling, IT vendor coordination and floor protection with the destination building all take time.
Who coordinates with the building on a commercial move?
Your moving company should handle COIs and freight elevator reservations for both origin and destination buildings — good commercial movers do this automatically. IT vendor access, elevator scheduling with building engineers, and floor protection should all be confirmed in writing before move week.
What is the most common mistake in commercial moves?
Underestimating IT reconnection time. Movers can clear and fill an office in one night; IT vendors typically need a full day to test connectivity, configure VOIP, and troubleshoot. If IT finishes after business opens, the whole office is down. Schedule IT completion 24 hours before business resumes.
How much does an office move cost in LA?
Small offices (10–20 desks) typically run $1,400–$3,000 on a weekend move at $128–$168/hr. Larger floors price by project with a binding written quote after a walkthrough. The Best Movers LA estimate is confirmed by email before the crew is scheduled.
How does Best Movers LA move an office without downtime?
Friday 6 PM: crew arrives, IT powers down. Saturday: furniture and boxes land in the new space, IT re-racks. Sunday: systems tested. Monday 9 AM: business as usual. That weekend format is the entire trick.
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