Office Moving Costs in the Twin Cities: Data From 250+ Moves

Office moving costs in the Twin Cities mostly come down to three things: how many movers the job needs, how hard the buildings are to load and unload, and how much furniture has to be taken apart and put back together. To put real numbers on that, we reviewed 254 office and business moves from our own records, covering the last several years across Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding suburbs.

These office moves included full relocations, partial moves, and moving furniture internally from one room to another. This guide shares what we found, from crew sizes and timelines to price ranges, and then walks through a planning checklist built around the details that come up most often in our crew notes. College Muscle Movers has been locally owned and operated in St. Paul since 2008, and if you would rather skip straight to a quote, our commercial moving services team can help.

How Much Does It Cost to Move an Office in the Twin Cities?

A full office relocation, where a business moves everything to a new space, had a median estimate of $1,076 to $1,402 in our records. Some of our commercial work is smaller in scope, so it helps to know which type of move you are pricing.

The overall range in price of office moves is quite large, from less than $1,000 to $15,000 or more. Since prices can vary so much, we grouped our office moves into a few categories.

Typical values are medians, and each estimate runs from the low end to the high end of our quoted range.

What Does a Full Office Relocation Cost?

Most full relocations were small offices. Of the 38 we reviewed, 23 used two or three movers, and the cost climbs quickly as crew size and time on site grow.

What Does a Small Office Move Cost in the Twin Cities?

A small office relocation in Minneapolis or St. Paul with two or three movers had a median high-end estimate of $996. About half of those jobs came in at $1,000 or less, and 96% came in at $1,500 or less. Many smaller jobs are not relocations at all: moving furniture within one building had a median estimate of $537 to $700, and bringing in new furniture, taking out old furniture, or moving a few pieces between buildings had a median estimate of $398 to $578.

If you are building a budget, plan around the high-end figure for your move type and add the costs that sit outside the move, such as new furniture, IT setup, and signage. For larger or more complicated moves, we offer on-site estimates with our Senior Relocation Specialist.

What Impacts the Price of an Office Move?

How Long Does an Office Move Take?

Some office moves take a few hours, and many of them fit inside one day. Smaller office moves can take roughly half a day, while most mid-sized offices can be moved within a full day with the right crew size. On the high end, large office relocations can span multiple days. In our experience, about 90% were handled in a single service day.

The day of the week matters for scheduling. About 93% of jobs started Monday through Friday, with Tuesday the most common day at 23%. Weekend moves are usually available at the same rates as weekdays, though office moves are typically conducted during the work week.

The season matters too. In 2023 through 2025, July (13%) and January (12%) were the busiest months for new jobs, while October (4%) and November (3%) were the quietest. If your date is flexible, a late fall move usually means more scheduling choices, though a sample this size cannot explain why demand rises and falls.

How Far in Advance Should You Book an Office Move?

What Kind of Businesses Hire Office Movers

Office moves come from a wider mix of businesses than the word office suggests. Among over 200 office moves, 28% were food, beverage, retail, and consumer product businesses, 23% were warehouse, manufacturing, or technical equipment businesses, 21% were nonprofits, schools, and community organizations, 15% were law, finance, insurance, and other professional offices, and 13% were healthcare, wellness, and personal care practices. About one in five businesses hired us for more than one job.

Office Relocation Checklist for a Twin Cities Move

Start with the tasks that take weeks, then work toward moving day. Shift the timing to fit your lease dates.

Two to three months out

1. Read your current lease for move-out requirements, restoration obligations, and notice deadlines.
2. Ask the property manager at the new building about move-in rules: elevator reservations, loading dock hours, and any insurance paperwork the building requires from movers.
3. Choose one point of contact to coordinate with the building, your movers, and your IT provider.
4. Collect at least two written estimates and ask what the high-end figure includes. For a larger or more complicated move, ask for an on-site estimate.
5. Book the move date as soon as it is firm, then book the elevator or dock window that goes with it.

One month out

1. Decide what is not coming along. Every item you keep has to be carried, so sell, donate, or dispose of old furniture first. Our guide to what to do with unwanted furniture in the Twin Cities covers donation, recycling, and city pickup rules, and our furniture disposal service can haul away what is left during the move.
2. Send the movers a floor plan of the new space and label each desk, room, and storage area to match it.
3. Schedule your IT provider to disconnect and reconnect servers, phones, and network equipment. Plan on that work staying with your IT team.
4. Plan for specialty furniture. Our movers handle straightforward disassembly such as desks and table legs, and Fixie Home Improvement can take down and rebuild cubicles.
5. Order boxes or reusable crates. Our Muscle Boxes are $2.50 each, with 15 free when you book a move, and their handles and stackable design help with files and supplies.

