Key Takeaways
- Order business internet at least 8 to 12 weeks before move day. Chicago buildings often need a new circuit.
- Walk the new space with a cabling plan before you sign off on the layout.
- Back up everything and verify a restore before a single machine is unplugged.
- Move servers and phones last, and test them before staff arrive.
- Keep the old internet live for a few days after the move as a safety net.
- Plan one person per task on cutover weekend so nothing is left to chance.
Moving an office is mostly an IT project with desks attached. Furniture can be replaced in an afternoon. A late internet circuit, a missing network jack or a phone system that was never re-pointed can leave your team staring at blank screens on Monday morning. In Chicago the risks are real: older Loop high-rises have crowded risers, West Loop conversions have tight wiring closets, and buildings with freight elevator rules can turn a simple move into a scheduling puzzle. A good network installation plan starts before the lease is final.
This checklist runs backward from move day. Each week has a short list of jobs, who usually owns them and what can go wrong. You can use it on a 6-person office or a 60-person one. The timing stretches or shrinks, but the order stays the same. Internet first, cabling second, equipment third, testing last.
You do not need to be technical to run this. You need dates, names and a written plan. If you hand part of it to an IT provider, the checklist also tells you what to ask for and what you should see in writing before they start.
Start 12 Weeks Out: Order Internet & Walk the Space
The longest lead time in any office move is the internet connection. A standard cable plan may install in a week or two. A fiber circuit into a commercial building can take two to three months, because the carrier needs building approval, a route into the riser and sometimes construction. Do not wait for the final floor plan to call carriers.
Ask your landlord or property manager three things first: which carriers already serve the building, where the demarc (the point where the carrier hands off to you) is located, and whether you can bring your own provider. Many Chicago buildings have preferred carriers or require a certificate of insurance for any contractor working in the riser.
What to Do in Weeks 12 to 10
- Request quotes from at least two carriers for the new address, including a backup line if you can afford one.
- Ask the property manager for the riser map, closet location and any contractor rules.
- Schedule a walkthrough with whoever will run your cabling and Wi-Fi.
- Count people, printers, phones, conference rooms and anything else that needs a connection.
- List every system that depends on the old address, such as the firewall, phones, alarm and credit card terminals.
Bring a floor plan to the walkthrough, even a rough one. A technician can tell you in an hour whether the planned conference room has a usable jack, whether a reception desk needs floor power or whether the closet is big enough for a rack.
A walkthrough before signing off on the layout often catches closets too small for a rack.
The Week-by-Week Timeline
Here is the full schedule at a glance. Each step is explained in the sections that follow. Adjust the dates if your building needs more notice for riser access or freight elevator bookings.
| Timing | Main Job | Who Usually Owns It |
|---|---|---|
| 12 to 10 weeks out | Order internet, walk the space, collect building rules | Office manager & IT provider |
| 10 to 8 weeks out | Approve cabling plan & Wi-Fi layout, order equipment | IT provider |
| 8 to 6 weeks out | Cabling installed, closet built, phone plan confirmed | Cabling contractor |
| 4 weeks out | Inventory every device, plan the move order, notify vendors | Office manager |
| 2 weeks out | Full backup, restore test, label equipment, update addresses | IT provider |
| Move week | Shut down, pack, move, rebuild, test | IT provider & movers |
| Week after | Fix gaps, retire old services, update documentation | IT provider |
Notice that nothing in the table says “plug in the computers.” That is the last hour of the project. Everything before it is what makes that hour quick.
Weeks 10 to 6: Cabling, Wi-Fi & Equipment
Once the carrier order is in, turn to what happens inside the walls. Wired jacks for desks, printers and conference rooms need to be installed, labeled and tested before furniture goes in. Pulling cable after desks are set up is slower and costs more. If you are unsure how many drops you need, the guide on network cabling explains how to count them, and the numbers in network cabling cost in Chicago help you budget before the quotes arrive.
Wi-Fi deserves its own plan. A Wi-Fi setup that worked in a 2,000 square foot suite will not simply carry over to a new layout with glass offices and a larger footprint. Access points should be placed by a survey, not by guesswork. A commercial Wi-Fi installation usually includes mapping coverage, choosing mounting spots and separating guest traffic from business traffic.
- Approve the cabling plan. Mark every drop on the floor plan, including extras for future hires.
- Order equipment early. Switches, access points and firewalls can take weeks to ship, so do not wait for the last month.
- Confirm the phone plan. Cloud phones move with a login. Older systems may need a new line or a replaced box.
