What happens to your service when you move offices
What actually transfers when you move offices, why you can end up paying for two addresses, and what to confirm in writing before you sign.
Does your service move with you?
Not usually. Most providers treat a relocation as new service at a new address, which commonly means a new service agreement, a new installation, and in many cases a term that restarts from the new activation date. Your old contract does not follow you, and it does not always end either.
| What you have today | What usually happens | What to confirm in writing |
|---|---|---|
| Your service agreement | A new one is issued for the new address | Whether the term restarts — see whether moving restarts it |
| Your circuit or line | Stays with the old building; a new one is built at the new one | The install lead time, and whether construction is needed |
| Your phone numbers | Usually portable, but not across every rate center | That your numbers can follow you before you sign anything |
| Your monthly rate | Often re-priced at the new address | The new monthly figure in writing, not verbally |
| Your equipment | Some is reused, some is site-specific | Whether you owe a setup fee for new hardware |
| Billing for the old site | Continues until the old service is formally disconnected | The disconnect date and any early termination charge |
Why you can end up paying for two addresses
The new site has to be built and tested before you can shut the old one off, and an install that needs construction commonly runs 60 to 90 business days. If you disconnect the old address on the day the lease ends, you may be without service. If you keep it running, you pay for both for the overlap.
- Plan for an overlap of at least a few weeks, and budget for it
- Ask whether the provider will waive or prorate the old site during the overlap — some will, many will not
- Do not cancel the old line until the new one has passed testing and your phones are live on it
- Get the disconnect date for the old address confirmed in writing, with a ticket reference
What to do first
Read the relocation section of your agreement
Look for headings such as Relocation, Move, Change of Premises, or Out of Territory. Many agreements have none, which is itself the answer.
Find your current end date and notice window
A move does not override an automatic renewal. See evergreen clauses.
Check serviceability at the new address early
Before you sign the lease if you can. If the answer is no, read coverage at your new address.
Ask for the relocation offer in writing
Monthly cost, setup fee, term length, install date, and what happens to the old site — one document, not four emails.
Order with time to spare
Staying with your provider is often simplest
If your provider serves the new address well and the terms are reasonable, moving with your existing provider avoids porting numbers, re-cabling and a second vendor relationship. The goal is to know the term, the price and the lead time before you agree, and to find out what else is available at the new address so the relocation offer has something to be measured against.
Relocation practice differs between providers and changes over time. Treat this as a guide to the questions worth asking, and rely on your own agreement and bill for what applies to you.
Last reviewed September 14, 2026
