Step-by-step commercial relocation checklist

Relocating an office in New York City involves more moving parts than a residential move — and more consequences if something goes wrong. A missed COI submission means movers can’t access the freight elevator. An unplanned IT migration means staff can’t work on day one. A building with union rules means outside movers may not be permitted on certain floors without clearance.

This checklist is organized by timeline, not by category, because the sequence matters as much as the tasks themselves. What you do six months out enables what you do two weeks out. Skipping steps early creates problems that can’t be fixed on move day.

6 Months Before the Move: Decisions and Planning

The decisions made 6 months before move day determine the budget, timeline, and risk level of everything that follows.

At this stage, the move is still abstract — no boxes, no trucks, no logistics. That’s exactly why this is the right time to make the decisions that are hardest to reverse later.

What to do at 6 months:

• Confirm the move date and new lease terms. The move date drives every other deadline on this list. Once it’s set, work backward from it. Confirm your current lease termination date and whether there’s an overlap period — even a few days of access to both spaces simultaneously makes the move significantly easier.
• Assess the new space before signing. Before committing to a new address, confirm freight elevator access hours, loading dock availability, COI requirements for vendors and movers, move-in and move-out hour restrictions, and whether the building has union rules that affect who can do what on site. These details affect your moving cost and timeline more than square footage does.
• Start the vendor selection process for movers. For a commercial relocation in Manhattan, get at least three written quotes from moving companies with documented NYC office moving experience. Ask specifically about COI handling, after-hours move capability, IT equipment experience, and whether they’ve worked in buildings with union requirements. For Heart Moving’s commercial relocation services, see office moving NYC.
• Appoint a move coordinator. Every successful office relocation has one internal person who owns the process. This person liaises with building management at both addresses, coordinates with movers, communicates with staff, and makes day-of decisions. Without a designated coordinator, tasks fall through gaps between departments.
• Audit your current space. Go through every room, storage closet, server room, and filing area. Identify what moves to the new office, what gets donated or recycled, and what goes into storage. The less you move, the faster and cheaper the move. For Manhattan storage options during the transition, see storage services.

3 Months Before the Move: Logistics and Building Requirements

Three months out is when the logistics become concrete — building paperwork, vendor contracts, and IT planning all need to start now.

Building requirements in Manhattan take longer to process than most people expect. COI submissions, loading dock reservations, and freight elevator bookings all have lead times that make a 3-month runway necessary, not generous.

What to do at 3 months:

• Book your moving company and get a written contract. Confirm the date, estimated crew size, truck requirements, and what’s included in the quote. Make sure the contract specifies COI handling, insurance coverage, and what happens if the move runs over the estimated time.
• Contact building management at both addresses. Get move-in and move-out requirements in writing from both buildings. Confirm:
  • Approved move hours — most Manhattan commercial buildings restrict moves to weekday business hours or require advance approval for evenings and weekends
  • Freight elevator reservation process and availability
  • COI requirements — exact management company name for additional insured listing, minimum coverage amounts
  • Loading dock availability and whether a separate scheduling process applies
  • Floor protection requirements — hallway runners, elevator padding
  • Union rules — some Midtown commercial buildings have union agreements that restrict what outside contractors can do on site. Confirm whether this affects your movers before signing a contract with them
• Start the COI process. Request the COI from your moving company as soon as you have the building’s exact requirements. COI processing takes 3–5 business days, and some buildings take an additional week to review and approve. Submit it as soon as it’s ready and follow up to confirm approval.
• Apply for the NYC DOT parking permit for the moving truck. Apply at least 7 business days before your move date through the NYC DOT portal. For a full explanation of the process, see moving day parking rules in NYC.
• Plan your IT migration separately. IT infrastructure is the highest-risk part of any office move. Internet, phone systems, servers, and workstations all need to be operational on day one. Engage your IT team or provider now to plan the migration timeline, confirm internet installation lead times at the new address (often 2–3 weeks for business-grade service), and decide whether servers move the same day as furniture or separately.
• Notify key external contacts. Inform clients, vendors, banks, insurance providers, and any government agencies of your upcoming address change. Update your business address with the IRS, NYS Department of State, and any licensing bodies relevant to your industry. Change address on your website, Google Business Profile, and any directories where your address appears.

6 Weeks Before the Move: Staff Communication and Packing Preparation

Six weeks out, the move transitions from planning to preparation — staff need clear assignments, and the physical process of sorting and packing needs to begin.

