The price you see on a removal company’s website and the total cost of your office move are rarely the same number. Sometimes they are not even close.
The removal itself — the vans, the team, the transport — typically accounts for 15 to 25% of what a business actually spends moving offices. The rest goes on IT, legal fees, dilapidations, fit-out contributions, signage, storage, and the string of smaller costs that accumulate between signing the new lease and getting your team settled in.
This guide gives you the complete picture. Eight chapters. Four pricing tables. Every cost category broken down — including the ones most businesses only discover after the fact.
All figures in this guide reflect 2026 UK market rates across London and the South of England. Costs vary by location, office density, and the specific services required. Use these as planning benchmarks, not fixed quotes — get an itemised survey before budgeting your move.
Chapter 1: The Quick Answer — What Does an Office Move Cost?
An office move in the UK costs between £3,000 and £55,000 in total, depending on office size, distance, services required, and — crucially — what happens at the old premises when you leave. That is the full cost, not just the removal.
The table below breaks down realistic total budgets by office size, covering removal, IT, legal, packing, clearance, and contingency. Dilapidation costs — which can be significant — are covered separately in Chapter 4.
| Cost Category | Micro Office (1–10 staff) | Small Office (10–30 staff) | Medium Office (30–75 staff) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional removal company | £800 – £2,000 | £2,000 – £5,500 | £5,500 – £14,000 |
| Packing service (if used) | £200 – £600 | £500 – £1,500 | £1,200 – £4,000 |
| Crate hire | £80 – £200 | £150 – £500 | £400 – £1,200 |
| IT disconnection & reconnection | £300 – £1,000 | £800 – £3,000 | £2,500 – £8,000 |
| Office clearance (old premises) | £200 – £500 | £400 – £1,200 | £800 – £3,000 |
| Parking suspensions (if needed) | £60 – £200 | £100 – £400 | £200 – £800 |
| Solicitor / lease legal fees | £800 – £2,500 | £1,500 – £4,000 | £3,000 – £8,000 |
| Schedule of condition survey | £500 – £1,000 | £800 – £2,000 | £1,500 – £4,000 |
| Signage & printed materials | £100 – £400 | £200 – £800 | £500 – £2,000 |
| Contingency (10–15%) | £308 – £740 | £665 – £1,789 | £1,660 – £6,750 |
| ESTIMATED TOTAL | £3,348 – £9,140 | £7,315 – £20,689 | £17,260 – £51,750 |
⚑ These figures cover London and the South of England. Regional moves outside London typically cost 10–20% less on removal fees. IT and legal costs are broadly consistent nationally.
The ranges are wide because office moves are highly variable. A 20-person office with minimal IT, modular furniture, and good access costs very differently from a 20-person office with a server room, bespoke joinery, and a restricted-access central London building. The only reliable figure is a site-surveyed, itemised quote.
Chapter 2: The Removal Company — What You Are Actually Paying For
The removal company is the most visible cost in any office move — and the one businesses most often try to reduce by choosing the cheapest quote. That is usually a mistake, because the cheapest quote is rarely quoting the same thing as the more considered one.
What determines removal company pricing
- Volume — the number of workstations, the density of equipment, the amount of furniture. Not headcount, which is a poor proxy
- Access — a building with a loading bay, a service lift, and parking nearby costs less to move than a restricted-access city centre building where the team carries items 200 metres to the van
- IT handling — specialist packing and transport of servers, UPS units, and networking equipment is priced separately from general furniture
- Distance — most commercial moves within the South of England are priced by day rate, not mileage. Cross-country moves introduce vehicle overnight costs
- Timing — weekend and out-of-hours moves are standard at Bestway Relocation with no premium surcharge. Some companies add 20–40% for Saturday work
- Packing service — whether the removal company packs everything, or just transports what your team has already packed
What is typically included — and what is not
| Typically included in a commercial removal quote | Typically charged as an extra (or not offered) |
|---|---|
| Loading, transport, unloading of furniture and equipment | Full professional packing service |
| Comprehensive transit insurance | Crate hire (usually priced separately) |
| Furniture disassembly and reassembly | IT disconnection and reconnection |
| Dedicated move manager (with specialist companies) | Parking suspension permits |
| Floor plan placement at new premises | Out-of-hours / weekend surcharge (some companies) |
| Post-move crate collection (if crates hired) | Office clearance of old premises |
⚑ Always request an itemised quote. A single headline figure tells you nothing about what is and is not included. The most expensive surprises come from assuming packing, IT handling, or out-of-hours access are included when they are not.
