Office relocation in Atlanta: Moving and Setup

Choose the scope before choosing the mover

Start with an inventory and a destination floor plan. List desks, chairs, cabinets, monitors, printers, and equipment that needs special handling. Identify what you will discard, store, or move yourself. Give each bidder the same information so you can compare the work they promise.

Ask the mover to separate packing, transport, furniture disassembly, reassembly, unpacking, and placement in the quote. Specify whether staff will pack personal desk contents and who will supply boxes or reusable crates. For modular workstations, ask who will label components and retain hardware.

Request evidence of insurance and ask the provider to explain damage reporting, coverage limits, and exclusions for your commercial inventory. Ask who will perform the work and who will manage subcontractors. Use these questions to assess suitability without assuming a residential moving package covers office equipment.

Confirm loading access at both buildings

Walk the proposed loading route with each building manager. Confirm dock access, freight elevator reservations, permitted work hours, truck dimensions, floor protection, and any insurance documents the manager requests. Record the distance from the truck to the elevator and from the elevator to the office.

ATLDOT requires a lane, full street, or sidewalk closure permit for activities that block or close those public spaces, subject to the utility maintenance exception described on its page. If your mover proposes curbside loading that would create a blockage, check the closure requirement with ATLDOT before approving that plan. [1]

Assign one person to confirm whether permission is needed and arrange it. Keep that responsibility in the written scope. Ask the mover for an alternative loading plan if the proposed access cannot be approved, and agree how a changed route or waiting time would affect the quote.

Arrange power before scheduling IT setup

If Georgia Power serves the destination, schedule business electricity activation or transfer for a weekday. The utility says requests submitted during its normal business hours, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., are eligible for next-day service. It excludes requests requiring installation or construction from that next-day provision. [2]

Georgia Power asks transfer applicants for both service addresses, the company name, tax identification information, and the desired stop and start dates. Gather those details through your account administrator. For a weekend move, confirm power at the destination before the crew arrives and choose the old office shutoff date around your remaining work. [2]

Assign an IT lead to confirm internet installation, back up business data, label equipment and cables, and approve shutdown. Agree whether movers will transport equipment only or help reconnect it under IT supervision. Keep passwords and account recovery information with authorized staff.

Compare quotes and plan the handover

Ask each bidder to state its pricing basis, crew and truck allocation, included materials, assembly work, and assumptions about access. Request written terms for overtime, waiting, storage, cancellation, and inventory changes. Ask how the provider will obtain your approval before adding work.

Choose a single move or a phased move around the work your staff must continue doing. If you phase the relocation, identify which desks, files, and shared equipment each group needs. Agree who will coordinate each phase and when staff may enter the new space.

At handover, check furniture against the floor plan and inventory. Have your IT lead test agreed functions, such as internet access, business applications, printing, and calls. Photograph damage, note missing items, and assign an owner and follow-up date to each unresolved issue.

Atlanta historical monthly rainfall for loading-weather planning

Choose the next step for your move

Your hiring checklist

1. Give bidders the same inventory, floor plan, and packing responsibilities.
2. Confirm loading routes and building access with both property managers.
3. Resolve public-space closure permission before approving the loading plan.
4. Request written insurance, damage, exclusion, and additional-charge terms.
5. Confirm destination electricity and internet before equipment setup.
6. Label furniture, equipment, crates, and cables by destination.
7. Assign a move coordinator, IT lead, and person authorized to accept completion.
8. Inspect the inventory and complete agreed equipment tests at handover.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit for an office move?

Check the proposed loading activity. ATLDOT requires a closure permit when an activity blocks or closes a public lane, street, or sidewalk. Its guidance does not establish a blanket permit requirement for transporting office contents. Describe the loading plan to ATLDOT and confirm building access with the property managers. [1]

Can I arrange electricity on the weekend we move?

Georgia Power says business connections and transfers are unavailable on weekends. If it serves your premises, arrange a weekday connection and confirm power before the move. Requests requiring installation or construction do not qualify for its next-day service provision. [2]

Does office moving include IT setup?

Ask the bidder to define its scope. Specify who disconnects, packs, transports, reconnects, and tests equipment. Have your IT lead approve shutdown and testing, and put any mover assistance in writing.

How should I compare office moving costs?

Request quotes based on the same inventory and access plan. Compare included packing, assembly, placement, and materials, then review waiting, overtime, storage, and change terms. Choose the scope you need before comparing totals.