Office relocation is one of the most disruptive and expensive exercises a company undertakes. Most of the cost — and almost all of the disruption — comes from decisions made too late: signing a lease on a space that can't support your infrastructure, then discovering this during the fit-out.
This checklist is built around the RC Workspace pre-lease review process — the same assessment we do before every project. Work through it before you sign, not after.
The most important thing on this list: Get your infrastructure assessed before you sign the lease. RC Workspace offers a free 2-hour pre-lease review — we assess any commercial space in Bengaluru and give you a written report within 48 hours. No cost, no obligation.
Phase 1: Before You Sign the Lease
✅ Power Infrastructure Assessment
- What is the sanctioned load for the space? (Ask landlord for the electrical NOC or load approval document)
- Is the sanctioned load sufficient for your headcount and equipment? (Rule of thumb: 12–15 VA per workstation for IT-heavy teams; 8–10 VA for standard offices)
- Is there a diesel generator backup? What is the DG capacity and what loads does it cover?
- What is the power factor of the existing installation? Poor power factor increases effective costs.
- Is there a UPS provision or UPS room? What capacity?
- Can additional load be sanctioned from BESCOM if needed? (Some Bengaluru buildings have maxed their transformer capacity — additional load approval takes 3–6 months)
✅ HVAC Assessment
- Is there existing HVAC in the space? What type — VRF, split, ducted?
- What is the cooling capacity in tonnes? Is it adequate for your headcount density?
- When was the existing HVAC last serviced? What is its age?
- Is there a fresh air / outside air system? (Critical for health and comfort in high-occupancy offices)
- Does the landlord's HVAC cover the space you're taking, or will you need to add your own units?
- Are there any HVAC-free zones in the space that will need cooling added?
✅ Network & Data Infrastructure
- What is the building's internet fibre entry point? Who is the building ISP?
- Can your preferred ISP enter the building? (Some buildings are exclusive to one ISP — a significant operational risk)
- Is there existing structured cabling in the space? What category? When was it installed?
- Is there a server room or comms room in the space? What size and what cooling provision?
- Does the building have a BMS (Building Management System)? Can your systems integrate with it?
✅ Physical Infrastructure
- What is the floor loading capacity? (Relevant for server rooms, large safes, industrial equipment)
- Is the floor raised (raised floor system)? Is it suitable for your cabling approach?
- What is the ceiling height? Sufficient for your false ceiling + MEP clearance?
- Are there existing partitions? What condition? What would demolition cost?
- What is the existing flooring? Can it be covered or does it need replacement?
✅ Building Compliance & Landlord Terms
- Does the building have a valid fire NOC? (Required for your occupancy)
- What fit-out works does the landlord permit? (Some buildings restrict HVAC type, ceiling height changes, or electrical work to approved contractors)
- Is there a landlord-approved contractor list? Are the rates reasonable?
- What is the landlord's process for fit-out approval? What documentation is required?
- What is the reinstatement clause? What must you restore to original condition at lease end?
Phase 2: After Signing — Before Fit-Out Begins
✅ Fit-Out Scope and Budget
- Get a line-item BOQ from your contractor — not a per-sqft approximation
- Confirm what is included vs excluded (furniture, AV, branding, signage)
- Confirm the brand schedule — what materials and brands are specified for each element
- Get the timeline as a Gantt chart — not just a total weeks number
- Confirm how variation orders are handled — what triggers one and how they're priced
✅ IT and Network Planning
- Order your internet connection early — fibre provisioning in Bengaluru takes 3–8 weeks
- Plan your server room requirements before fit-out begins — changing requirements mid-fit-out adds significant cost
- Confirm your Wi-Fi AP requirements with your IT team before the cabling schedule is finalised
- Plan your IP phone/video conferencing infrastructure — network and power points for these are cheapest to add during fit-out, expensive to retrofit
✅ Security and Access
- Decide your access control approach — key, card, or biometric — before partitions and door frames are installed
- Plan CCTV coverage requirements — entry points, reception, server room, parking — before cabling begins
- Decide whether you need an intruder alarm and what zones it should cover
Phase 3: Before Your Team Moves In
- Commission all systems and test under load before move-in date
- Conduct a full CCTV coverage walk-through — verify no blind spots
- Test all power circuits under simulated full load
- Test Wi-Fi coverage at every desk position
- Test all HVAC zones — not just "is it on" but "does the setpoint hold"
- Receive all as-built drawings, test certificates, and warranty documents
- Brief your team on the systems: access control, HVAC controls, emergency procedures
- Confirm your AMC arrangements for all MEP systems
The single most common mistake: Moving in before the infrastructure is commissioned. "The cabling is done, just needs testing" or "the HVAC is installed, just needs gas charging" — these are the phrases that lead to your team working in an office that doesn't work on Day One. Don't move in until everything is commissioned and tested.
Start 4–6 months before your target move-in date. This gives you time for space search and lease negotiation (4–8 weeks), pre-lease infrastructure review (1 week), fit-out design and BOQ (2–3 weeks), landlord approval (2–4 weeks), and fit-out execution (10–16 weeks). Starting earlier is always better — compressing any of these phases adds cost and risk.
A pre-lease infrastructure review is a 2-hour site visit where RC Workspace assesses the space for power capacity, HVAC feasibility, network infrastructure, and building compliance — before you sign the lease. We offer it free because it creates a better project: clients who have done the review know exactly what they're getting into, the fit-out scope is more accurate, and there are fewer surprises mid-project. It also generates qualified leads for us — making it genuinely free for you and genuinely useful for both parties.
Office relocation costs in Bengaluru depend on three things: the fit-out cost for the new space, the cost of any reinstatement work at the old space, and the operational cost of the move itself (furniture removal, IT migration, downtime). The fit-out for a new office typically costs ₹800–₹2,500 per sqft depending on finish level. Get a full BOQ before committing to the new space.
Moving office in Bengaluru? Book your free pre-lease review.
RC Workspace assesses any commercial space in Bengaluru before you sign — power, HVAC, network, compliance. 2 hours on-site. Written report in 48 hours. Zero cost.
Book Free Pre-Lease Review → 📞 +91 96060 20779