Office Moving Costs [2024 Data]: How to Plan and Budget for an Office Move
Normal range: $5,000 - $15,000
Office moving costs average around $5,000 or between $5,000 and $15,000, depending on factors such as the office size, the distance of the move, IT setup, and more.
Office moving costs average at $5,000, with prices ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 or more. Whether you’re upgrading, downsizing, or starting fresh in a new location, moving your office can feel like an overwhelming hurdle. Moving your equipment and furniture while minimizing disruptions to your business is essential, and the easiest way to do it is to hire a local moving company. Here’s how to budget for your next office move.
- Average
- $5,000
- Low end
- $750
- high end
- $30,000
Office Moving Cost Breakdown
Many factors can play into your potential office moving costs. Here are the main variables to consider when planning out your budget.
Size
The overall square footage of your office impacts the volume of belongings you’ll need to move, which will increase your costs for hiring professional movers and transportation.
| Office Size in Square Feet | Average Office Moving Costs |
|---|---|
| 1,000 | $750–$4,000 |
| 1,500 | $1,000–$5,000 |
| 3,000 | $1,500–$10,000 |
| 5,000 | $3,000–$15,000 |
| 10,000+ | $5,000–$30,000+ |
Equipment and Workstations
Aside from the square footage of your office space, it’s also important to consider how much equipment and workstations you’ll be moving. Heavy equipment like printers and servers will require more space and labor to move, so your costs will be higher if you have many heavy or bulky items to relocate.
Distance
If you’re moving to a new state or even cross-country, your office moving costs will be significantly higher than those for a local move. Moves of 100 miles or less can cost as low as $1,000, while moving cross country beyond 2,000 miles can cost as much as $30,000 or possibly even more depending on size, IT expenses, and other related factors.
| Distance in Miles | Average Office Moving Costs |
|---|---|
| 100 or less | $1,000–$5,000 |
| 250 | $2,000–$8,000 |
| 500 | $3,500–$10,000 |
| 1,000 | $4,000–$15,000 |
| 1,500 | $5,000–$25,000 |
| 2,000+ | $6,500–$30,000 |
IT/Data Cabling
Data cabling and other IT-related expenses can make up a significant portion of your office moving costs—the average 30-person office pays between $5,000 to $10,000. Costs can vary considerably based on the scope and complexity of the work involved, possibly topping $30,000 or more.
Labor
The cost to hire movers typically ranges from $25 to $50 per hour and covers the labor services of one to two skilled movers. However, the hourly rate rises to $75 to $150 per hour when three movers are needed and approximately $100 to $200 per hour for four movers.
| Number of Movers | Cost per Hour |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | $25–$50 |
| 3 | $75–$150 |
| 4+ | $100–$200 |
Insurance
Many moving companies offer basic released-value liability coverage at approximately $0.60 per pound. However, for items that are either heavier or of higher value, it's wise to opt for full-value protection, which covers the item's full value in cases of loss or damage. For office moves involving heavy or sensitive equipment, investing in moving insurance is worth the cost.
Specialty Services
If you’re moving heavy, bulky, fragile, or sensitive equipment, this task will likely incur additional charges from your moving company. Items requiring special handling (like large printers and servers) may increase your costs. Different moving companies will have varying rates, so the best way to get an accurate quote is to tally up your equipment beforehand and give the moving company your information.
Tipping
If you’re wondering how much to tip your movers, adding between 10 to 20 percent of your total cost is standard. While tipping isn’t necessary, it’s a great way to show your movers appreciation for a job well done.
Office Moving Ongoing Expenses
Here are a few additional expenses to factor into your estimated moving budget.
Energy Costs
When upgrading to a larger space or a location with more lights, equipment, and workstations, energy costs will be higher. Likewise, if you’re moving to a different part of the country where energy costs are higher, then this change will increase your monthly bill as well.
Temporary Storage
If you don’t have a place to store everything in your new office, a storage unit costs anywhere from $240 to $600 per month. Alternatively, you can try selling the furniture and equipment you won’t need on resale apps or donate them.
Marketing Materials
To advertise and show off your new location, a custom business sign typically costs between $2,000 and $3,000. Costs vary widely depending on the size and detail of the sign, as well as other factors such as lighting, colors, and more.
If the address for your brick-and-mortar business is printed on your marketing materials, you may want to budget anywhere from $100 to $1,000 or more for all-new brochures, flyers, and literature. If you can wait, it’s best to get your print job done after you’ve settled into the new spot, or arrange to have it delivered on your moving day. That way, you have fewer things to move from one spot to the next.
DIY Office Moving vs. Hiring a Pro
While the cost for a DIY move may make it tempting to save on expenses, it comes with challenges like coordinating logistics, potential for injury, and the risk of damaging valuable equipment. Plus, time is money when you’re running an office, so it’s essential to consider the cost of lost productivity and office disruption when comparing a DIY move versus professional office moving costs. Hiring a local moving service, although more expensive, can save you time and prevent costly mistakes.
Cost of Common Office Moving Add-Ons
As you prepare to make your new office space your own, consider these add-on expenses to factor into your office moving costs:
Cost to hire an interior designer: $2,000–$15,000+
Landscaping costs: $1,300–$6,000+
Landscape design costs: $1,950–$7,500
Cost to hire a painter: $500–$5,000+
Office furniture assembly costs: $100–$1,000
Professional cleaning service costs: $200–$500+
Tips to Reduce Cost While Moving Offices
Wondering how to minimize your office moving costs? Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Plan everything as far in advance as possible—rush jobs for IT migrations and item transportation can be extremely expensive.
Declutter before moving to reduce the volume of items.
Get multiple moving company quotes to ensure competitive pricing.
Consider a partially DIY move, where you handle packing and unpacking.
Schedule your move during off-peak times to potentially get lower rates.
Consider moving in winter to save money, as off-season rates are lower than peak rates in the spring and summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Planning your office move should ideally start three to six months or more in advance. This timeframe allows plenty of time for tasks such as researching moving companies, creating a budget, coordinating with employees, decluttering and organizing, packing, and addressing any logistical challenges. Starting early also ensures that you have flexibility in scheduling and can handle unexpected hiccups that may arise during the planning process.
Yes, many office moving costs are tax deductible, but only businesses are eligible to deduct moving expenses on their taxes. Personal moves, such as relocating for a new job or moving from an apartment to a house, are not deductible.
However, not all business taxes are deductible by that business. Deductible business moving expenses are limited to the direct costs associated with relocating office supplies and equipment. This process encompasses brokerage fees for securing a new location, space surveys, packing, loading, transportation, and unpacking. Costs related to moving employees or other indirect expenses are not eligible for tax deductions.
To treat office moving costs as capital expenses, which means recording them as assets, they must meet certain rules: they need to be essential for the business to keep running, directly related to the move, reasonable, and documented properly with invoices and contracts. These costs can include packing, transportation, and setting up the new office. Once these expenses are capitalized, they're treated like assets on the books and gradually accounted for over time through depreciation or amortization.
Planning ahead is essential—this will give you the chance to coordinate your move during weekends or after business hours, and set up essential services in your new office before moving day to minimize downtime. Start by creating a detailed timeline and checklist for every phase of the move, from packing to unpacking. Inform your employees, clients, and vendors about the move well in advance, including any expected disruptions and how you plan to manage them. Delegate responsibilities to ensure all aspects of the move are covered. Lastly, set up the essentials at the new location first to resume operations quickly.