How Much Does a Business Move Cost in the UK?

A business move costs more than a house move for reasons that have little to do with volume: out-of-hours working, IT equipment, furniture systems, coordination with facilities teams and the cost of a day's lost trading.

This guide covers what drives the price, realistic UK ranges, and how to compare quotes without being misled.

What drives the cost

Factor	Why it matters
Desk count and volume	The base unit of any office quote
Out-of-hours working	Evenings and weekends carry a premium
Floor and lift access	High floors, goods lifts, loading bays
IT and comms	Decommissioning, crating, reconnection
Furniture systems	Dismantling and reassembly of workstations
Distance	Travel time, mileage, possibly overnight stays
Packing	Full, part, or crates only
Storage	Interim storage while the new site is ready
Compliance	Method statements, RAMS, insurance levels

Typical UK ranges

Ballpark figures for a professional commercial move, excluding IT support contracts:

Size	Typical cost
Micro office (1-5 desks)	£500 - £1,500
Small office (5-15 desks)	£1,200 - £3,000
Medium (15-50 desks)	£3,000 - £8,000
Large (50-150 desks)	£8,000 - £25,000
Multi-floor or multi-site	£25,000+

Out-of-hours working typically adds 15-30%. Weekend or bank holiday moves add more. A move that must be completed between Friday 6pm and Monday 8am is priced for the constraint, not the volume.

The costs businesses forget to budget

1. Downtime. A day of lost trading often costs more than the move itself.
2. IT decommission and reconnect. Usually a separate contractor, and rarely included in the removal quote.
3. Storage. If the new lease starts late, your furniture needs somewhere to live.
4. Disposals. Old furniture and IT equipment still has to leave - and WEEE rules apply to electronics.
5. Signage and re-fit. Not the mover's job, but part of the project.
6. Insurance excess and declared value. Under-declaring saves premium and costs you at claim time.
7. Parking and permits. City centre loading bays and suspensions are chargeable.

What a good commercial quote looks like

• A written scope: desks, chairs, storage, IT, archives, and what is excluded.
• A schedule with start and finish times, and who is on site.
• Method statement and risk assessment (RAMS).
• Insurance certificates - public liability and goods in transit.
• Named crew and a single point of contact.
• Clear variation process - what happens if the move overruns.
• Invoice terms, purchase order reference and payment schedule.

If a quote is a single number on an email with no scope, it is not comparable to one that has a schedule.

How to compare quotes fairly

1. Ask all bidders to price the same scope, in writing, using your list.
2. Separate the removal from IT, storage and disposal so you can see the true total.
3. Check what happens to the price if the building is not ready on the day.
4. Ask for two references from comparable moves, and ring them.
5. Confirm the insurance limits in writing - not "we are insured".

Reducing the cost without cutting corners

• Purge before you pack. Every desk you do not move is money saved.
• Book early. Month-end and Fridays are the most expensive slots.
• Move in phases if the business can operate from two sites temporarily.
• Use crates rather than cardboard for repeat moves - faster and reusable.
• Agree the parking before the day. A suspended bay costs less than an overrun.

Why business moves are worth winning

One commercial client can be worth a year of domestic enquiries, and they tend to come back: office moves, fit-outs, storage and disposal all repeat. They are won on reliability and paperwork rather than price - see generating removal leads for how to get in front of them.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to move an office in the UK?

From around £500 for a micro office to £25,000+ for a large multi-floor move. Out-of-hours working, IT handling and distance move the number most.

Are office moves more expensive out of hours?

Yes - typically 15-30% more, because crews work unsocial hours and the move is compressed into a narrow window.

Does the removal company handle IT equipment?

Usually they move and crate it; decommissioning and reconnection are normally a separate IT contractor. Confirm in writing which side covers what.

How far in advance should we book?

Four to six weeks for a small office, longer for anything over 50 desks. Month-end and Fridays book first.

If you want to add commercial work to a domestic business, the pricing and paperwork systems are covered in The Moving School. See also how to price removals jobs.