A solid RFP spells out your square footage, timeline, special equipment, and building access rules clearly enough that every mover bids on the same job. CG Moving Company reviews a lot of RFPs that leave out details that end up changing the price or the schedule mid-project, so getting the scope right upfront saves everyone time. Once you have narrowed down bidders, our guide on how to choose a commercial mover beyond the quote covers what to check before you sign.
What basic project details does every RFP need?
Square footage, headcount, current and new addresses, target dates.
Start with the facts a mover needs just to scope labor and trucks. Vague RFPs produce vague, inconsistent bids that are hard to compare against each other.
Include at minimum:
- Current and new addresses, including floor and suite number
- Approximate square footage and employee headcount
- Preferred moving dates, plus flexibility if you have any
- Whether the move is single-day, weekend, or phased across multiple visits
These basics let every mover you contact estimate crew size and truck count on the same information.
What special equipment or services should be called out?
Modular furniture, IT equipment, safes, artwork, or lab equipment.
General office moves and specialized ones need different crews and insurance coverage, so the RFP should flag anything outside standard desks and boxes. This includes modular furniture systems that need disassembly and reinstallation, server rooms or IT closets, medical or lab equipment, and anything unusually heavy or fragile like safes or artwork.
Naming these items upfront lets a mover tell you honestly whether they have the licensing and experience to handle them, rather than discovering a gap once the job is already underway. At CG Moving Company, we hold CSLB C61/D34 licensing specifically for modular furniture work, which is the kind of detail an RFP response should spell out.
What building and access information matters?
Loading dock hours, elevator reservations, parking restrictions, insurance requirements.
Building management rules affect scheduling more than almost anything else in an office move. Your RFP should include loading dock hours and reservation requirements at both the old and new buildings, freight elevator availability, any street parking or permit restrictions, and whether the building requires a certificate of insurance naming the landlord.
Movers who already work in your building, or in similar buildings nearby, will often know these requirements faster than you can track them down yourself.
What should you ask each bidder to confirm in their response?
Licensing, insurance limits, references, and a detailed line-item estimate.
A fair RFP asks every bidder to respond to the same set of questions, which makes comparing their answers much easier. Request proof of required licensing for any specialized work, current insurance certificates and coverage limits, references from similar commercial moves, and a line-item breakdown rather than a single lump sum.
That line-item detail is what lets you see later whether a lower bid left something out, which is usually where surprise charges come from.
A well-built RFP takes an extra hour to write but saves you from comparing bids that are not actually bidding on the same job. Our commercial moving team is happy to review a draft RFP before you send it out, just reach out through our contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should the RFP include a site visit before bids are submitted?
Yes, if the space has anything unusual, like modular furniture, tight loading dock access, or specialized equipment, a site visit before bids come in produces far more accurate quotes than a written description alone. Offering a walkthrough window to all bidders also keeps the comparison fair.
How many moving companies should you send an RFP to?
Three to five is usually enough to get a real comparison without spending excessive time managing responses. Fewer than that risks missing a better fit, while sending it to too many makes comparing line-item estimates harder than it needs to be.
What should happen if a bidder's response leaves out information the RFP asked for?
Follow up and ask for the missing piece before scoring that bid, rather than assuming the omission doesn’t matter. A bidder who skips a direct question in the RFP often skips the same detail once the job is underway.
Does the RFP need to specify insurance minimums, or is that negotiated later?
Specify your minimum insurance requirements directly in the RFP so every bidder responds against the same standard. Leaving it open for later negotiation makes it harder to compare bids fairly and can surface a coverage gap after you’ve already selected a vendor.
If you want a second set of eyes on your RFP before it goes out, send us a draft through our contact page.