Two weeks out

1. Update your business address with the agencies and vendors that need it:
   • If your registered office is changing, file a change with the Minnesota Secretary of State.
   • Use IRS Form 8822-B to report a new business mailing address or location.
   • Update your bank, insurer, key vendors, website, and Google Business Profile.
2. Tell clients and staff the new address and the move dates.
3. Ask staff to pack personal items and desk contents in labeled containers.

Moving week

1. Walk the crew lead through both spaces. Point out what is fragile, what stays, and where each labeled item goes.
2. Confirm access in advance: keys, fobs, gate IDs, and elevator times.
3. Back up your data and carry laptops, valuables, and sensitive documents yourself.

After the move

1. Walk both locations with the crew lead and check that furniture matches the floor plan. Report any damage right away.
2. Handle repairs and finishing work at the old and new spaces, such as patching walls, mounting TVs, and assembling furniture. Fixie Home Improvement handles those jobs for Dwell Home Services customers.
3. Return keys and fobs, and take photos of the old space for your records.

What to Ask an Office Moving Company Before You Hire

The right questions up front prevent most surprises on moving day. Ask each company you are considering:

1. Are you licensed and insured? Ask for the company’s USDOT number and look it up in the FMCSA company snapshot. Also ask whether they can send a certificate of insurance, since some buildings want one before movers are allowed in. We are happy to provide one on request.
2. How is the estimate built? Find out the hourly rate, what counts as billable (we charge $70 per mover and per truck per hour), what the minimum is, and what is included versus extra, such as disposal, disassembly, and packing.
3. What can the movers take apart and put back together? Most movers can handle simple disassembly such as desks and table legs, but cubicles and other systems furniture often need a specialist. Ask what the crew will do and who handles the rest.
4. How do you handle building rules? Elevator reservations, dock schedules, and ID checks are routine in downtown and suburban office buildings. A mover who asks about them early has done this before.
5. What protection is there if something is damaged? Minnesota requires movers to provide basic valuation coverage at no cost, which pays $0.60 per pound. Ask about upgrades. We offer several valuation coverage plans beyond the state minimum.
6. What happens if you are late? Ask about arrival windows and what the mover does if a crew runs behind. Our On-Time Guarantee takes $100 off your move if we are an hour or more late.
7. How do you handle winter moves? From December through March, ask how the crew protects floors at entrances and handles snow and ice at the dock.

How to Keep Office Moving Costs Low

Moving fewer items and removing delays on site are the two reliable ways to shorten a job. These steps help most:

• Share an accurate inventory. Send photos and a count of desks, file cabinets, shelving, and anything heavy. Good information lets the estimator size the crew and the time correctly, and most of our jobs needed only two or three movers.
• Get rid of what you will not use. Every item you keep gets carried, so donate, sell, or dispose of old furniture first. We offer furniture disposal for unwanted items, and about 1 in 9 of our jobs included hauling something away.
• Reserve the elevator and dock ahead of time. Waiting on a freight elevator is paid time. Confirm the window with the property manager before you lock in the date.
• Label everything to match the floor plan. Crews unload faster when every desk, crate, and cabinet already has a destination.
• Pack small items before moving day. Staff can box desk contents and supplies in labeled containers, or you can hire a packing service so the crew is not waiting on unfinished boxes.
• Clear the path. Cables, supplies, and personal items left on desks slow everyone down, so a quick sweep the afternoon before pays off.

How to Keep Office Moving Costs Low

Moving fewer items and removing delays on site are the two reliable ways to shorten a job. These steps help most:

• Share an accurate inventory. Send photos and a count of desks, file cabinets, shelving, and anything heavy. Good information lets the estimator size the crew and the time correctly, and most of our jobs needed only two or three movers.
• Get rid of what you will not use. Every item you keep gets carried, so donate, sell, or dispose of old furniture first. We offer furniture disposal for unwanted items, and about 1 in 9 of our jobs included hauling something away.
• Reserve the elevator and dock ahead of time. Waiting on a freight elevator is paid time. Confirm the window with the property manager before you lock in the date.
• Label everything to match the floor plan. Crews unload faster when every desk, crate, and cabinet already has a destination.
• Pack small items before moving day. Staff can box desk contents and supplies in labeled containers, or you can hire a packing service so the crew is not waiting on unfinished boxes.
• Clear the path. Cables, supplies, and personal items left on desks slow everyone down, so a quick sweep the afternoon before pays off.

FAQs About Office Moves in Minneapolis and St. Paul