Bestway Relocation’s quotes are fully itemised and fixed — the figure agreed before the move is the figure on the invoice. No weekend surcharges, no day-of-move additions.
Chapter 3: IT Relocation Costs — The Most Underbudgeted Line Item
IT is consistently the most underbudgeted cost in an office move. Businesses focus on furniture and overlook the fact that disconnecting, packing, transporting, and reconnecting a server rack, a network cabinet, 25 workstations, and the associated cabling is a specialist job with specialist pricing.
IT cost components to budget for
- Physical IT relocation — specialist packing, anti-static materials, safe transport, and reconnection of hardware. Budget £500 – £3,000 for small offices; £2,500 – £8,000+ for medium offices with server infrastructure
- Broadband installation at new premises — if you are upgrading or changing provider, allow £200 – £600 for installation, plus potential lead time of four to six weeks
- IT consultancy or managed service provider fees — if your IT is managed externally, your provider will charge for the migration. Get a scoped quote from them independently of the removal
- Hardware upgrades — an office move is the natural moment to replace ageing equipment. Budget for any planned replacements as a separate line item
- Data backup and verification — typically absorbed into your IT team’s time or existing managed service contract, but worth confirming before the move
The most expensive IT scenario is discovering on moving day that the new premises cannot support your connectivity requirements — either because fibre was not confirmed before the lease was signed, or because the installation appointment was booked too late. Both are avoidable with early planning. Confirm broadband availability before you sign.
Chapter 4: Dilapidation Costs — The Biggest Budget Surprise in Any Office Move
Dilapidations are what you owe your landlord when you leave — the cost of returning the premises to the condition specified in your lease. For most commercial leases, this means returning the space to its original state, which can involve stripping out partitions, replacing flooring, redecorating, and in some cases a full Cat A reinstatement.
Dilapidation costs are one of the most common causes of budget overruns in commercial relocations — and one of the most preventable, if you understand your position before you serve notice rather than after.
| Dilapidation Type | Typical Cost | When It Applies |
|---|---|---|
| Internal redecoration | £8 – £18 per sq ft | Almost all leases |
| Partition removal | £1,000 – £5,000+ per partition | If you installed walls or dividers |
| Flooring replacement / repair | £10 – £40 per sq ft | If you installed carpet, tiles, or damaged the floor |
| Ceiling & lighting reinstatement | £3,000 – £12,000+ | If suspended ceilings or lighting were altered |
| Cat A strip-out (return to shell) | £10 – £25 per sq ft | If lease requires full Cat A reinstatement |
| Deep cleaning | £500 – £3,000 | Required on virtually all leases at exit |
| Schedule of dilapidations (surveyors) | £1,500 – £5,000 | Complex or large leases; always worth commissioning |
⚑ A 3,000 sq ft office requiring redecoration, partition removal, and deep clean could face a dilapidations bill of £40,000 – £80,000. A schedule of condition commissioned at the start of your current lease — documenting the exact state of the premises when you moved in — is your most powerful defence.
How to protect yourself on dilapidations
- Commission a schedule of condition at the start of any new lease — this documents the state of the premises when you moved in and caps your reinstatement obligation to ‘no worse than this’
- Appoint a dilapidations surveyor before you serve notice — they will assess your liability and negotiate with the landlord’s surveyor on your behalf
- Do not assume the landlord’s schedule is correct — landlords routinely overestimate dilapidation costs. A surveyor acting for you will challenge inflated claims
- Budget for dilapidations as a separate line item — not an afterthought. Even a modest commercial lease can carry a dilapidations liability of £10,000 – £50,000
Bestway Relocation offers a standalone office clearance service for businesses vacating their current premises — responsible removal and recycling of unwanted furniture, equipment, and waste, timed to your handover schedule.
Chapter 5: Legal Fees and Professional Costs
Legal fees are unavoidable in any commercial property move. The complexity and cost vary significantly depending on the nature of your new lease, whether you are buying or leasing, and whether your current lease has any complications on exit.
