Industry
Laboratories and research
Analytical benches, freezers, fume hoods and instrument racks moved with calibration, cold chain and chain of custody handled as first-class requirements.
- Typical footprintWet and dry labs from 3,000 to 25,000 sq ft
- Move windowPhased over consecutive weekends, driven by instrument downtime
- CrewsBackground checked
How this sector moves
Relocating laboratories and research
Lab moves are sequenced around instruments, not rooms. An analytical instrument that takes three days to recalibrate sets the critical path, so it moves first and is handed to the engineer while the rest of the lab is still being packed.
Chemicals do not travel with us. Hazardous materials are cleared by a licensed hazardous waste contractor or hand-carried by your own staff under your own procedures. We are explicit about that boundary at survey, because it is the single most common surprise in a lab relocation.
Requirements we plan against
- 01
Calibration and downtime
Each instrument gets a downtime figure at survey. That number drives the sequence and the number of weekends the project needs.
- 02
Cold chain
Minus 80 freezers move on generator-backed transport with continuous logging, or contents are transferred to dry ice or a temporary unit on site.
- 03
Chemical clearance
Reagents, solvents, compressed gases and waste are cleared before the move by a licensed contractor. Nothing flammable, corrosive or pressurised goes on our trucks.
- 04
Sample custody
Biological and research samples move under a signed custody log with seal numbers, the same process used for data-bearing assets.
What we work through at survey
- List every instrument with its weight, footprint and recalibration downtime
- Book manufacturer engineers for decommission and recommission
- Engage a licensed contractor for chemical and gas clearance
- Confirm the freezer plan: generator transport, dry ice or a temporary unit
- Verify destination floor loading, power, water and exhaust before move day
Niche scope: insurance and access
What the building will ask for
Property managers approve moves, not movers. These six things decide whether your window is confirmed or bounced back five days before the date.
COI lead time
Most Houston Class A buildings require the certificate five business days before the move, with exact additional insured wording. We issue within 24 hours of receiving the requirement, which leaves room for a rejection and a reissue.
Freight elevator reservation
Booked in blocks, usually four hours minimum, outside 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Downtown towers are commonly reserved four to six weeks ahead, and an after-hours building engineer is billed to the tenant by the hour.
Dock windows and truck limits
Dock slots are allocated by the hour and shared with retail and food deliveries in mixed-use towers. Several Uptown docks cap vehicles at 26 ft length or 13 ft 6 in clearance, which changes the truck plan.
Floor and wall protection
Masonite over finished floors, ram board in corridors, corner guards on every turn, elevator pads hung by the building engineer, and door jamb protection at both ends. Photographed before and after.
Crew rosters and badging
Security desks want full legal names 48 hours ahead, sometimes with photo ID numbers. Every mover on our payroll is background checked, so rosters are not returned for a failed check on move night.
Method statements
Anything rigged, anything over 800 pounds and anything in a regulated space moves under a written method statement naming the crew, the equipment, the route and the abort conditions.
Building requirements
Next step
Planning a laboratories and research move?
Tell us the window you have to hit and what cannot be interrupted. Everything else is arithmetic.