Commercial moves can be complex—much more complex than your average residential move. Unlike household moves, commercial moves often involve:

  • Transporting specialized and/or sensitive equipment
  • Disassembly and reassembly of furniture and furnishings
  • Moving sensitive and/or confidential documents and records
  • Dealing with debris and discarded office furniture

Plus, everything has to happen on a tight timeline to prevent disruption to the business’s normal operations.

For all these reasons, it’s important to choose a commercial mover with care. The right commercial mover will have the expertise and experience to handle all the moving parts of an office or industrial move with ease—including the unexpected ones. The wrong commercial mover, however, can turn a move into a big (and long-lasting!)

53%
plan to downsize

It’s even more important to get this decision right in today’s environment. 53% of companies in a recent CBRE survey reported plans to downsize their footprint in the next three years.

That means plenty of upcoming moves, all of which have the potential for chaos in the hands of the wrong commercial mover.

If you’re a property manager looking for a preferred company to execute commercial moves, we’ll show you five must-have qualities to look for. (If you’re a landlord, a commercial real estate firm, or an office manager, these must-haves equally apply to your moves!)

By using these five qualities to screen potential commercial movers, you’ll find a provider with the experience and the capabilities to do the job with minimal hassle to all parties involved. You’ll also locate a mover you’d be happy to use yourself or recommend to tenants and colleagues without hesitation.

Commercial Mover Must-Have #1: A Well-Rounded Suite of Services

The logistics of an office move can be complex—and multi-faceted. When you’re looking for movers, you’re not just looking for a few strong guys who can lift and carry. Instead, you need a provider that can handle all aspects of an office move, including:

Previous Commercial Experience

First and foremost, it’s important to hire a provider with a strong track record of delivering office moving services. As we noted earlier, commercial moves come with their own specialized considerations. You don’t want to hire or recommend someone who’s learning as they go.

Installations, Including Assembly and Disassembly

During an office move, cubicles, desks, and other office furniture will all need to be disassembled at the old location, and then reassembled at the new location. Look for a commercial mover with experience in office installations to set the stage for a speedy and efficient move. Hiring an experienced office mover also minimizes potential damage by teams unfamiliar with a particular set of furniture and furnishings.

More specifically, seek out an office mover that has experience with the common office furniture brands, including Hahn, Herman Miller, Steelcase, Hayworth, and Knoll. This means they’ll be able to assist on a variety of moves without having to waste time learning on the job.

Heavy Items and Specialty Equipment

Every office has its own type of specialty equipment. That equipment might be particularly heavy. It might be especially sensitive. It might require special handling or temperature controls.

An office mover with the expertise—and the equipment—to handle moves involving specialty equipment means reduced worry for all involved. It can also mean increased simplicity. Rather than having to bring in a specialty mover just for the equipment, a commercial mover with extensive expertise can handle the whole job.

Debris Removal

Commercial moves create a surprising amount of trash and debris. Between the packing material used to protect items during transport and the unwanted items the client no longer wants, there’s a lot to dispose of after a commercial move.

A commercial mover who’s willing to assist with debris removal and disposal can save you from having to hire a separate provider to take care of this task.

Commercial Mover Must-Have #2: Certificate of Insurance

When it comes to commercial moves, insurance is a must. Beyond that, you’ll also want to make sure the company is willing to provide a certificate of insurance prior to the move. The COI will confirm the insurance coverage in place and facilitate the claims process, should any damage occur during the move.

Maybe more importantly, if a commercial mover is reluctant to provide a COI, that’s a red flag worthy of deeper investigation.

Commercial Mover Must-Have #3: Off-Hours Moves to Minimize Downtime

Few businesses want to shut down operations for a move. As a result, it’s important to locate a commercial mover willing to do off-hours moves to minimize downtime. (Off-hours moves also have the added benefit of minimizing disruptions to other businesses operating on the same property.)

As you screen commercial movers, ask about their availability—and pricing—to work nights, weekends, and holidays. Movers with off-hours flexibility are movers you can easily recommend to tenant—or engage for your own off-hours moves.

Commercial Mover Must-Have #4: Uniformed Staff

In some cases, moves may need to be executed during business hours, which means movers may be seen by a business’s clients or by other tenants on property.

Ask any commercial mover you’re vetting whether they have the ability to provide professional, uniformed staff. Optics matter. Plus, a commercial mover with the ability to provide a polished-looking team offers much more flexibility should the need arise.

Commercial Mover Must-Have #5: Storage Options

If there’s one commonality between residential and commercial moves, it’s this: The unexpected often happens.

Sometimes furniture and furnishings arrive early, leaving clients scrambling for a place to put them. Other times, emergencies crop up, such as a water leak or a surprise power outage, which may delay a carefully orchestrated move.

In all of these cases, a commercial mover who can also provide storage can be a lifesaver. Their warehouse space can turn a potential disaster into a solvable problem.

Whether storage needs are planned or unplanned, a safe and secure area to keep furniture, furnishings, equipment, and more is a huge plus. Look for a mover who can deliver this benefit.

Professionalism, Expertise, and Flexibility

At the end of the day, that’s what these five must-haves really boil down to. By locating a commercial mover with the professionalism, expertise, and flexibility to deliver a wide-ranging suite of services, you’ll know you’ve found a provider you can rely on for future projects.

By leveraging this must-have list to screen providers, property managers, commercial real estate firms, landlords, or anyone looking for a reliable commercial mover can feel confident that they’ve found the right office movers for the job.

Need help with downsizing or moving your office? Our team has partnered with local Hawaiʻi businesses on successful commercial moves across the state. We’d love to help you minimize disruptions to your operations, protect your assets, and deliver a smooth, hassle-free experience. Just reach out to our team for a complimentary quote.

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