What should an office decommissioning checklist include?

Start with the lease, building handbook, and written handback instructions rather than a generic promise to leave the suite empty. Identify which fixtures must remain, which alterations need attention, and who can approve completion. Furniture removal is one workstream; repairs, cleaning, cabling, and other restoration tasks may require separate vendors. Assign an internal owner to each requirement and confirm questions with the landlord before scheduling removal. This prevents the hauling crew from being asked to make decisions about lease obligations or remove building-owned property without clear authorization.

Walk the suite with the people responsible for facilities, finance, and department assets. Mark each item for relocation, resale, retention, review, or approved removal, using labels that remain readable when furniture is moved. Include conference rooms, storage closets, reception areas, breakrooms, and unused workstations rather than counting desks alone. Send the removal team photos and quantities for the approved category. A complete inventory helps distinguish a selective furniture pickup from a full office clearout and reduces the risk of equipment intended for the new location being loaded by mistake.

Computers, storage devices, printers with internal memory, and paper records need an asset and information-security process before disposal decisions are made. Do not treat ordinary hauling as certified data destruction or assume removal includes wiping devices. Ask your IT lead to identify data-bearing assets and arrange the required disposition documentation with an appropriate provider. Electrical, network, and other technical disconnects should be handled by qualified personnel where needed. The removal scope should identify what is safe and authorized to handle after those steps are complete, not rely on the crew to improvise them.

Cubicle systems vary in panel connections, overhead storage, electrical components, and the space needed for dismantling. Provide photos of the actual system rather than estimating from workstation count alone. Identify which components remain, whether powered systems need qualified disconnection, and where dismantled pieces can be staged without blocking exits. Conference tables and large desks may also require disassembly to fit the route. A useful scope includes both the contents and the labor needed to get them safely from their current position to the truck without assuming every unit is freestanding.

Coordinate loading dock access, freight elevators, allowed working hours, parking, and any building-required documentation before fixing the removal appointment. Ask about elevator dimensions and whether protective coverings or a building escort are required. If multiple movers or contractors share the same dock, agree on the sequence so one vendor does not block another. Commercial removal timing should fit actual access windows, not just the date printed on a move plan. Give the crew a building contact and a backup contact who can resolve access problems during the scheduled visit.

Use the inventory and lease task list to check the suite after removal. Review closets, meeting rooms, storage areas, and any agreed staging zones, then record anything still requiring another vendor. Do not confuse a completed furniture removal with landlord acceptance of the entire decommissioning project. Retain the approved scope and any agreed completion photos for your records. If more items are added during the walkthrough, approve a revised removal price before loading continues. Contact the office decommissioning team with the inventory and access plan to organize the hauling portion.