What to do at 6 weeks:

• Hold an all-staff meeting. Communicate the move date, the new address, move day logistics, and what’s expected of each person. Address questions about the new space — commute changes, parking, nearby amenities — before they become sources of anxiety. Staff who feel informed are more cooperative on move day.
• Assign departmental move leaders. Each department should have one person responsible for overseeing the packing and labeling of their area, coordinating with IT on equipment, and communicating any special requirements to the move coordinator.
• Create a complete inventory of office equipment. Document every piece of furniture, equipment, and technology that will move to the new office. Note items that require specialty handling — server racks, large monitors, medical equipment, safes, artwork. This inventory becomes the checklist movers work from on move day and the basis for any insurance claims if something is damaged.
• Begin decluttering. Sort through filing cabinets, storage rooms, and common areas. Shred documents that don’t need to be retained — NYC has commercial shredding services that will do on-site shredding for a flat fee. Donate or recycle furniture and equipment that won’t be needed in the new space. Contact storage services if items need to be held temporarily rather than discarded.
• Order packing supplies. Estimate box quantities by department. For office moves, wardrobe boxes handle hanging files efficiently. Banker boxes work well for documents. Electronics require anti-static wrap and original or purpose-built packaging where possible. If you’d rather not coordinate packing, packing services are available for commercial relocations.
• Confirm the new office layout. Circulate a floor plan of the new space to department heads and confirm where each team will be located. This allows boxes to be labeled with destination zones — “Finance — Zone B” rather than just “Finance” — which dramatically speeds up placement on move day.

2 Weeks Before the Move: Final Confirmations and Packing

Two weeks out, everything should be confirmed and packing should be well underway. If major decisions are still being made at this point, the move is at risk.

What to do at 2 weeks:

• Confirm COI approval from both buildings. If you haven’t received written confirmation, call building management directly. Do not assume approval — find out explicitly.
• Confirm the freight elevator reservation at both addresses. Recheck the approved hours and make sure your movers’ estimated arrival time falls within the window at each location.
• Confirm the parking permit. Check that it was approved and that signs will be posted at least 72 hours before the move window. Confirm the permit covers both the move-out address and move-in address if you need truck access at both on the same day.
• Brief your IT team on the move day sequence. Confirm what gets disconnected and packed first, what moves last, and what the setup sequence is at the new office. Servers and network equipment typically move last out and first in — they need to be operational before staff arrive.
• Pack all non-essential areas. Conference rooms, storage closets, archives, and any common areas that aren’t in daily use should be fully packed and labeled. Leave only what’s actively needed for the final two weeks of work in the current office.
• Communicate the move day plan to all staff. Confirm what time movers arrive, whether staff are expected to be present, what staff should do with their personal items, and when the new office will be operational. Set a realistic expectation for when systems will be back online.
• Handle sensitive and confidential materials separately. Client files, HR records, legal documents, and any HIPAA-protected materials should be packed, sealed, and transported under direct staff supervision — not mixed in with general office boxes. For legal and medical practices, this step requires its own written protocol.

Move Week: Final Preparation and Day-Of Execution

The week of the move is for finishing, confirming, and executing — not for making decisions.

What to do the week of the move:

• Pack all remaining items. By Monday of move week, the only things left unpacked should be what staff need to work through the end of the week.
• Label everything with destination zones. Every box, piece of furniture, and equipment item should have a clear label indicating where it goes in the new office. Use color-coded tape by department if the new floor plan has multiple zones. Movers place items faster when labeling is unambiguous.
• Prepare a move day contact sheet. One document with the names and cell numbers of: the move coordinator, the building contact at both addresses, the moving company crew lead, the IT lead, and the freight elevator contact at both buildings.
• Confirm movers arrive before the freight elevator window opens. Movers need time to set up floor runners and elevator padding before they start carrying anything. Build 30 minutes of setup time into the schedule before the elevator window begins.
• Protect common areas before anything moves. Floor runners in hallways, elevator padding, and corner protectors on walls at the most trafficked turns. Most buildings require this and will stop the move if it’s not in place.
• Do a final walkthrough of the old office before returning keys. Check every room, every storage area, every server closet, every kitchen cabinet. Confirm utilities have been transferred or terminated. Return all keys, access cards, and parking passes to building management.

NYC-Specific Commercial Relocation Logistics: What’s Different

Commercial moves in Manhattan involve building requirements and city logistics that don’t exist in most other markets. Understanding them in advance prevents the most common move-day problems.

Commercial Relocation Checklist: Summary by Timeline

6 months out:

• Set move date and confirm lease terms at both addresses
• Appoint internal move coordinator
• Audit current space — inventory what moves, what’s stored, what’s discarded
• Begin vendor selection for movers

3 months out:

• Sign moving company contract
• Get building requirements in writing from both addresses
• Submit COI and confirm approval
• Apply for NYC DOT parking permit
• Begin IT migration planning
• Notify clients, vendors, and government agencies of address change

6 weeks out:

• Hold all-staff meeting
• Assign departmental move leaders
• Complete office equipment inventory
• Begin decluttering and packing non-essential areas
• Order packing supplies
• Confirm new office layout and destination zones

2 weeks out:

• Confirm COI approval at both buildings
• Confirm freight elevator reservations
• Confirm parking permit approval and sign posting
• Brief IT team on move day sequence
• Pack all non-essential areas
• Communicate move day plan to all staff

Move week:

• Pack all remaining items
• Label everything with destination zones
• Prepare move day contact sheet
• Confirm movers arrive before freight elevator window
• Do final walkthrough of old office before returning keys

Office relocations in Manhattan have more steps than most businesses plan for — and the steps that cause the most problems are almost always the ones involving building requirements, not the physical move itself. Heart Moving handles COI submission, freight elevator coordination, parking permits, and building management communication as standard parts of every commercial relocation. Get a free estimate and we’ll walk through what your specific buildings require before anything is booked.