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Cost of Office Relocation: Sourced Price Ranges

What movers actually charge per square foot and per employee, and where office-move budgets typically go over.

  • Every figure sourced to IOMI, FMCSA, IBISWorld & IFMA — never invented
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Short answer: Office moves typically run $5–$15 per square foot or $100–$200 per employee for the physical move alone. A 20–50 person office commonly costs $5,000–$15,000 all-in. IT relocation (20–30% of budget) is the most commonly underestimated cost.
The two ways movers price an office move

Square footage vs. headcount

Most commercial movers price an office move one of two ways: by square footage or by employee headcount. Square footage is the more common basis, and the more reliable one — it correlates better with furniture density, equipment volume, and labor hours. A floor of dense cubicles costs more to move than the same square footage of open desks, and headcount alone misses that difference entirely. Reported ranges run $5 to $15 per square foot for a typical commercial move; the $2 to $8 per square foot band is often cited as a useful benchmark for straightforward moves, with the higher end reflecting more complex projects. Per-employee estimates, where used, tend to land around $100 to $200 per employee for the physical moving cost alone.

Cost benchmarks
Per square foot
$5–$15 (complex), $2–$8 (straightforward)
Per employee
$100–$200 (physical move only)
20–50 employee office
$5,000–$15,000 all-in
IT share of budget
20–30%
What a mid-size move actually costs

$5,000–$15,000 for 20–50 employees

For a medium office of 20 to 50 employees, all-in moving costs commonly fall between $5,000 and $15,000. That figure covers labor hours, elevator and building-access fees, furniture disassembly and reassembly, and IT relocation — it applies to the physical move only. New furniture, buildout, and the cost of the new lease are not part of that number.

Why IT usually blows the budget

The most commonly underestimated line item

IT and infrastructure typically account for 20 to 30 percent of a total relocation budget — and it's the line item most often underestimated. Network cutover, server relocation, workstation setup, and cabling all require specialized labor that a general moving crew doesn't provide. Treating IT as a line item inside the general moving quote, rather than a separate scoped cost, is a common way budgets run over.

What pushes the estimate up Companies commonly underestimate office moving costs by 20 to 40 percent. The gap usually comes from building restrictions (freight elevator scheduling, loading dock fees), after-hours or weekend labor premiums, furniture disassembly and reassembly labor beyond what was inventoried, and IT relocation costs estimated separately from — or forgotten entirely by — the general moving quote.
What isn't included in a standard moving quote

Budget for these separately

New furniture, office buildout or renovation, security deposits or setup fees at the new location, temporary storage if there's a gap between move-out and move-in, and moving insurance beyond the mover's basic cargo liability are typically priced and budgeted separately from the moving quote itself. Our cost calculator walks through these inputs for an estimate specific to your move.

Frequently asked questions

How is an office move typically priced?
By square footage (most common — $5 to $15 per square foot) or by employee headcount ($100 to $200 per employee for the physical move alone). Square footage correlates better with actual labor since it reflects furniture density and equipment volume.
What does a mid-size office move cost?
For 20 to 50 employees, all-in physical moving costs commonly fall between $5,000 and $15,000, covering labor, building-access fees, furniture work, and IT relocation.
Why do office moves go over budget?
IT and infrastructure typically account for 20 to 30 percent of the budget and is the most commonly underestimated line item. Building restrictions, after-hours labor premiums, and furniture disassembly beyond what was inventoried are the other common culprits — together, companies underestimate costs by 20 to 40 percent on average.
What's not included in a moving quote?
New furniture, buildout or renovation, security deposits at the new location, temporary storage, and cargo insurance beyond the mover's basic liability are typically priced separately.

Sources

Published 2026-09-06. Reviewed against sources current as of that date — see how we rate.