Office and commercial moves
Commercial and office moving in Denver
A Denver office move is planned around the buildings, not the truck: a certificate of insurance each building accepts, a booked freight elevator and dock, and a move window that is often after hours or on a weekend. Price is usually a project quote built from a walkthrough, not an hourly rate off a web page. We found no published Denver price per square foot for office moves, so we don't print one.
Colorado's household goods mover rules are written for personal effects used in a home. An office move may fall outside them, so the protections you get come mainly from your contract. This page explains what to check; it is not legal advice.
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What counts as a commercial move
"Commercial moving" covers anything that isn't a household: offices in downtown towers and the Denver Tech Center, medical and dental clinics, retail shops, labs, studios and small warehouses. They share three traits that make them different from a home move.
- Two landlords. The building you leave and the one you enter each have their own move rules, insurance demands and booking calendars.
- Downtime costs money. The cost of staff who can't work often exceeds the mover's bill, which is why so many office moves run Friday night through Sunday.
- Equipment that isn't furniture. Servers, network gear, copiers, medical devices and lab instruments may need the manufacturer, a vendor or your IT team rather than a moving crew.
A home-based business is different. If the "office" is a spare room, the move is a household move with a few extra boxes, and the residential moving guide applies.
Which Colorado rules apply to an office move
Colorado's mover statute is built around household goods. The statute defines "household goods" as personal effects and property used, or to be used, in a dwelling, and a "mover" as a motor carrier that provides the transportation of household goods. (C.R.S. 40-10.1-101, read 2026-10-20.)
Office furniture, files and equipment are not obviously "used in a dwelling". So the rules that protect a household, such as the written estimate at least 24 hours ahead and the cap at 110 percent of it, may not cover your office move at all. (4 CCR 723-6-6608, read 2026-09-29.) We have not found a PUC statement on commercial moves either way, so treat this as a question to check, not a conclusion.
Many Denver movers do both home and office work and hold a PUC household goods permit anyway. That is still worth checking: a permit tells you the company has filed insurance with the state. Colorado sets at least $500,000 of general liability or a surety bond, and cargo cover of at least $10,000 per vehicle, for permitted movers. (4 CCR 723-6-6008, read 2026-09-29.) How to run the check is on the verify a Colorado mover page.
An office move to another state is interstate commerce, and the mover needs USDOT registration. Federal household-goods protections, like the booklet "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move", are also written for households, so the same "check your contract" point applies. (FMCSA, read 2026-09-29.)
Building rules: certificates of insurance, elevators and hours
Most managed office buildings in downtown Denver, Cherry Creek and the Tech Center publish move rules for tenants. Get both buildings' rules in writing before you ask for quotes, because they change the price.
| Building requirement | What to ask property management | Effect on the quote |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of insurance (COI) | Required limits, the exact names to list as additional insureds, and whether they want a sample | A mover must produce it before the date; some charge for unusual limits |
| Freight elevator booking | Available windows, maximum length, whether an operator is required and who pays | A short window may mean a bigger crew or a second night |
| Move hours | Whether moves are allowed only after business hours or on weekends | Evening and weekend labor often costs more |
| Loading dock | Dock height, truck length limit, reservation process, overhead clearance | A truck that doesn't fit means street parking and a long carry |
| Floor and wall protection | Required coverings for floors, corners and elevator cabs | Materials and setup time |
| Security and access | Badging, escort, key cards for the crew | Waiting time if the crew can't get in |
Street parking downtown
If the truck can't use a dock, it parks in the street. Denver requires a permit to park a moving truck or van in the street. Where there are parking meters you file a Parking Meter Request; otherwise a Right-of-Way Street Occupancy request. Street occupancy permits take at least five days to review. Denver meter bagging requests take up to 72 hours to process, and DOTI asks for them at least one week ahead. (Denver DOTI, read 2026-09-29.) Decide at booking whether you or the mover files.
IT and equipment: decide who does what
The most common gap in an office move is the boundary between the movers and the IT work. Movers carry boxes and furniture. Disconnecting, packing, reconnecting and testing technology is a separate scope. Write down who owns each item before anyone quotes.
- InventoryList every workstation, server, network device, printer and specialty machine.
