Factory Relocation Checklist: How to Plan an Industrial Move

Why factory relocations go wrong

Moving a factory isn’t just moving heavy things from one building to another. It’s a project that combines engineering, electrical work, lifting, heavy transport, compliance and production planning, often with several contractors involved and a hard deadline for getting production back online.

When relocations go over time or budget, it’s rarely the move itself that failed. It’s usually something upstream: a floor that wasn’t ready, a machine that was heavier than the paperwork said, a permit applied for too late, or two contractors who each assumed the other was handling a task. The checklist below is designed to catch those problems early.

Stage 1: Define the scope and the downtime you can accept

Before calling anyone, get clear on what’s moving and what the business can tolerate.

• List everything that’s moving: production machines, supporting plant (compressors, chillers, extraction, cranes and hoists), racking, tooling, and stock
• Decide what’s not moving: old equipment to sell, scrap or replace. A relocation is the cheapest time to get rid of it.
• Set a downtime limit for each production line. This decides whether you move everything at once or in phases.
• Talk to customers and suppliers early, and plan stock builds to cover the move period
• Appoint one internal project owner with the authority to make decisions quickly
• Check your lease, insurance and landlord obligations for both the old and new premises, including reinstatement requirements at the old site

Stage 2: Survey and document every machine

Accurate machine data drives every later decision: which crane, which trailer, whether a permit is needed, and how the new floor must be prepared. For each machine, record:

• Weight, from the manufacturer’s data plate or manuals, not guesswork
• Dimensions (length, width and height), including anything that sticks out
• Lifting points and the manufacturer’s lifting and transport instructions
• Services: power supply, compressed air, water, extraction and data connections
• Foundation and anchoring requirements, and whether the machine needs a special base
• What can be dismantled to reduce size or weight for transport
• Condition and photos before the move, including a record of settings, calibration and levelling

Number and tag every machine and component, and give each one a destination on the new floor plan. This single list becomes the reference document for everyone involved.

Stage 3: Prepare the new site

This is the stage most likely to cause delays. Before any machine moves, confirm:

• Floor layout is finalised, with space for maintenance access, walkways and material flow
• Floor capacity: the slab can carry each machine’s weight, and any new foundations or plinths are built and fully cured
• Services are installed and tested: electrical supply at the right voltage and capacity, compressed air, water and extraction
• Access is clear: door heights and widths, turning space for trucks and trailers, and room to set up a crane where needed
• Overhead cranes or hoists in the new building are installed, load-tested and certified if you plan to use them for installation
• Hard standing outside the building can take a mobile crane’s outrigger loads

Stage 4: Safety, compliance and permits

In South Africa, a factory relocation falls under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993). The client and every contractor on site have safety responsibilities. Make sure the following is in place:

• Safety files from every contractor, with risk assessments and method statements for the work
• Certified people for lifting work: riggers and crane operators certified in terms of the Driven Machinery Regulations, with documented lift plans where required
• A qualified electrician to safely isolate, disconnect and later reconnect machines, with the required compliance certificates at the new site
• Inspected lifting equipment: cranes, slings, shackles and chain blocks with current inspection records
• Abnormal load permits for any machine that exceeds legal road limits. These take time, so apply early. See our guide to abnormal load permits in South Africa.
• Road closure or municipal permits if a crane needs to set up on a public road at either site
• Insurance for the goods in transit and for the lifting work, with confirmation of who is liable for what

Stage 5: Build the move schedule

• Choose a strategy: a single shutdown move, or a phased move line by line that keeps part of the factory producing
• Sequence the machines so the new site fills from the back to the front and nothing blocks the next installation
• Move critical machines into weekends, holidays or planned shutdowns where possible
• Lock in dates for cranes, transport, riggers, electricians and machine technicians, and confirm them in writing
• Avoid abnormal load embargo days such as long weekends and peak holiday periods if any loads need permits
• Build in contingency for weather, permit delays and machines that take longer to recommission than expected

Stage 6: Move day: disconnect, rig and transport

• Isolate and disconnect services safely, with lockout procedures and the electrician on site
• Drain fluids such as hydraulic oil and coolant where the manufacturer requires it
• Secure moving parts with transport locks, and remove and pack delicate components separately
• Lift and skate machines out using the right equipment: cranes, forklifts, gantries, jacks or machine skates, according to the lift plan
• Load, block, brace and lash each machine on the right trailer for its weight and dimensions
• Track every item against the tagged machine list, from loading to arrival

Stage 7: Install, level and recommission

• Position each machine on its marked location and anchor it as specified
• Level and align precision equipment to the manufacturer’s tolerances
• Reconnect services and have the electrical work certified
• Refill fluids, remove transport locks and reinstall any dismantled parts
• Test run and recalibrate with the machine supplier or your maintenance team before production restarts
• Do a final walk-through of both sites, check for damage against the pre-move photos, and close out documentation

Common factory relocation mistakes

• Starting the move before the new site is ready. Machines waiting on uncured floors or missing power lengthen downtime.
• Trusting old paperwork for machine weights. Modifications and add-ons change weights. Verify before booking cranes and transport.
• Too many contractors, no single coordinator. When the crane company, transporter, riggers and electricians all work separately, tasks fall through the gaps.
• Leaving permits until last. Abnormal load and road closure permits can hold up the whole schedule.
• Underestimating recommissioning. Getting machines back to full production often takes longer than the physical move.

Frequently asked questions