The IT Checklist No One Gives You When Moving Offices (Until It’s Too Late)

You’ve found the perfect new space. The views are stunning, the layout is ideal for collaboration, and the location in the heart of Los Angeles is exactly what your brand needs. You’ve checked off the big items: the lease is signed, the movers are booked, and the new ergonomic chairs are on order. You feel prepared.

But beneath the surface of this exciting transition lies a complex web of technology that, if mishandled, can bring your business to a grinding halt on day one. A lost internet connection for an hour is an inconvenience. A lost connection for a week is a catastrophe. The most meticulously planned office move often overlooks the very backbone of modern business: its IT infrastructure.

This isn’t just about unplugging computers and plugging them back in. It’s about ensuring your data, your network, your voice communications, and your security seamlessly transition to a new environment. As a Los Angeles-based IT partner, we’ve seen the aftermath of moves gone wrong. This is the essential IT checklist most businesses don’t get until they’re on the phone with us in a panic, their productivity evaporating by the minute.

The High Stakes of an LA Office Move

Moving an office in Los Angeles isn’t like moving anywhere else. The city’s unique infrastructure, density, and business climate create specific challenges. A 2024 report from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation highlighted that businesses in LA County lose an average of $5,600 per employee per year due to IT-related downtime and inefficiencies. A botched office move is a fast track to maximizing that loss.

Furthermore, with California’s stringent data privacy laws like the CCPA, a haphazard move that compromises client or employee data isn’t just an operational issue; it’s a legal and financial liability. The cost of a data breach in 2023 averaged $5.2 million in California, according to IBM’s annual Cost of a Data Breach Report. Your move plan must be a security plan first and foremost.

The Pre-Move Phase: Strategic Planning (8-12 Weeks Out)

This is where you build your blueprint for success. Rushing this phase is the most common and costly mistake.

Assemble Your Technology Move Team

This isn’t a one-person job. Designate an internal project lead and ensure they are working directly with your IT department or your managed IT service provider, like ITTC. This team will be responsible for every item on this checklist.

Conduct a Full IT Infrastructure Audit

You cannot move what you do not know exists. Before anything else, you must create a complete inventory. This includes:

• Every desktop computer, laptop, monitor, and peripheral.
• All network hardware: servers, switches, routers, firewalls, and wireless access points.
• All phones and VoIP equipment.
• Every printer, scanner, and multifunction device.
• Cabling: Identify what can be reused and what must be replaced.

“This audit is the foundation,” says Abner Navarro, Network Support Specialist at ITTC. “We often find legacy equipment tucked away in a closet that the client forgot about, but which is critical for a specific function. Discovering that on move day is too late.”

Engage with Building Management at Your New Location

This is a non-negotiable step. You must understand the technological constraints and opportunities of your new space.

• ISP Availability: Confirm which fiber and business-grade internet providers service the building. In LA, availability can vary block by block. Order your new internet circuit immediately, as lead times can be 30-60 days.
• Riser Access: How will your cables get from the telecom room to your office? Are there existing conduits? What are the building’s policies for running new cabling?
• Power and Cooling: Does the server room or closet have adequate, clean power and sufficient cooling capacity? Standard office outlets won’t suffice for a server rack.

Develop a Detailed Phasing and Timeline Plan

Map out the entire move sequence from an IT perspective. Which systems can be moved pre-move? Which must go offline last and be brought online first? A detailed plan prevents chaos.

The Execution Phase: Wiring, Configuration, and Migration (4 Weeks Out to Move Day)

This is where your plan meets reality. It involves both physical and virtual work.

The Critical Role of Structured Cabling

This is the most overlooked aspect of any move. You cannot build a stable network on a foundation of messy, outdated cabling. Your new office is a clean slate.

“Many businesses think they can just coil up their old Ethernet cables and toss them in a box,” says Nestor Turcios, IT Field Technician. “But cable integrity degrades with moves, and old cabling may not support the modern speeds you’re paying for. A new office demands a professional cabling solution to ensure performance and reliability.”