- Back upYour IT team or vendor backs up data before anything is unplugged.
- DisconnectName who unplugs, labels cables and packs each device.
- TransportThe mover carries packed equipment; check the contract covers its value.
- Reconnect and testName who sets up and tests at the new space, and when.
Leased equipment such as copiers often must be moved by the leasing company under the lease terms. Medical and lab devices may need the manufacturer to decommission and recalibrate them. Check those contracts first, because a mover touching them can void a service agreement.
How commercial moves are priced
We found no published price per square foot or per workstation for office moves in Denver. National figures exist, but they come from movers and blogs in other markets, disagree with each other by a factor of three or more, and do not describe Denver labor rates or buildings. Printing them would suggest a precision nobody has.
What we can tell you is what drives the number, so you can compare quotes on the same basis:
- Crew-hours. Local commercial work is still mostly labor. For comparison, Denver movers print residential crew rates on the cost guide; ask whether commercial and after-hours rates differ.
- Building time. Elevator windows, long hallways, security escort and dock limits stretch the hours.
- Furniture work. Taking apart and rebuilding systems furniture and desks is skilled time, often priced separately.
- Crates and materials. Many commercial movers rent reusable plastic crates instead of selling boxes. Ask for the rental period and the charge for late returns.
- Packing. Staff can pack their own desks; files and shared areas may need the crew.
- Storage and disposal. Furniture you're not taking still has to go somewhere. See moving and storage for the storage side.
Ask each mover for a walkthrough of both spaces and a written, itemized proposal. Compare the hours, crew size and exclusions line by line, not just the total.
A planning timeline
Lead times depend on your size and your lease dates, so the timeline below is a sequence, not a schedule. The order matters more than the number of weeks.
- Collect building rulesMove policies, COI wording and elevator calendars from both buildings.
- Inventory and scopeFurniture, IT, specialty equipment, what stays and what goes.
- Walkthroughs and proposalsSame scope sent to each mover, itemized replies.
- Book and confirmContract signed, COI delivered, elevator and dock reserved, street permit filed if needed.
In winter, keep a fallback date. Denver's snow season runs from mid-October to late April. From 1 September to 31 May, commercial vehicles over 16,000 pounds must carry chains on about 1,400 miles of Colorado highway, including sections of I-70, CO 9 and US 40, 50, 160, 285 and 550. (CDOT, read 2026-09-29.) That matters if equipment is going to a mountain office.
What to put in the request for quotes
The same written scope sent to every mover is what makes quotes comparable.
- Both addresses, suite numbers, floors, and dock or street access at each.
- Headcount and number of workstations, offices and conference rooms.
- Furniture to move, to take apart and rebuild, and to dispose of.
- The IT split: what the mover handles and what your vendor handles.
- Both buildings' move rules and COI requirements, attached.
- Allowed move windows and your preferred dates, with a fallback date.
- The valuation basis and limit you want quoted, and the claims process.
- For any mover: its PUC permit number if it has one, and its USDOT number for interstate work.
You can use the form below to send a commercial request. We are still signing our first partner movers; if none covers your job yet, we tell you by email instead of passing your details on.
Common questions about commercial moves
How much does an office move cost in Denver?
We found no published Denver figure per square foot or per workstation. Office moves are priced from a walkthrough: crew-hours, building access, furniture work, crates and IT scope. Ask several movers for itemized proposals on the same written scope.
Does the Colorado 110 percent rule apply to office moves?
Possibly not. The rule sits in the PUC's household goods mover rules, and Colorado defines household goods as personal effects used in a dwelling. If you want an overrun cap, write it into the contract.
What is a certificate of insurance for a move?
A document from the mover's insurer showing its coverage and naming your building's owner and manager as additional insureds. Office buildings usually require one before the move date, with specific limits and wording.
Do commercial movers in Colorado need a PUC permit?
The PUC permit is for household goods movers. A company that only moves offices may not hold one. Many companies do both, and a permit shows insurance on file with the state, so ask.
Should the movers disconnect our computers?
Only if that is in their written scope. Usually your IT team or vendor backs up, disconnects and reconnects equipment, and the mover carries it. Leased copiers and medical devices may need their own vendor.
Related guides
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