- Check power. Make sure the closet has dedicated outlets and enough ventilation for the rack.
- Schedule the cable test. Ask for test results on every drop, not just a verbal “it’s done.”
Labeled patch panels let a technician trace any jack to its port in seconds.
Four Weeks Out: Inventory, Order of Moves & Notices
By now the new space should be getting wired. Your job shifts to the old one. Build a simple inventory of every computer, monitor, printer, phone, scanner, label maker and shared drive. Note who uses each item and whether it is coming along. A move is a good moment to retire equipment that is more than five years old, since it is easier to replace a laptop than to troubleshoot it after a bumpy trip.
Decide the order things move. A common pattern is to move the network core and servers first, bring staff workstations second and phones last. That way the first people through the door have a working network behind them.
Who to Notify
- Your bank, credit card processor and any vendors that ship to or bill your old address.
- Software vendors that tie licenses to a location or IP address.
- The alarm and security camera companies.
- Clients who send faxes, mail or deliveries to your office.
- Your copier or printer lease company, which often needs to move its own equipment.
A small mistake here causes a big headache. A missed update to a payment processor can freeze card payments for days, and a forgotten vendor can keep sending mail to a vacant suite.
Two Weeks Out: Backups, Restore Tests & Labels
Every move carries a small chance that something gets dropped, delayed or damaged. Your protection is a current backup that you have actually tested. Run a full backup of servers, shared files, email and key laptops. Then restore a few files and a small system to a spare machine to prove it works. A backup you have never restored is just a hope. If your current backups are shaky, fix that before you move; the data backup guide for Chicago businesses walks through what a reliable setup looks like.
While the backup runs, label everything. Put a number on each computer, monitor, cable bundle and box, and match it to a floor plan of the new space. Labels turn move day from a guessing game into a delivery route.
| Item | Label With | Pack With |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop computer | Employee name & new desk number | Its own power cable & keyboard in a clear bag |
| Laptop & dock | Employee name | The charger & dock, in the same case |
| Monitor | Desk number | Wrapped, upright, with cables taped to the back |
| Printer | Room & model | Toner, trays & power cord together |
| Network switch | Rack position | Left in the rack frame when possible |
| Server | Asset tag | Moved by IT staff, never in a general truck load |
Take photos of the back of every rack and desk setup before you unplug anything. When cables are labeled and photographed, reassembly takes a fraction of the time.
Move Week: Cutover Plan & Day-One Testing
Most offices cut over on a weekend or a Friday afternoon. Ask your building for freight elevator and loading dock hours well ahead, since many Chicago buildings limit moves to evenings or weekends and require a certificate of insurance from the movers. Plan for one person per major task: someone owns the servers, someone owns workstations, someone owns phones and someone coordinates the movers.
- Friday afternoon. Final backup completes. Servers shut down cleanly. Staff leave with laptops and cables labeled.
- Move truck loads. IT staff move the rack gear and servers. Movers handle desks and boxes.
- New site core first. Install the firewall, switches and access points. Confirm the internet circuit is live.
- Servers and storage. Power up, check storage and verify the backup runs from the new location.
- Workstations & printers. Set up by desk number. Test login, shared drives, email and printing at each seat.
- Phones last. Move or re-point the phone system and place a test call from every number.
- Sunday review. Walk the floor with a punch list of anything not working.
If you want a dedicated team to handle the technical side, an IT relocation service covers the shutdown, transport, rebuild and testing in one plan. If you keep it in-house, use the list above as your script and assign names to every step.
Testing each desk before Monday avoids a line of staff waiting at the help desk.
The Week After: Cleanup, Cutting Old Services & Documentation
The first morning in a new office always reveals a few surprises. A printer that will not connect, a drive that does not map, a conference room display that stays black. Plan to have a technician on-site that day or at least on a fast response call. Keep a shared list where staff report issues so nothing gets lost.
Do not cancel the old internet line until the new one has run cleanly for a few days. Many providers want notice anyway, so schedule the disconnect for a week or two after the move. Keep the old firewall and a backup of its settings for the same reason.
Final Cleanup List
- Update your network diagram, IP list and device inventory.
- Reset any shared passwords that were written down for the move.
- Confirm the backup and security monitoring work from the new network.
- Return or dispose of old equipment. Wipe drives before they leave the building.
- Cancel old services, utilities and equipment leases on a planned date.
- Hold a short check-in with staff after one week to catch problems they did not report.
