The removal quote is one line in an office relocation budget, and often not the largest. A removal company can price the physical move, but fit-out, lease obligations, professional fees, IT, storage and downtime usually sit outside that quote. Budgeting them as separate packages before you compare premises or fix a date keeps the final cost close to the plan.

This guide breaks down the cost, provides published London fit-out benchmarks, and sets out what to ask for so you can compare removal quotes fairly. For the timeline, IT, and access details, see our guide to planning an office move in London.

Why the lowest removal quote is not the cheapest move

The most common budgeting error is to compare removal quotes as if they were the whole relocation. A business can get a competitive price for loading desks, transporting equipment, and placing items at the new address, while the incoming office is still unfurnished and the outgoing lease needs work before handover..

That is not an inaccurate quote. It is an incomplete budget. A remover can assess volume, labour, vehicles, and access, but cannot know what a landlord will require for reinstatement, what a solicitor will charge, or what a network contractor will need unless those specialists have priced it.

Practical rule: treat the removal quote as one controlled line in the budget, not as the budget.

The four budgets to keep separate

  • Physical relocation: labour, vehicles, packing where requested, furniture dismantling and reassembly, and handling of office equipment. Access can change the work even when the inventory stays the same.
  • Incoming premises: fit-out, decoration, partitions, cabling, furniture, meeting-room equipment and any building services needed before occupation.
  • Outgoing premises: lease advice, surveys, cleaning, repairs, removal of alterations, and dilapidations, the works a lease requires before handing back the space. The obligation depends on the lease and the landlord’s requirements.
  • Technology and continuity: disconnection, transport, reconnection, testing, telecoms changes and any temporary arrangements that keep the business running.

The same separation helps when comparing premises. A lower rent can be offset by a heavier fit-out, difficult access or a costly lease exit. Compare removal quotes with other removal quotes, and test the whole project against a separate schedule of property, technology and operating costs.

London skyline along the River Thames on a sunny day

London office fit-out cost benchmarks

The incoming premises can dominate the budget. Cushman & Wakefield’s UK Office Fit Out Cost Guide 2026 gives London benchmarks for all-in fit-out costs per square foot: £148 for a low specification, £243 for a medium specification, and £359 for a high specification.

For a 5,000-square-foot office, those benchmarks work out at about £740,000, £1,215,000, and £1,795,000. These are our own calculations from the published benchmarks, not quotes. The gap between the low and high specifications is £211 per square foot, so a generic office move cost isn’t a reliable planning figure. Two businesses with the same floor area can need very different budgets, depending on the condition of the new space and the standard they want.

These are fit-out benchmarks, not removal prices. They show the capital involved when a move includes partitions, finishes, services, or new furniture, and they are separate from removals, storage and lease exit costs.

Different guides define fit-out differently, so compare like with like. Office Insight’s fit-out cost table, for example, includes a relocation line of £1 per square foot for a low-budget scheme, £2 for a mid-range scheme, and £3 for a high-specification scheme. For a 5,000-square-foot office, that is £5,000, £10,000, and £15,000. Those are planning allowances inside a wider model, not removal quotes. A difficult building may need more crew time, more vehicle attendance, or a different move sequence, even when the inventory is unchanged.

Plan the space before you approve the premises

Space planning should happen before you commit to the lease. Test workstation density, meeting rooms, storage, reception, breakout areas, power requirements and the route for large furniture. The practical question is whether the new office can take your existing operation as it is, or needs transformation first. A modest removal quote doesn’t cover premises that need construction, new furniture, and technology installation before staff can work there. Virtual Tour Easy’s guide to office space planning is a good place to start when thinking about how a layout supports how people work.

Ask the fit-out contractor for a measured scope, and ask the remover for a separate inventory-based quote. Both should use the same floor plans and move assumptions, and neither should be merged into one unexplained figure.

Fixed price or hourly: which suits an office move

Pricing should match the job. A small, self-packed move suits an hourly man and van booking, where the charge is based on the time taken. This works when the inventory is straightforward, and the items are ready to load.

A larger office move, or one that includes packing, dismantling and reassembly, is better priced as a fixed-price quote after a survey. We offer a free video survey and can arrange a site visit, so the quote reflects the actual work rather than a guess based on floor area.

An hourly quote gives flexibility, but the final cost depends on how long the work takes. A restricted goods lift, a long carry, incomplete packing or furniture that needs unexpected dismantling can all extend the job. A fixed-price quote gives a clearer figure when the agreed scope is accurate. It does not remove the need for preparation. It makes the included work visible, so you can spot any change rather than an unexplained increase.

