Office moves are one of the most reliable sources of unexpected IT downtime for small businesses. Moving furniture is visible work, IT infrastructure is not. The network cabling, server migration, ISP install, phone number porting, and user setup all need to be planned and tested before the first person sits at a desk in the new space. Here is the complete checklist.
Move date: _______________ IT lead: _______________ ISP installation date: _______________
Four to Six Weeks Before the Move
☐ Order internet connectivity. ISP installations in BC typically take 15 - 30 business days for business-grade fibre or cable. Order the moment the new address is confirmed. If you wait until two weeks before move-in, you will not have internet on day one.
☐ Initiate number porting. If retaining existing phone numbers (and you should), start the number port process now. Ports take 7 - 10 business days and can fail if the request is incomplete. Running a port concurrent with a move risks two simultaneous disruptions.
☐ Audit current infrastructure. Document every piece of IT equipment you have: servers, switches, access points, printers, UPS units. Decide what moves, what gets refreshed, and what gets retired. This is the right time to replace an aging server or switch that would fail on its own within a year.
☐ Confirm server room / comms room specifications at new location. Does the space have dedicated circuit power? Adequate cooling? Secure access control? If not, address this before the hardware arrives.
☐ Request CAT6 or CAT6A structured cabling quote for the new space if it doesn't already have adequate drops.
Two to Four Weeks Before the Move
☐ Walk the new space with your IT provider. Mark locations for rack, patch panel, switches, and wireless access points. Map every desk that needs a wired drop. Identify WAP mounting locations for complete coverage.
☐ Order hardware with lead time in mind. IT hardware lead times remain variable, switches, access points, patch panels, rack components. Do not wait until move week to discover a switch is backordered. Order 3 - 4 weeks ahead.
☐ Test new ISP circuit as soon as it's installed, before move day. Confirm speeds, confirm static IP if applicable, and test VPN connectivity.
☐ Prepare server migration plan. If moving physical servers: who moves them, how are they packaged, in what order do they come back up? If migrating to cloud coincident with the move: the migration should be complete before move day, not concurrent with it.
☐ Update address with critical services:
- Google Business Profile
- CRA business registration
- MSP/IT provider (for monitoring alert routing)
- Cyber insurance policy
- Domain registrar contact information
- Bank and payment processors
One to Two Weeks Before the Move
☐ Configure new network equipment in advance at your IT provider's shop or staging area. Pre-configure switches, access points, and firewall before they go on-site. This reduces the number of things that can fail on move day.
☐ Label all cables on both ends. Every server cable, every patch panel port, every switch port. Label now so the move is a plug-in exercise, not a detective exercise.
☐ Communicate with staff. Tell your team: when the move is, what IT systems will be down and for how long, where to send support requests during the transition, and what to do if they can't connect.
☐ Back up everything before the move. Run a manual backup of all critical systems. Verify the backup completed successfully. The move itself is a risk event, ensure clean backups exist before hardware moves.
☐ Test remote access. Confirm that staff can work remotely if the new location's internet isn't available on day one. Have a continuity plan for day one if the ISP install is delayed.
Move Week
☐ IT provider on-site (or available remotely for cloud-based infrastructure) during move day ☐ Servers moved last, after network infrastructure is in place and tested ☐ Each server powered up and verified operational before proceeding to the next ☐ Internet connectivity confirmed live before the business day begins ☐ VoIP phones tested: can make and receive calls to/from external numbers ☐ Printers configured and test page printed from at least one workstation ☐ Remote access (VPN or Zero Trust) tested from an external device
Go-Live Checklist
☐ All users can log in and access their applications ☐ Email sending and receiving confirmed ☐ File shares / SharePoint accessible ☐ Business applications (accounting software, CRM, ERP) operational ☐ VoIP phones showing correct caller ID on outbound calls ☐ Backup agents running and backup job completed successfully from new location ☐ Monitoring alerts routing to IT provider
Post-Move Follow-Up (First Two Weeks)
☐ Collect and resolve any lingering IT issues from the move ☐ Update network documentation with new IP addresses, VLAN assignments, and physical layout ☐ Confirm with ISP that the static IP assignment is documented on their end ☐ Update BC Address in remaining registries (strata/landlord, ICBC, professional associations) ☐ Retire or securely dispose of any hardware that did not move
Talk to a Prince George-based IT team about managing your IT office move, call 672-983-1174 or book a free assessment at northstarit.ca.
Moving offices in BC? Let North Star manage the IT migration.
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Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should we plan IT office moves?
You should begin planning IT office moves at least four to six months before the physical relocation. This timeframe allows for necessary site surveys, ordering new internet circuits which often have long lead times, and designing the network layout. Early planning ensures that cabling and power requirements are met before your furniture and staff arrive at the new facility.
What are the biggest risks during an IT relocation?
The most significant risks include physical damage to sensitive hardware, data loss during transit, and extended downtime due to internet provisioning delays. To mitigate these, Northstar IT recommends performing full backups of all systems before the move and using specialised IT movers for server racks. Having a contingency plan for temporary connectivity is also a critical component of a successful move.
Should we upgrade our hardware during a move?
An office move is an ideal time to assess your current hardware and consider upgrades. Moving older equipment that is near end-of-life can be inefficient. We often suggest migrating on-premise servers to the cloud or upgrading to modern VoIP phone systems during the transition. This reduces the physical equipment you need to transport and modernises your business infrastructure simultaneously for your new workspace.