By NuEdge Communications · October 2026 · 4 min read

An office move brings the phone system, internet service and physical network together on one deadline. A finished room is only part of the picture: staff also need working connections, customers need to reach your numbers and someone needs to coordinate the changeover.

For a move in Ottawa or Gatineau, use this checklist to organize the conversations with your building contact, IT team and communications provider. Confirm the actual scope and timing for your site before committing to a move-day plan.

1. Start with the floor plan and device list

Mark reception, workstations, meeting rooms, printers, wireless access points and other equipment on the proposed layout. Identify devices that need a wired connection and locations where a phone will be used. Include likely additions so the discussion covers the office you intend to operate.

Share this layout with the people planning the structured cabling. Ask them to assess pathways, connection distances and the suitability of any existing wiring. Visible outlets alone do not establish that the cabling meets your needs.

2. Confirm access and installation responsibilities

Ask the landlord or building manager about access to communications rooms, permitted installation hours and approval requirements. Identify who coordinates building access and who handles any work outside the communications installer’s scope.

Keep a contact list for the building, internet provider, cabling team, phone provider and your internal decision-maker. Agree on who can approve changes if the final layout differs from the drawing.

3. Arrange internet service before changeover

Confirm service availability at the exact new address and obtain an installation date from the provider. Establish where the connection will terminate and how it will reach your network equipment. Include any access appointment or building coordination in the schedule.

Plan a test before staff arrive whenever the project allows. If the installation date changes, have an agreed response so the office move and communications changeover can be reassessed together.

4. Plan the network room and cabling handover

Decide where network equipment will be installed and ask the relevant trades to assess power, space and environmental requirements. Review racks, patch panels and cable management with the installation team.

Agree on how outlets and patch-panel ports will be labelled, what testing is included and what records you will receive. A clear record of each connection helps your IT team place devices and investigate problems after the move. If you need certification reports, include that requirement explicitly in the scope.

5. Coordinate phone numbers and call routing

List the numbers that customers use, the services associated with them and the people authorized to request changes. Have your provider confirm whether a number transfer or service change is needed, including dependencies and timing. Do not cancel the old service until the required arrangements have been confirmed.

Review reception coverage, menus, voicemail, after-hours routing and remote staff access. Check any connected paging, door-entry or other equipment individually. An office relocation is also a useful time to review business phone and unified communications options.

6. Test before staff depend on the setup

Prepare a short acceptance checklist and assign an owner to each part. Test workstation connections, Wi-Fi coverage where needed, shared equipment and the applications your team uses. For phones, check incoming and outgoing calls, caller identification, transfers, voicemail and routing.

Record any problems and decide which must be resolved before opening. Give staff simple instructions for using the equipment and reporting faults, together with the support contact for the first working day.

7. Keep the changeover plan accessible

• Final floor plan and labelled connection records.
• Provider contacts and confirmed installation appointments.
• Equipment inventory and responsibility for moving each item.
• Number-transfer arrangements and temporary contact instructions.
• Test results, outstanding work and the person accepting handover.

Store a copy where the team can reach it even if office connectivity is unavailable. Review the plan when dates or layouts change so every provider is working from the same information.

Plan the move as one communications project

NuEdge works with cabling, business phone systems and maintenance and moves. Share your location, floor plan and target date to discuss the scope for your Ottawa or Gatineau office. Contact NuEdge to start the conversation.