Compare scope, not just price: ask whether the quote includes packing, protection, dismantling, reassembly, placement on each floor, waiting time, access arrangements and storage handling. A lower price may reflect fewer services, a smaller crew, a different vehicle assumption or work you are expected to finish before the crew arrives. Our guide to comparing removal quotes before you book covers this in more detail.

What a survey should cover

A useful survey is an operational inspection, not a count of desks. The remover needs enough detail to calculate labour, vehicle access, handling time and preparation at both addresses. At the current office, the survey should record:

  • Loading arrangements: the loading point, walking distance, vehicle restrictions and any designated bay.
  • Vertical access: goods lift dimensions, door openings, weight limits, and how to book the lift, if required.
  • Alternative routes: stairwells, narrow corridors and awkward turns, in case the lift is unavailable.
  • Building rules: permitted working hours, protection requirements, security procedures and who is responsible for access.

At the new office, it should cover where vehicles can stop, how items enter the building, whether the lift has a booking window and whether the floor plan is ready for placement. Share floor plans, building contacts and access instructions before the survey. If the old office is still occupied, photos or a video walkthrough can show items a short visit might miss.

A proper survey also settles exclusions. If you are disposing of furniture, arranging IT disconnection, or using a separate storage provider, include those responsibilities in the scope.

Add-ons and insurance

Packing, dismantling, reassembly and storage change the price because each adds labour, materials or handling. State them before the move.

  • Packing: the whole office or selected areas such as archives, kitchen items and desk contents. If you pack yourselves, you must finish before the crew arrives; otherwise, moving time goes on finishing preparation. See our packing service.
  • Dismantling and reassembly: we include it in an office move when it is listed at the survey, so the quote should name which desks, cabinets, boardroom tables or shelving units are covered. Fixed or specialist furniture may require a different contractor.
  • Equipment handling: treat boxed items and delicate or high-value technology separately. Your IT provider should confirm what is disconnected, protected, transported and reconnected.
  • Storage: useful when the new office isn’t ready, the business is reducing its footprint, or lease dates overlap. We coordinate storage through our partners Shurgard and Big Yellow and do not operate our own storage.

Read our goods in transit insurance information alongside the quote. Our goods in transit insurance covers up to £50,000 per vehicle load, which you should compare with the value of what you are moving, particularly servers, specialist machinery, artwork or unusually valuable furniture. Insurance does not replace careful scope control, and it is not a substitute for your own building, contents, professional or cyber cover. The written quote should clearly state what the removal cover includes and what remains with the business or another supplier.

London access and hidden costs

London access can change the practical cost of a move without changing the inventory. A building may have a narrow loading window, an office may need to book the goods lift in advance, and controlled parking restrictions can affect where the vehicle can park.

  • Controlled parking zones: check both addresses. If a vehicle cannot use a private loading bay, you may need a parking suspension. Our guides cover controlled parking zones in London and how parking suspensions work.
  • Goods lifts: you need the dimensions, weight limits and booking rules. A lift available only during a restricted window can dictate the whole loading and unloading sequence.
  • Out-of-hours work: it suits businesses that want to limit disruption, and our crews work seven days a week, but the building must permit it. Allow for access, security and supervision.
  • Phased occupation: items may go to different floors, addresses or temporary storage rather than straight from the old office to the final workspace, which adds handling.

Technology deserves its own owner. A technology checklist from Networking 2000 can help you coordinate equipment, connectivity and testing with your IT provider. The removal team then needs clear instructions about what is ready to move and what remains connected.

Getting an accurate itemised quote

A reliable quote starts with information, not a headline floor area. Before the survey, prepare:

  • Inventory: desks, seating, cabinets, boxed files, kitchen items and equipment, including anything that needs dismantling.
  • Access details: lift dimensions, booking procedures, loading arrangements, parking information and building working hours.
  • Destination plan: the new floor plan, showing where furniture and boxes should go.
  • Project boundaries: which work belongs to the IT provider, fit-out contractor, landlord, solicitor or storage partner.

A good quote lets you ask “what exactly is included?” and get a clear answer. When it does, comparing premises makes sense, and moving-day additions are less likely. Our office removals service covers the physical move, and you should assess it as that work package and compare it with the separate costs that complete the wider project.

Best London Removals Ltd was founded in 2011, is based in Ruislip and is a member of the National Guild of Removers and Storers. We move offices across Greater London, with packing, furniture dismantling and reassembly, man and van support and storage coordination through Shurgard and Big Yellow. Request a quote, or send us a short video of what is moving, and we will confirm the scope.

This guide is intended as general information. It is not legal, financial or insurance advice. For advice specific to your circumstances, contact a qualified professional.