Short answer: Start security planning as soon as the lease is signed, not the week before move-in. Cabling, door hardware, alarm and fire alarm work all go easier while walls are open and before furniture is in. Plan which doors get access control, where cameras go, how the alarm will be monitored and what happens to the equipment at your old location, then schedule the installer alongside your IT and build-out crews.
Why security ends up last
An office move has a long list: the lease, the build-out, furniture, phones, internet, signage. Security gets added late because it feels like something you can bolt on after. The trouble is that most of it depends on things decided early. Card readers need power and cable at each door. Cameras need cable runs to locations that may be behind a closed ceiling by then. The network closet needs space and power for a recorder or access panel. If those runs are not in before drywall and ceiling tile, the work gets slower and messier.
That applies whether you are moving across Smyrna or Murfreesboro or into a new office park in Chattanooga. Businesses that plan early move in with a working system. Businesses that wait often run for weeks with a temporary setup.
A timeline that works
When the lease is signed
- Get a floor plan and mark every exterior door, the suite entry, and rooms that need restricted access: IT closet, records, inventory, cash, executive offices.
- Ask the landlord what is already installed and what the building controls. In multi-tenant buildings, the landlord may run the lobby access while you control your suite.
- Find out who is responsible for the fire alarm. In many buildings the landlord owns the base system and your build-out has to tie in. Fire alarm changes can require permits and inspection, so check with the landlord and the local fire marshal early.
- Call your security provider and set up a walkthrough of the new space.
During build-out
- Run cable for card readers, door contacts, cameras and alarm keypads while walls and ceilings are open.
- Coordinate door hardware with the contractor. Electric strikes or maglocks have to match the doors and frames being installed.
- Reserve rack space and power in the network closet for the recorder and access control panel.
- Coordinate with your IT provider so cameras and access control get the network setup they need.
Two weeks before move-in
- Install and test readers, cameras and the alarm.
- Load employee credentials and set door schedules.
- Set up individual alarm user codes and update the monitoring call list with the new address.
Move week
- Movers and vendors get temporary credentials that expire when the move is done.
- Keep the old location armed and monitored until the last box is out.
Do not forget the old location
Decide what happens to the equipment you are leaving. Some of it may move with you, some may stay with the landlord, and the old alarm monitoring needs to be transferred or ended on the right date. Change codes and collect keys at the old space so you are not responsible for a building you no longer occupy.
How Turner Security helps with a move
We walk the new space, review the floor plan, and give you a written proposal for access control, cameras, intrusion alarm and fire alarm work. We can look at what you have at the old location and tell you what is worth moving. Tell us who handles your IT so cabling and network needs get planned together. We do not lock you into a long-term contract, and once you are in, our help desk handles most service issues remotely.
Mistakes to avoid
- Waiting until ceilings are closed to plan camera locations.
- Ordering doors before deciding which ones get electric locks.
- Moving in with the same shared alarm code you had at the old building.
- Letting the old location's monitoring lapse before you have actually moved out.
Frequently asked questions
Can we move our existing cameras and readers to the new office?
Sometimes. It depends on the age and condition of the equipment and the layout of the new space. We look at both and tell you what is worth moving.
How far ahead should we contact a security company?
As soon as you have a floor plan, ideally before build-out starts, so cable can go in while walls and ceilings are open.
Who handles the fire alarm in a leased space?
It varies by building. Ask the landlord early who owns the system and who will make changes for your build-out.
Plan your move with us
Start with our overview of commercial security systems and send us your floor plan.
To request a quote, call our Smyrna office at (615) 223-9600 for Nashville and Middle Tennessee, or our Chattanooga office at (423) 344-3787. The earlier we see the new floor plan, the more cabling can go in before the ceilings close.
