Relocating a business is one of the most stressful logistical challenges a company can face. Whether you are moving into a high-rise in Downtown Dallas or breaking ground on a distribution center in Fort Worth, the physical move is only half the battle. The real challenge, and often the source of the biggest headaches, is ensuring your technology works the moment your employees sit down.
A successful office move requires seamless coordination between your physical infrastructure (cabling) and your communication tools (VoIP). If the low-voltage wiring isn’t planned correctly, your phones won’t ring, and your Wi-Fi will be spotty.
To help DFW business owners navigate this transition, we have compiled a comprehensive checklist for integrating your structured cabling and phone systems during a move.
Phase 1: The Site Survey & Design (6–8 Weeks Before Move)
Before drywall goes up or furniture is ordered, you need a clear map of your network needs. Retrofitting cables after walls are closed is significantly more expensive.
- Audit Your Data Drop Count: Count every workstation, printer, Wireless Access Point (WAP), security camera, and time clock. A good rule of thumb is to install two data jacks per desk (one for the computer, one for the phone).
- Identify the MDF/IDF (Server Room): Locate where your internet service enters the building (the Demarcation Point). Your server rack should be centrally located to keep cable runs under the 328-foot limit.
- Check Ceiling Conditions: Specific municipalities like Plano and Frisco often have strict fire codes. If your office has a plenum ceiling (used for air return), you must specify plenum-rated cable to meet inspection standards.
Phase 2: The Cabling Backbone (4–6 Weeks Before Move)
This is the physical “highway” on which your data travels. Once the design is set, the installation begins.
- Select the Right Cable Category: For most modern offices, Cat6 is the standard, supporting gigabit speeds. However, for industrial sites in areas like Grand Prairie, we may recommend fiber optic cabling to span long distances across warehouse floors.
- Plan for Wireless Coverage: Don’t rely on a single router. Integrating professional networking and Wi-Fi requires running cables to ceiling points throughout the office to ensure dead zones are eliminated before employees arrive.
- Future-Proofing: Install 20% more drops than you currently need. The cost of running an extra cable while the ceiling is open is minimal compared with calling a technician back in six months for a single new hire.
Phase 3: VoIP & Communication Strategy (4 Weeks Before Move)
Your phone system is the voice of your business. Moving offices is the perfect time to audit your current provider.
- Evaluate Bandwidth for VoIP: Unlike traditional landlines, modern phone systems run over the internet. Ensure your new ISP contract provides enough upload speed to handle simultaneous voice calls without jitter.
- Port Your Numbers Early: Transferring business phone numbers can take weeks. Initiate the “porting” process early so you don’t lose connection with clients during the transition.
- PoE (Power over Ethernet) Readiness: Most modern VoIP phones require power. Instead of using bulky AC adapters at every desk, ensure your network switches are PoE-capable, delivering power directly over the Ethernet cable.
Phase 4: Security & Access Control (Concurrent with Cabling)
While the cabling crew is on ladders, it is efficient to install your physical security infrastructure.
- Camera Placement: Map out high-traffic areas. Since IP cameras require data cabling, this should be done alongside the regular network installation.
- Door Access: If you are installing keycard or fob entry systems, the low-voltage wiring for these security systems needs to be routed back to the main controller in your IT closet.
Phase 5: The “Cutover” & Testing (1 Week Before Move)
The furniture is arriving, and the paint is dry. Now comes the verification.
- Certification of Drops: Every single cable run should be tested and certified. At Z-Tech, we label every faceplate and patch panel port, so you aren’t guessing where “Port 12” goes.
- Wi-Fi Heat Mapping: Once walls and furniture are in, the signal changes. We perform a final signal check to optimize access point coverage.
- The “Ring” Test: Before opening day, place test calls on the new VoIP system to ensure call routing, hunt groups, and voicemail are functioning correctly.
Make Your DFW Office Move Seamless
Don’t let IT infrastructure be the bottleneck of your relocation. Z-Tech Communications ensures your new office is connected, tested, and ready for business on day one.
Planning a move?
Contact us today to schedule your pre-move site survey.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance should I contact a cabling vendor before my move?
Ideally, you should engage a cabling partner 2 to 3 months before your move-in date. This allows time for site surveys, obtaining permits (if necessary in cities such as Addison or Richardson), and coordinating with construction teams before walls are closed.
Can I reuse the existing cabling in the new office?
Sometimes, but proceed with caution. We often find “abandoned” cable that is damaged, outdated (Cat5), or poorly terminated by previous tenants. We recommend a full audit of the existing infrastructure. If the structured cabling is sound, we can certify and reuse it; if not, relying on it creates a high risk of network failure.
Do I need a separate cable for my computer and my VoIP phone?
It is best practice to have two separate lines (drops) per desk, one for data and one for voice. While you can daisy-chain a computer through a VoIP phone, this creates a single point of failure and can throttle internet speeds for data-heavy users.
Does Z-Tech handle the move for both cabling and phone systems?
Yes. We are a turnkey provider for the entire DFW metroplex. We handle low-voltage cabling, fiber optics, andinstallation and programming of the phone system, ensuring a single point of accountability for your move.