Compare the finished network with the plan you started with. If the layout works, the next step is documenting it so anyone supporting your office can see how it was built. The office network setup guide covers how to keep that documentation clear and current.
Common Move Mistakes to Avoid
Most failed moves share the same few causes. None of them are technical. They come from late decisions and unclear ownership.
| Mistake | What Happens | How to Avoid It |
|---|---|---|
| Ordering internet late | Office opens with no connection or a temporary hotspot | Order 8 to 12 weeks out and confirm the install date in writing |
| Skipping the cabling walkthrough | Missing jacks, desks without a connection, costly rework | Mark every drop on a floor plan and sign off before furniture arrives |
| Trusting an untested backup | Lost files when a drive fails in transit | Restore a sample of files and a test machine before the move |
| Forgetting phones | Customers hear busy signals or an old number | Plan the phone cutover and place test calls from each line |
| Moving everything on one night with one person | Exhausted staff, missed steps, damaged gear | Assign owners to each task and keep the old site live for several days |
| No one onsite Monday morning | Small issues snowball into lost work | Book a technician for the first day or arrange a fast-response support line |
Nearly every item on this list is fixable with a calendar and a name next to each task.
A well-run move feels boring. The internet is live, the jacks work, the phones ring and staff sit down to normal files and printers. That result comes from the early weeks, not from the move itself. If you take only three things from this checklist, order the internet first, verify the backup and assign a name to each cutover task.
If you are weighing dates or comparing quotes, a short call can sort out the timeline. We will walk the new space, check your current setup and give you a written plan and price. There is no pressure and no obligation, only a clear picture of what your move needs.
FAQs
How far ahead should I plan an office relocation’s IT?
Start 10 to 12 weeks before move day. Internet circuits, equipment orders and cabling all have lead times, and Chicago buildings may need approvals for riser access. Smaller moves with an existing carrier can run shorter, but planning early still gives you a cushion if anything slips.
How long does it take to get business internet at a new Chicago office?
Cable internet is often installed in one to three weeks. Fiber can take two to three months because the carrier may need building approval or new construction. Always ask the carrier for a written install date and confirm it with your property manager.
Can I move my servers myself?
You can, but it is risky. Servers are heavy, sensitive to shock and hold your critical data. A shutdown plan, verified backup and careful transport matter. Most small offices have a technician move and rebuild servers while movers handle desks and boxes.
Should I keep my old internet after we move?
Yes, for a few days to two weeks. Keeping it live gives you a fallback if the new line has problems and gives you time to confirm everything works. Schedule the cancellation after the new connection runs cleanly.
What happens to my phone numbers when we move?
Cloud phone numbers usually move with your account and need little more than a new network. Older systems may need a carrier port, a new local line or replacement hardware. Confirm with your phone provider early and test each line before staff arrive.
Is it cheaper to pull network cable before or after the move?
Before is almost always cheaper and faster. Technicians can work freely in an empty or lightly furnished space. Cabling after desks arrive means moving furniture, working around staff and often paying for after-hours work.
Who should be on-site during move day?
At minimum, an IT lead, someone who knows the layout and whoever manages the movers. If you use a provider, ask for named technicians. Have a clear person responsible for servers, workstations, phones and the final walkthrough.
How do I protect my data during the move?
Run a full backup, restore a test sample and keep a copy off-site before anything is unplugged. Transport drives and servers separately from general freight. After the move, confirm backups run from the new network before you declare it finished.
What should I do with old computers and equipment?
Decide before the move which equipment is coming along. Old machines should have their drives wiped or destroyed before they leave your control. Many Chicago recyclers and IT vendors offer certified disposal, so ask for paperwork if you handle sensitive data.
How much does an IT relocation cost in Chicago?
Costs vary by office size, cabling needs and whether you move servers. Small offices often spend a few thousand dollars on technical work, while larger or fiber-heavy moves can run much higher. A written quote after a walkthrough is the only reliable number.
Reid Callahan
Editorial Director, Ping Chicago
Reid leads the Ping Chicago editorial team and works with our technicians to turn real support tickets, office moves and security reviews into plain-English guides for Chicago business owners. Born and raised in Chicago, he has spent more than 15 years in IT services, starting on the help desk and later running support and network projects for law firms, medical practices and manufacturers from the Loop to the western suburbs. He holds Microsoft 365 and CompTIA Security+ certifications and has helped hundreds of local offices move to the cloud. Today he focuses on how AI tools like Microsoft Copilot can save small teams time without putting company data at risk, and every guide he writes is checked by a working technician before it goes live.