Office Relocation and Setup in Fargo, ND

Give bidders a scope they can price

Prepare an inventory by room or department. Include desks, chairs, storage cabinets, boxed files, monitors and equipment that needs special handling. Mark what you will retain, retire or leave behind. Give bidders photographs and ask for a walkthrough when they need to inspect access or furniture before quoting.

Ask for written inclusions, exclusions and charges for changes. Have each bidder identify who supplies packing materials, labels boxes, dismantles furniture, reassembles workstations and removes packaging. Ask how the quote handles stairs, elevator reservations, waiting time, extra truck runs and storage. Compare the same work across offers rather than choosing by the total alone.

Request insurance documentation and a written explanation of damage responsibility and the claims process. Describe fragile equipment and confidential files before accepting an offer. Ask who will perform the work, who will supervise it and which tasks the provider expects your staff to complete.

Confirm the destination before scheduling

Walk the destination with the landlord or building manager. Agree on desk positions, equipment locations, delivery access and the route from the truck to the office. Record door and elevator dimensions when furniture clearance needs checking. Get written approval for building access hours and any protection the manager requires for floors or elevators.

For planned alterations, consult Fargo Inspections before fixing the transport date. The city accepts commercial permit applications through its online permit portal and warns that incomplete plans or missing documents can delay review. Its commercial submission checklist includes dimensioned floor plans, fire and life safety information, and electrical and plumbing plans. [2]

Ask the landlord and project designer which submission requirements apply to your work. Fargo requires professional design for remodeling or additions under several conditions, including a change of occupancy or use of the International Existing Building Code. Keep construction responsibility and the approval schedule clear in your move plan. [2]

Assign the IT handoff and reopening checks

Name one person to coordinate the mover, IT provider and building manager. Specify who disconnects devices, packs them, transports them and reconnects them. Ask the mover to confirm the exact equipment-handling tasks included in the offer; arrange technical setup with your IT provider where needed.

Have your IT lead confirm backups and destination connectivity before shutdown. Label equipment by destination workstation and keep an inventory of cables and accessories. Set a test plan for internet access, phones, printers and the applications your staff need. Agree on who can approve reopening and who handles unresolved faults.

For a phased move, identify the staff and equipment needed to keep operating at each address. Write the shutdown and restart sequence into the schedule. Give the crew a floor plan and a named contact who can resolve placement questions during unloading.

Budget for cleanout and destination utilities

Ask for separate prices for removal, disposal and transport to the new office. Fargo offers 20-yard and 30-yard roll-off containers for commercial accounts. The published charge is $120 per haul plus $57 per ton in landfill fees, with no delivery charge. Confirm the accepted contents and charges before ordering. [3]

Plan separate routes for discarded computers, monitors, cardboard and metal furniture components. The city prohibits electronics, cardboard and any type of metal in its roll-off dumpsters. Ask the disposal provider to identify where each material will go, and assign your IT lead responsibility for data-bearing devices. [3]

Check the lease to establish who pays destination water and sewer charges. Fargo publishes monthly water minimums by meter size and charges commercial sewer customers $2.55 per 1,000 gallons of water, with a $25 monthly minimum. Use the utility chart as an operating-budget reference, then confirm the meter size and billing arrangement with the landlord. [4]

Selected Fargo monthly water minimums by meter size

Match the arrangement to your move

Your hiring checklist

1. Send each bidder the same inventory, photographs, floor plan and access details.
2. Confirm destination alterations and approval responsibilities with the landlord.
3. Reserve loading access and elevators, and check the proposed truck staging location.
4. Document packing, assembly, storage and disposal inclusions in the quote.
5. Assign an IT lead for backups, device inventory, reconnection and testing.
6. Separate items to move, retain, donate or dispose of before packing.
7. Name the person who will inspect delivery, record damage and approve reopening.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should I budget for the move?

Obtain itemized quotes against one written scope. Ask bidders to separate packing, transport, assembly, storage, IT work and disposal. Establish how they charge for waiting or scope changes. The city utility and disposal figures on this page describe specific published fees; they do not establish an office mover’s price. [3] [4]

Can we schedule a downtown move overnight?

Check the staging location first. Fargo applies year-round overnight restrictions within its Central Business District, with different prohibited mornings for avenues and streets between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. Confirm building access with the manager and an allowed truck location with the mover. [1]

Does setup include making the office ready for staff?

Define that in the agreement. Ask whether setup covers furniture assembly and placement, device reconnection, network testing or packaging removal. Assign an owner to each task and specify the tests you require before staff return.

Can we put old computers and moving boxes in a city roll-off?

Fargo prohibits electronics, including computers and monitors, as well as cardboard and metal in its roll-off dumpsters. Arrange separate disposal or recycling and have your IT lead approve the handling of devices containing business data. [3]