Moving into a Building with Government Offices? The K-9 is King.

Building security and access requirements can control your move schedule in ways you may not discover until it’s too late.

Office moves are usually planned around the obvious logistics: packing, elevators, loading docks, building hours, movers and the sequence for getting people back to work.

But the building may have another requirement that controls the schedule.

On one Manhattan relocation, our client was moving into a building that housed government offices. The moving truck and its contents had to be inspected by a police K-9 unit before anything could enter the building.

That requirement changed the move plan.

The truck had to be in the loading area by 1:00 p.m. Its contents then had to be unloaded onto the street so the K-9 unit could inspect them before the movers could begin bringing everything into the building.

And yes, the dog had a lunch hour.

Had we missed the inspection window, the K-9 unit would have moved on to other assignments. The truck could have been sitting there with nowhere to go, potentially pushing the load-in to the following day and adding cost to the move.

The Access Plan Is Part of the Move Plan

Security requirements will vary considerably from one property to another. A building may require advance identification of movers and vendors, certificates of insurance, security clearances, restricted loading times, designated entrances or other procedures before allowing access.

The specific requirement is less important than when the project team discovers it.

A relocation schedule can look perfectly workable until someone learns that the building controls when the truck can arrive, which entrance can be used, who must be cleared in advance or what has to happen before materials can cross the loading dock.

Those requirements should be identified while the move is being planned—not when the truck arrives.

Before finalizing a relocation schedule, confirm with the landlord or property manager:

• Loading-dock and freight-elevator requirements
• Permitted move days and hours
• Security screening or access procedures
• Advance identification requirements for movers and vendors
• Certificates of insurance and other required documentation
• Restrictions affecting trucks, equipment or deliveries
• Who has authority to approve access if something changes on move day

Then build those requirements into the mover’s schedule and communicate them to everyone involved.

Leadership Takeaway: A move schedule does not control building access. Confirm the building’s requirements first, then build the move around them.