In short
- Small office moves (around 10 desks) are billed hourly: one Ottawa firm lists $195 an hour for 3 movers and a truck, 5 to 7 hours, plus HST.
- Larger offices are usually quoted as one written price after a walkthrough.
- Buildings set the schedule: freight elevator slots, loading dock hours, a certificate of insurance for the landlord.
- The City of Ottawa says a moving truck that follows the parking rules needs no permit; a portable storage container in the right of way does.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Crew of 2 + truck, local | $150/h | One Ottawa firm’s list; 3 movers $195, 4 movers $245; 3 h minimum plus 1 h travel, plus HST |
| 5–10 desks, 3 movers + truck | 5–7 h at $195/h | Same firm; 10–25 desks, 4 movers, 8–12 h, one written price |
| Commercial move, general rate | about $100/h | A second Ottawa firm’s commercial page; full service with packing about $130/h |
| Office of 5,000 sq ft | $5,000–$7,500 | Same second firm; includes packing, unpacking and furniture assembly |
Sources. Men In Trucks, Office and Commercial Movers Ottawa, seen 29.10.2026. Move-Ottawa Movers, Commercial Moving Services, seen 29.10.2026. ottawabestmovers.ca, Prices, seen 29.10.2026. Ontario.ca, Hiring a mover, seen 29.10.2026. City permit facts: City of Ottawa, Temporary construction-related encroachments, seen 29.10.2026. Prices are before HST; the company that calls sets its own.
What an office move involves
Desks come apart in an order, files travel in numbered boxes and monitors go on carts. The aim is a working floor on the first morning, so the crew moves by zone. Other parties take part: the landlord at each end, your IT provider, sometimes the copier leasing company. List them in the request. For a few desks, local moving is the closer service.
Planning around the buildings
Each building has its own rules. Ask the property manager at both ends:
- Which hours the building allows moves, and whether the freight elevator can be reserved.
- Whether floors, walls or elevators need protection.
- Whether the mover must send a certificate of insurance, and in what wording.
- Any truck height or length limit at the dock or underground loading area.
Book the elevator at both addresses for the same window.
Trucks and City permits
The City of Ottawa says a moving truck that follows existing parking regulations needs no permit. Anything outside those rules, other than a no-parking zone, needs a temporary construction-related encroachment permit, and the City page says it needs a minimum of 10 business days to issue one. A simple permit costs $101 in 2026. Confirm the current rules on the City page and apply early. Tower rules are on apartment moving.
Hourly price or one written price
One Ottawa firm bills offices of about 10 desks or fewer at its published rates: $150 an hour for two movers and a truck, $195 for three, $245 for four, plus HST, with a three-hour minimum and a one-hour travel fee. Offices of 10 to 25 desks take 4 movers for 8 to 12 hours and get one written price after a walkthrough.
A second firm’s commercial page quotes about $100 an hour and about $130 with packing, and puts a 5,000 sq ft office at $5,000 to $7,500. Ordinary hourly lists are on movers’ hourly rates.
What moves the price
- Elevator waits and long carries from the dock.
- Taking desks and cubicles apart and rebuilding them.
- Packing by the crew, billed as labour time. See packing services.
- Safes and large copiers, quoted separately.
- Evening, weekend and peak-date adjustments: one firm adds 10% on Friday to Sunday and May to September.
IT, files and confidential records
Your IT provider backs up data and shuts down and reconnects servers and network equipment. Tell the mover the window so the carry fits around it. Ask the leasing company who may move a leased copier.
Decide what to archive or shred before packing. The Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s guidance, which the first firm’s page cites, says an organization moving offices should safeguard personal information or dispose of it safely.
Contracts for a business move
Ontario’s page on hiring a mover describes rules for consumer contracts, including the 10% cap above the estimate. A business may fall outside the consumer rules, so put the cap, the minimum and the insurance wording in the contract itself. Questions are in the moving quote checklist.
Who runs the office move
Ottawa Moving Desk hands the scope to one independent mover. That company goes over the desks, the floors and the window with you and prices the job; the form on this page starts it.
Questions to ask the company
- Do you quote by the hour or as one written price, and after which walkthrough?
- Can you send the insurance certificate in the exact wording my landlord wants?
- Which evening or weekend windows can you staff, and what is the rate in that window?
- Who disassembles and rebuilds workstations, and is it billed as crew time?
- What happens to the clock if the freight elevator is down?
Have this ready for the call
- Desk and workstation count, filing cabinets, boardroom furniture, copiers and server racks
- Freight elevator and loading dock hours at both buildings, and any height limit at the dock
- The landlord's wording for the certificate of insurance
- Your IT provider's shutdown and reconnection window
- A floor plan of the new space, with desk numbers matching labels on the old desks
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to move a small office in Ottawa?
One Ottawa firm bills offices of 5 to 10 desks by the hour: 3 movers and a truck for 5 to 7 hours at $195 an hour plus HST. A second firm’s commercial page puts a 5,000 sq ft office at $5,000 to $7,500 with packing and assembly. The company that calls will set its own price.
Can an office move happen at night or on a weekend?
Yes. Ottawa firms list evening and weekend moves, and building rules decide the hours. One firm says its commercial hourly rates are the same on a Saturday as a Tuesday, with a 10% peak adjustment on its online form. Get the rate for your date in writing.
What is a certificate of insurance and why does the landlord ask for it?
It is a document from the mover’s insurer, naming the building owner or manager, that proves coverage. Office towers and managed buildings often ask for it before they book the elevator. One Ottawa firm asks you to send the exact wording 48 hours ahead. Ask your landlord for the form early.
Who unplugs and reconnects our computers and servers?
Your IT provider shuts down and reconnects servers and network equipment; the movers handle the physical carrying. One Ottawa firm asks you to back up data first and share the IT window so the move is planned around it. Label cables and monitors by desk number, and give the movers the shutdown window.
Can the movers keep our confidential files secure?
Ask. One Ottawa firm describes locking file-box carts and a chain-of-custody sign-off for law and accounting offices. Decide before the move what to archive or shred; the Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s guidance says to safeguard personal information or dispose of it safely.
What if our new lease starts after the old one ends?
Storage fills the gap. One Ottawa firm says office clients use warehouse storage for 1 to 4 weeks between lease windows, priced per job, plus crew time to load in and deliver out. Ask for the storage fee and the delivery date in the written quote, and for the lease dates to be noted in it.
