Office Clearance vs Office Removals: What's the Difference?
"Office clearance" and "office removals" sound similar, but they're fundamentally different services. Confusing the two is one of the most common — and expensive — mistakes businesses make during an office move. This guide explains what each service involves, what they cost, and how to work out which you actually need.
Quick Comparison
| Office Clearance | Office Removals | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Remove and dispose of unwanted items | Move items you're keeping to a new location |
| What happens to items | Sorted for reuse, recycling or disposal | Packed, transported and set up at new premises |
| Typical cost | £200–£8,000+ (depends on volume) | £1,000–£50,000+ (depends on distance/volume) |
| When needed | End of lease, downsizing, refit, closing | Moving to new premises |
| Documentation | Waste transfer notes, data destruction certs | Inventory list, insurance docs |
| Specialist skills | Waste management, recycling, data destruction | Packing, logistics, installation |
What Is Office Clearance?
Office clearance is the removal and responsible disposal of items you no longer need. The goal isn't to move things — it's to get rid of them properly. A clearance company will typically:
- Sort everything into reuse, recycling and disposal streams
- Recover value where possible — quality furniture is resold through trade channels, with proceeds offset against your bill
- Handle data destruction — hard drives wiped or physically destroyed with ADISA certificates
- Manage hazardous waste — POPs-contaminated upholstery, WEEE, batteries, fluorescent tubes
- Provide documentation — waste transfer notes for every load, ESG impact reports, destruction certificates
- Leave the space clean — broom-clean finish ready for handover or the next tenant
Clearance is a waste management service at its core. The company needs a waste carrier licence, and everything they remove must be tracked and documented under Duty of Care regulations. For a deeper dive, see our office clearance service guide.
What Is Office Removals?
Office removals is the process of packing up your office contents and transporting them to a new location — intact and in working order. A removal company will typically:
- Survey the premises to plan logistics (access, parking, lifts, timing)
- Pack everything using crates, blankets and specialist wrapping for fragile items
- Disassemble furniture that won't fit through doors or into lifts
- Transport items to the new premises, often with dedicated vehicles
- Unpack and set up at the new location, including reassembling desks and reconnecting equipment
- Manage building access at both ends — loading bays, goods lifts, permits
Removals is a logistics service. The focus is on getting your items from A to B without damage or delay. The company needs goods-in-transit insurance and commercial vehicle licences, but typically not waste management credentials. For more on what's involved, see our office removals service guide.
When You Need Both
Most office relocations require both clearance and removals. The typical scenario: you're moving to a new (usually smaller) office and you can't take everything with you. Old desks, worn chairs, outdated IT equipment, years of accumulated paperwork — it all needs to go somewhere.
The most efficient sequence is clearance first, then removals. Here's why:
- Clear first — remove everything you're not keeping. This includes old furniture, broken equipment, confidential waste and anything that won't work in the new space
- Move second — the removal team now has a cleaner job. Less volume means fewer vehicles, fewer hours and a lower bill. They're only handling items you actually want
- Clean and hand back — the old premises is empty and ready for handover, inspection or the next tenant
Running both services in reverse — moving first, then trying to clear what's left — usually costs more and creates more disruption. You end up paying removal rates for items that are heading for disposal anyway.
How to Decide Which You Need
Ask yourself these five questions:
- Are you moving to a new office? If yes, you need removals (and probably clearance too). If no — just clearance
- Is any furniture going with you? If yes, you need removals. If you're replacing everything at the new premises, you only need clearance
- Is there IT equipment with data? If yes, make sure whoever handles it offers data destruction — this is typically a clearance service, not a removal service
- Do you need waste documentation? Any items being disposed of (not moved) require waste transfer notes. That's a clearance responsibility
- Is there a lease deadline? If you need the premises empty by a specific date, coordinate both services carefully. Allow clearance time before the removal team arrives
For a complete planning framework covering both services, use our office move checklist or run through the interactive office move planner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can one company do both office clearance and removals?
Yes. Some companies offer both services under one roof, which simplifies coordination — one point of contact, one timeline, and often a reduced combined rate. A single provider can manage the clearance and removals sequentially without the handover delays that come from using separate contractors.
The main advantage is efficiency: the same team that clears the unwanted items understands what's staying and what's going, reducing the risk of items being accidentally disposed of or left behind. Check that the company has both a waste carrier licence (for clearance) and adequate goods-in-transit insurance (for removals).
Which costs more — office clearance or office removals?
Removals generally cost more than clearance because of the care required. Packing, wrapping, dedicated vehicles, and setup at the new premises all add to the bill. A removal for a 30-person office might cost £5,000–£15,000, while clearing the same office might cost £1,500–£4,000.
However, clearance costs can rise significantly with hazardous materials (POPs-contaminated furniture costs £800–£1,500 per tonne to incinerate), large volumes of IT equipment needing data destruction, or restricted access requiring out-of-hours work. For detailed pricing, see our clearance costs guide and move budget guide.
Do I need waste transfer notes for office removals?
No — waste transfer notes are only required when waste is being disposed of, not when items are being relocated. If you're moving desks, chairs and equipment to a new office, no waste documentation is needed for those items.
However, if any items are being disposed of during the move — even a few boxes of old files or broken chairs — those items require waste transfer notes. This is a clearance activity, not a removal activity. Make sure you're clear about which items are moving and which are being disposed of, so the right documentation is produced.
What if I need both clearance and removals?
This is the most common scenario for office relocations. The recommended approach is to clear first and move second: remove everything you don't want to take with you, then bring in the removal team for a cleaner, faster move.
Budget for both services from the outset. A combined programme for a 30-person office might total £6,000–£18,000 depending on the volume, distance and complexity. Using one company for both services often brings the cost down and avoids coordination headaches. Start planning early — our relocation timeline guide shows how long each phase typically takes.