This involves:

• Installing new, high-quality Cat6a or fiber optic cabling for data.
• Planning and installing a structured cabling system with labeled ports and patch panels.
• Ensuring your phone cabling services are integrated if you use physical handsets.
  A professionally installed cabling infrastructure is an investment that will pay dividends in network speed, reliability, and ease of future troubleshooting.

Network Infrastructure and Hardware Setup

Your network is your central nervous system. Its setup cannot be an afterthought.

• Pre-Staging: Ideally, your new network hardware should be configured and tested at your old location or in a lab environment before being installed in the new space. This includes setting up your firewall rules, VLANs, and Wi-Fi networks.
• Wireless Planning: A new floor plan means a new Wi-Fi reality. Conduct a wireless site survey to determine optimal access point placement to avoid dead zones in areas like conference rooms and kitchens. A strong Wi-Fi signal is no longer a luxury; it’s a utility.

This is a core component of our managed network services, ensuring your new network is not only built correctly but is also monitored and maintained from day one.

The Cloud and Data Migration Strategy

How you move your data will define your downtime.

• Cloud-Based Services: If you’ve embraced corporate cloud computing, your move is significantly simpler. Employees can often work from the old office one day and the new one the next, as data and applications are accessed remotely. The move becomes about ensuring robust internet connectivity rather than physically moving servers.
• On-Premise Servers: If you have physical servers, the move is a high-risk operation. It requires:
  • A full, verified backup before any movement.
  • Proper shutdown procedures.
  • Secure, climate-controlled transportation.
  • Careful re-racking and power-up sequencing in the new location.
• Phased Data Sync: For large file servers, begin syncing data to a device at the new location over the network weeks before the move. This minimizes the amount of data that needs to be transferred on move day itself.

Services like our virtualization services can also be a strategic move here, converting physical servers into virtual machines that are easier to backup, move, and restore.

Go-Live Week: The Final Countdown

The week of the move is about precision and communication.

Communication is Key

Send clear, detailed emails to all employees outlining the IT move schedule. When will the internet and phones be cut off at the old office? When will they be live at the new one? What is the expected timeline for them to be fully operational at their new desk?

The “Day-One” Survival Kit

Prepare for the unexpected. Have a kit ready at the new office that includes:

• Extra network cables, power strips, and adapters.
• A few pre-configured laptops with mobile hotspots as a backup internet solution.
• Contact lists for key vendors (ISP, IT support, building management).

Designate an IT Command Center

Set up a central location in the new office where your IT team or provider will be based. This is where employees can go for immediate help getting set up, preventing your technicians from being pulled in a dozen directions.

Post-Move: Testing, Optimization, and Support

Your move isn’t complete when the last box is unpacked. It’s complete when every system is tested and every employee is productive.

• Full System Testing: Test every single port, every phone, every network printer, and every application. Verify that backups are running correctly in the new environment.
• Performance Benchmarking: Run speed tests and ensure you are getting the internet speeds you are paying for.
• Review Security Posture: Reassess your security. A new network layout might require updates to your firewall rules and security policies. Ensure all physical security for server rooms is operational.
• Provide Immediate Support: The first two weeks are critical. Having on-demand IT support available to handle the inevitable small issues prevents frustration and maintains morale.

A move is the perfect time to evaluate if your current IT support services model is still the right fit. Perhaps the increased complexity of your new office justifies a shift from hourly IT support to a comprehensive monthly IT support plan that provides proactive care and peace of mind.

Don’t Gamble With Your Business Continuity

An office move is a monumental task filled with hundreds of details. Your technology shouldn’t be the one that keeps you up at night. Trying to manage this internally without specialized expertise is a massive risk. The cost of professional IT move management is a fraction of the cost of just one day of full business downtime.

At IT Training & Consulting, Inc., we’ve been the trusted IT partner for Los Angeles businesses through countless office transitions. We handle the complex technology logistics so you can focus on the excitement of your new beginning.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Contact us today for a free, pre-move IT consultation. Call us at (844) 804-4882 or reach out through our contact page to start building your seamless move plan.