Legal and professional fees to budget for
- Commercial solicitor — new lease review — budget £1,500 – £5,000 for a standard commercial lease. Complex leases, break clause negotiations, or contested terms will cost more
- Commercial solicitor — exit advice — reviewing your current lease obligations, dilapidations position, and notice requirements. Usually £500 – £2,000
- Schedule of condition survey (new premises) — commission this before you move into the new premises to protect your position at future exit. Budget £800 – £2,500 depending on premises size
- Building survey (new premises) — if you are taking a new lease on a building that requires significant works, a building survey identifies structural or services issues before you commit. £750 – £3,000
- Stamp Duty Land Tax — applies to commercial leases above certain annual rent thresholds. Your solicitor will advise on liability based on your specific lease terms
Legal fees are not optional and not negotiable once you are in the process. The businesses that save money here are the ones who engage a commercial solicitor early — when they have the most leverage to negotiate lease terms — rather than late, when the lease is being signed under time pressure.
Chapter 6: The Hidden Costs Most Businesses Miss
Every office move budget has a list of obvious costs and a list of things nobody thought to include. The second list is usually longer. These are the items that most consistently appear after the fact — when the budget has already been approved and the move has already been booked.
Costs that regularly catch businesses by surprise
- Parking suspension permits — required in most London boroughs and many town centres when a removal vehicle needs to park on a public road. Cost £60 – £400 per permit; apply four to six weeks in advance or face penalty charges if you park without one
- Building access fees — some managed buildings charge for use of the service lift, loading bay, or goods entrance during a move. Confirm this with both building managers before booking the removal
- Waiting time charges — if your new office keys are not available at the agreed time, many removal companies charge a waiting time rate per person, per hour. Budget a buffer — key handovers regularly run late on commercial completions
- Post redirect costs — Royal Mail business redirect starts at around £33 per month. Run it for six months minimum; a year is safer for high-correspondence businesses
- Signage replacement — external building signage, reception graphics, vehicle livery, and printed materials all need updating. Budget £500 – £3,000 depending on the scale of your branding
- New office fit-out contributions — even a ‘ready to occupy’ office often requires some adaptation. Air conditioning adjustments, additional data points, partition changes, and accessibility modifications add up
- Business rates overlap — if your new premises are live before you have formally exited the old ones, you may be liable for business rates on both simultaneously for a period. Confirm transition timing with both local councils
- Temporary storage — if there is a gap between vacating the old premises and accessing the new ones, you need somewhere to put everything. Bestway Relocation offers secure business storage across its UK locations
⚑ Budget an additional 10–15% on your total estimated cost to absorb these variables. Every experienced move project manager builds this in. Every inexperienced one does not.
Chapter 7: How to Reduce Your Office Move Costs Without Cutting Corners
Cost reduction in an office move is not about finding the cheapest removal company. It is about making smart decisions early, eliminating waste, and understanding where quality matters and where flexibility saves money without risk.
| Saving Strategy | Potential Saving | Trade-off to Consider |
|---|---|---|
| Declutter before the survey | 5–15% off removal quote | Requires time investment from your team |
| Use crates instead of cardboard | £200 – £600 in materials | Requires collection after the move |
| Pack non-essentials yourself | £300 – £1,500 in packing fees | Risk of incorrect packing causing damage |
| Commission a schedule of condition early | Can save £5,000 – £30,000 in dilapidation disputes | Upfront cost of £800 – £2,000 for the surveyor |
| Book 4–6 months in advance | Better availability, avoids premium last-minute rates | Requires committing to a date early |
| Move mid-week (if viable) | Modest saving on labour with some companies | Risk of operational downtime vs. weekend move |
| Get 2–3 itemised quotes | 10–20% saving by comparing scope accurately | Takes time to brief multiple companies properly |
The one saving that pays for itself many times over
If there is a single cost-reduction strategy with the highest return in any commercial lease, it is commissioning a schedule of condition at the start of your current lease — and if you are about to sign a new one, doing it immediately on moving in. The £800 – £2,500 it costs to document the exact condition of the premises at the start can save you £10,000 – £80,000 in disputed dilapidation claims at exit.
