What Is Office Decommissioning?
Office decommissioning is emptying your office of its furniture, equipment and signage and handing the space back in the condition your lease requires. It usually happens when you move, downsize or close a location. Done right, you get your deposit back and the landlord has nothing to bill you for.
Some of the businesses we've worked with
What Does Office Decommissioning Include?
It covers everything between "we moved out" and "the landlord signed off." Most jobs include:
- Removing furniture you are not keeping (desks, chairs, cubicles, file cabinets)
- Disconnecting IT equipment and recycling old electronics
- Taking down signs and logos
- Patching walls, touching up paint and small repairs
- Cleaning floors, carpets, surfaces and restrooms
- Hauling debris and arranging dumpsters
- A final walkthrough with the landlord
How Long Does Office Decommissioning Take?
A small office can often be cleared in a day or two. Larger spaces with more furniture or more repair work take longer, sometimes a week or more.
Time depends on what your lease asks for, how much has to come out, whether donation pickups need to be scheduled, and how much patching and cleaning the landlord expects. Book early. Waiting until the last week is how businesses end up paying rush rates or losing their deposit.
How Much Does Office Decommissioning Cost?
The price depends on the size of the space, how much furniture and equipment has to go, and how much restoration your lease requires. Custom build-outs and heavy repair work cost more than a simple clear-out.
The easiest way to get a real number is a walkthrough. BMG walks the space for free, reads what your lease asks for, and gives you a fixed price for that scope, so the bill does not grow halfway through.
Who Handles Office Decommissioning?
Commercial movers and decommissioning crews do this work. They bring the people, trucks, dumpsters and cleaners to clear and restore the space before your lease ends.
BMG documents the agreed removal and handback work under one written scope and price. Donation depends on recipient acceptance; confirm recycling, cleaning, specialist work and any receiving records before booking. For electronics, use CalRecycle's electronic waste guidance to identify the appropriate handling stream.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is office decommissioning the same as office moving?
- No. A move takes your things to a new office. Decommissioning clears out what is left behind and gets the old space ready to hand back. Most businesses need both: move what you keep, then empty and clean the old office for the landlord.
- What happens to the furniture during decommissioning?
- Furniture you still want goes to your new office or into storage. Usable pieces you do not want can be donated, resold or recycled. Electronics like monitors and printers go to e-waste recycling. Only what cannot be reused goes to disposal.
- Do I need to decommission before my lease ends?
- Usually, yes. Most commercial leases require you to return the space in a set condition. If you do not, the landlord can keep part of your deposit or bill you for the work. Read the restoration clause in your lease and schedule the work well before your end date.
- Can I decommission and move at the same time?
- Yes. BMG can move you into the new office and clear out the old one under one fixed price, on one schedule, with one project manager. You do not have to coordinate two vendors.
Lease Ending? Let Us Clear Out Your Office.
Plan furniture removal and the agreed handback work. Confirm donation acceptance, recycling arrangements and building requirements during a free walkthrough, then get a written scope and price.