For businesses already in their current premises without a schedule of condition, it is still worth commissioning one now. A retrospective survey, combined with your move-in photographs and correspondence, gives your dilapidations surveyor something to work with when negotiating with the landlord at exit.
Chapter 8: How to Get an Accurate Quote — and What to Watch For
The difference between a well-scoped quote and a poorly scoped one is not the headline figure — it is everything that is missing from the cheaper one. Getting this right protects your budget and your move.
What to provide when requesting a removal quote
- Total number of workstations and the volume of associated equipment
- IT infrastructure details — number of servers, network cabinets, specialist equipment
- Any items requiring specialist handling — medical equipment, archive systems, large-format hardware
- Access conditions at both premises — loading bay availability, lift dimensions, parking, floor access
- Target move date and preferred timing — weekday, weekend, or out-of-hours
- Whether packing support is required — full, partial, or self-pack
- Whether office clearance of the old premises is required
Red flags in a removal quote
- No site survey offered — any commercial removal company quoting without visiting both premises is guessing. A quote not based on a survey is not a reliable quote
- No breakdown of what is included — a single figure with no itemisation makes it impossible to compare quotes or understand what happens if something is out of scope
- No mention of transit insurance — every professional commercial removal company carries comprehensive goods-in-transit insurance. If it is not mentioned, ask for the policy details
- Weekend surcharges not stated upfront — some companies add 20–40% for Saturday work. Bestway Relocation does not charge weekend surcharges — confirm this with any company you are evaluating
- No named move manager — a company that cannot tell you who will be responsible for your move before you sign the contract is not offering managed commercial removal; it is offering a van
Bestway Relocation provides free, no-obligation site surveys and fully itemised, fixed quotes for office moves of any size. There are no hidden charges, no weekend premiums, and no surprises on the invoice. Call 0800 014 7676 or visit bestwayrelocation.co.uk/get-a-free-quote/.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a small office move cost in the UK?
A small office move for a team of 10 to 30 staff costs between £7,000 and £21,000 in total, covering removal, IT, packing, legal fees, clearance, and contingency. The removal company itself is typically £2,000 – £5,500 of that figure. Dilapidation costs on the old premises are separate and depend entirely on your lease obligations.
Are office removal costs tax deductible in the UK?
Yes, in most cases. Office relocation expenses are generally treated as a revenue expense rather than a capital expense, provided the move is for business purposes — meaning they can usually be deducted from trading profits when calculating your corporation tax liability. You should confirm this with your accountant for your specific circumstances, particularly if the move involves significant capital expenditure such as a fit-out.
How much should I budget for dilapidations?
Dilapidation costs vary enormously depending on what your lease requires and what changes were made to the premises during your occupation. A rough benchmark is £8 – £25 per square foot for a standard redecoration and reinstatement. For a 2,000 sq ft office, that is £16,000 – £50,000. Commission a dilapidations surveyor before serving notice — they will assess your actual liability and negotiate on your behalf.
Does Bestway Relocation charge extra for weekend moves?
No. Weekend, evening, and bank holiday moves are available from Bestway Relocation as standard, with no surcharge. The quote you receive reflects the scope of the move — the number of staff, the volume of equipment, IT requirements, and access conditions — not the day of the week.
How do I avoid hidden costs on an office move?
The three most effective protections are: request a fully itemised quote (not a single headline figure), commission a schedule of condition on your current premises as early as possible, and build a 10–15% contingency into your budget. The most common hidden costs are parking suspension permits, waiting time charges, dilapidations, and IT costs that were not scoped in the original removal quote.
Get the Number Right Before You Start
An office move budget that is built around the removal cost alone will be wrong. The real cost includes IT, legal fees, dilapidations, clearance, signage, storage, and a contingency for the things nobody predicted. Budget for all of it, early.
The businesses that move without financial surprises are the ones that commission a dilapidations surveyor before serving notice, get itemised quotes from specialist commercial removal companies, and build a realistic total-cost budget before any commitment is made. None of that requires specialist knowledge — it just requires asking the right questions at the right time.
If you are planning an office move in London, Surrey, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, or anywhere across southern England, start with a free, no-obligation survey and itemised quote from Bestway Relocation.
